By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
The moment Dr. Christina B. Propst chose to mock flood-stricken Texans as “getting what they voted for,” she exposed a depth of moral bankruptcy that defies belief. In a now-deleted Facebook post under the name “Chris Tina,” she wished safety only for “children, non-MAGA voters and pets,” while implying that political affiliation should determine who deserves compassion amid a deadly disaster.
Her employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, acted swiftly to dismiss her. But firing her is only the first step in addressing a breach that demands far stronger accountability.
Propst’s remarks struck at the heart of medical ethics.
Every physician takes an oath to treat patients impartially, regardless of background or belief. By ridiculing grieving families and children for their politics, she abandoned that oath and weaponized tragedy for partisan gain.
Compassion isn’t optional in healthcare – it’s the foundation. When a doctor publicly declares some lives less worthy, it undermines the trust essential to the doctor-patient relationship and diminishes the dignity of every person in need of care.
The Texas floods that claimed more than 100 lives – 27 of them children at Camp Mystic – were a natural disaster born of historic rainfall in the Hill Country. Residents faced loss of homes, businesses and loved ones.
In that crucible of grief and recovery, doctors should stand as beacons of hope.
Instead, Propst chose to deepen wounds by assigning blame based solely on voter registration. That choice reveals not a momentary lapse but a worldview incompatible with the duty to heal.
Blue Fish Pediatrics did the right thing by disavowing her comments and ending her employment. Their public statement emphasized that politicizing tragedy “does not reflect the values, standards or mission” of their clinics. Memorial Hermann Health System echoed that sentiment, distancing itself from her remarks.
Yet employers alone cannot safeguard patient safety when a professional’s core values have skewed so drastically. Medical licensing boards exist precisely to protect the public when practitioners cross ethical lines.
The Texas Medical Board must act without delay.
It should open a formal investigation and move to revoke Propst’s license to practice medicine.
Allowing her to retain licensure would signal that doctors can get away with dehumanizing patients under the guise of political expression. It would erode public confidence not just in one physician but in the entire profession. Patients need to know their provider will never let ideology determine the care they receive.
Revocation of her medical license would also serve as a deterrent. It would reaffirm that the healing arts demand more than technical skill; they demand unwavering respect for every human life.
When medical boards take bold action against prejudice, they send a clear message: healthcare must remain a safe haven for the sick, the vulnerable and the grieving – no exceptions.
Allowing Propst to walk away with only a lost paycheck risks normalizing the very attitude that puts lives at risk.
Political bias in patient care isn’t a harmless rant – it’s a threat to the principle that doctors save lives, not judge them. The public deserves certainty that treatment decisions hinge solely on medical need, not personal beliefs about policy or politics.
Beyond licensure, the broader medical community must reckon with this failure of character. Professional associations should review their own codes of conduct and education programs to reinforce the duty of non-judgment.
Hospitals and clinics should incorporate training on implicit bias and the politicization of healthcare.
Medical schools must remind future physicians that every patient, from every walk of life, deserves equal care.
Trust in medicine is fragile. It takes years to build and a single tweet to damage.
Patients must feel safe sharing intimate details and making themselves vulnerable to providers assumed to act in their best interest.
Propst’s post shattered that assumption for all her former patients – and cast a shadow over the clinics that employ other doctors who may privately harbor similar prejudices.
The callousness of her message cannot be addressed by social media apologies or a brief suspension. It demands a zero-tolerance response.
The Texas Medical Board should not wait for more complaints to pile up. Swift license revocation is the only path to reassure the public that medicine remains a profession governed by compassion, not tribal loyalty.
We must insist that political prejudice be grounds for permanent disbarment from practice. Anything less condones the notion that some lives matter less.
That notion must end here – swiftly, completely, without mercy. The integrity of our healthcare system and the safety of every patient depend on it.
C. J. Garbo is a seasoned cybersecurity executive, political strategist, and former law enforcement officer. He has advised leaders at all levels of government and worked as a campaign manager in state and federal elections. With a background in ethics, public safety, and crisis response, Garbo speaks and writes on issues where professional standards, public trust, and institutional integrity intersect. His commentary is informed by decades of service and a commitment to principled leadership in an increasingly polarized world.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.