A Texas doctor, Ethan Haim, 34, has been indicted on federal charges for unlawfully obtaining protected health information of pediatric patients at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH).
The charges, unsealed today, allege that Haim accessed the personal information of patients who were not under his care and without authorization.
According to the indictment, Haim, a former resident at Baylor College of Medicine with past rotations at TCH, reactivated his login credentials under false pretenses in April 2023. He then allegedly accessed unauthorized personal information, including patient names, treatment codes, and attending physicians.
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The indictment further alleges that Haim's actions were motivated by an intent to cause malicious harm to TCH. He reportedly disclosed this information to a media contact, raising concerns about potential privacy violations and misuse of sensitive patient data.
"Protected health information is just that – protected," said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. "We will not tolerate anyone who attempts to unlawfully access or misuse private medical records, especially those of vulnerable children."
According to Haim, in 2023, he discovered Texas Children’s Hospital was performing pediatric sex change procedures despite hospital administrators previously telling the public that their child gender program had been shut down.
Haim provided documentation of the procedures to journalist Christopher Rufo, who published a May 2023 story in City Journal and on Substack exposing Texas Children’s Hospital. Shortly after the story was published, the Texas Legislature passed a bill banning pediatric sex change procedures statewide.
However, in June 2023, federal agents arrived at Haim’s home, notifying him that he may be the subject of a potential criminal investigation related to the published whistleblower documents, according to his fundraising page.
The Biden DOJ was investigating Haim for alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), a federal law that protects individually identifiable health information, such as a patient’s name.
Haim has long maintained that the documents he provided Rufo did not include any such information. Rufo, who first reported Haim’s indictment in City Journal, wrote that he “can confirm that nothing in the information provided to me identified any individual; all the documents were, in fact, carefully redacted.”
“The most important thing is that, at this point, its game time,” Haim said. “We’re entering the arena, we have to fight back. I’m not going to be silenced, I’m not going to be intimidated. The most likely chance we have of winning, is to win this in court.”
On January 24, 2024, Haim’s legal team sent a letter to Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Chip Roy of Texas refuting the legitimacy of federal prosecutor Tina Ansari's claims against Haim.
The letter asserts the prosecution’s investigation was based on the “easily disproved falsehood” that the documents Haim provided contained children’s names.
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“Yet it is obvious from a quick glance that all patient information is redacted,” Haim’s lawyers wrote. “Thus, either someone intentionally misrepresenting this critical fact, or the investigation proceeded without anyone verifying the most basic facts about what happened.”
Haim estimates it will cost at least $500,000 to fight the charges in court.
“What that requires is at least $500,000 to pursue this federal trial with our attorneys,” Haim said.
His fundraising page shows he’s currently raised just over $619,000.
“My client is anxious to get to trial to get his side of the story told,” Haim’s attorney Marcella Burke told National Review. “I am confident this will result in the correct decision being made.”
Haim maintains that medical providers should be able to openly discuss procedures at their institutions, a sentiment core to his story.
If convicted, Haim faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. His initial court appearance is scheduled for later today.
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