HOUSTON – A Houston doctor has put his career in jeopardy after he tested positive for cocaine when he was expected to oversee surgeries.
The Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended Dr. Nathan Starke’s medical license, determining that if he practiced medicine, it would pose a “continuing threat to public welfare.”
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A urologist for Houston Methodist, who once appeared on the KPRC 2+ livestream to discuss men’s health, first became a licensed physician in June 2017.
However, back in late August 2024, court records claim Starke performed a surgical biopsy on a patient’s prostate while he first “showed signs of impairment.”
The following month, Starke was suspended from Houston Methodist after court records claim he was “absent for all but the last three minutes of a surgery for which he was the attending physician.” As part of his suspension, Starke agreed to submit to regular drug and alcohol testing.
According to official paperwork, Starke had also been previously screened “since at least 2023 through Houston Methodist, due to previous suspensions due to issues with impairment.”
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On Sept. 16, court documents revealed Starke signed a “voluntary cease practice agreement with Houston Methodist.” Less than a month later, a drug test positive test proved Starke tested positive for cocaine and on October 22, tested positive for kratom.
A spokesperson for Houston Methodist told KPRC 2 that Starke is no longer employed with them and was unable to share any more information about him as a result.
