Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, a state medical board ordered professional probation for the medical license of Tennessee Senator Dr. Joey Hensley, a punishment described by his attorney as "the death penalty" for Hensley's decades-long career as a small town doctor.

Hensley admitted to providing medical care and prescribing opioids and other controlled substances to several family members. In some cases, the prescriptions were not documented.

The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners unanimously found Hensley to be in violation of medical ethical standards, then sentenced Hensley to three years of probation and classes on medical ethics and safe prescribing. Hensley must also pay a $2,000 fine and reimburse the state government for the cost of his case.

Hensley admitted he wrote prescriptions for relatives during the medical discipline hearing but insisted the treatment was unavoidable because he is the only doctor in the small town of Hohenwald. At times, Hensley suggested it would have been "discrimination" if he had not taken on relatives as patients.

In a telephone interview with the Lewis County Herald, Dr. Hensley, he says, "I certainly will not close my office. I didn't over-prescribe. I was taking care of my family, I didn't know anything was wrong with that. This is a small town and I have done nothing illegal. They told me I shouldn't treat my family."