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July 2021 eNews
Updates & important information from the State Medical Board of Ohio
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Duty to report obligation
As a licensee of the State Medical Board of Ohio, you have a statutory and ethical duty to report misconduct. You are obligated to report violations of law, rule and code of ethics standards to the Medical Board. Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to, sexual misconduct, impairment, practice below the minimal standards of care, and improper prescribing of controlled substances. If you suspect or have observed inappropriate behavior by a health care professional or colleague, you should contact your local law enforcement immediately and file a complaint with the State Medical Board. Knowing a colleague is violating regulations and not reporting to the Medical Board not only puts patients at risk but also puts your license to practice in jeopardy.
If the board discovers you failed to report a colleague’s misconduct, you may be disciplined by the board, up to and including permanent license revocation, and you may be ordered to pay fines up to $20,000.
Effective May 31, 2021, MDs, DOs and DPMs are required to complete one hour of Continuing Medical Education (CME) prior to renewal on the topic of a licensee’s duty to report misconduct. The enforcement of this requirement will commence with renewal applications submitted on or after July 1, 2021. The board has created a one-hour course designed to educate physicians (MDs, DOs, DPMs) on the duty to report to the State Medical Board of Ohio.
To file a complaint you can visit med.ohio.gov or call the board’s confidential complaint hotline at 1-833-333-SMBO (7626). Remember, provisions in the Ohio Revised Code make all complaints received by the board confidential.
You can read more about your duty to report and the CME requirement on our website.
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Ohio to enter Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
Senate Bill 6, signed into law by Governor DeWine on June 29, 2021, authorizes the State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) to enter into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Ohio becomes the 35th state to become a member of the Compact. Physicians from any state with Compact membership, including Ohio, who meet the qualifications will be eligible for licensure in any other participating state. Senate Bill 6 gives the SMBO until September 29, 2022 to implement the system to begin processing and issuing licenses through this path.
Please note, the Compact only includes the licensing of physicians with an MD or DO. Additionally, physicians who choose to obtain licensure through the Compact, whether as an Ohio physician who wants to practice outside of Ohio or as an out-of-state physician who wants to practice in Ohio, will have a licensure process different than the path currently followed by physicians seeking licensure in Ohio today. Out-of-state physicians can continue to seek licensure directly through the state of Ohio today and after implementation of the Compact.
The SMBO looks forward to working as part of the Compact to create an additional avenue for the licensing of physicians. We will keep you and your associations aware of our implementation plans as they develop over the next year. Those plans will include a ‘go live’ date for Ohio, as well as instructions on how to participate.
Additional information on the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact can be found here.
If you have additional questions, please email contact@med.ohio.gov.
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At the July board meeting, the Medical Board approved new telemedicine FAQs. These FAQs provide guidance on telemedicine in Ohio and the Medical Board’s resumption of enforcement on 9/17/21 of its laws and rules requiring in-person visits in certain situations. |
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Request for comment on podiatric scope of practice
The State Medical Board of Ohio is seeking public comments on podiatric scope of practice to assist with its rule-making process.
In June 2019, the State Medical Board of Ohio considered a request from a podiatrist as to whether five specific procedures were within the scope of practice of a podiatrist. The board determined that four of the five procedures were within the scope of practice of a podiatrist. After the board issued its determination on this issue, concerns were raised with respect to two of the specific procedures that were determined to be within the podiatric scope of practice:
- Is it permissible for a podiatrist in Ohio to perform a supramalleolar osteotomy of the tibia or fibula to correct a deformity?
- Is it permissible for a podiatrist in Ohio to harvest bone marrow aspirate from the proximal tibia?
Comments on the proposed rules must be received by August 19, 2021.
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Health alerts from Ohio Department of Health
Monkeypox virus
On July 15, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Texas Department of State Health Services and Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a U.S. citizen who recently returned from travel to Nigeria. The CDC is working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient during two flights: Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta on July 8, with arrival on July 9; and Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.
The Ohio Department of Health is aware that Ohio residents may have traveled on these flights. Travelers on these flights were required to wear masks, and therefore, it’s believed the risk of spread of monkeypox via respiratory droplets to others on the planes and in the airports is low.
Monkeypox virus health alert
Congenital Syphilis
Congenital syphilis (CS) is a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy. Ohio is experiencing an upward trend in reported CS cases and should be a concern for health care providers across the state. Although CS cases have been reported predominantly from urban areas in the past, 45% of Ohio's CS cases in 2020 were reported from non-urban areas.
ODH is asking health care providers to implement third trimester screening for syphilis as a new standard of practice. Ohio law mandates syphilis screening at the first prenatal visit, though a single screening may not be sufficient for those at increased-risk based on self-reported sexual behavior. It is recommended that pregnant persons be screened again at 28 weeks gestation, and a final time at delivery. Every pregnant person who presents with symptoms of an STI should be tested for syphilis. No infant should leave the hospital without the mother’s serological status having been documented.
Congenital syphillis health alert
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The Ohio Physicians Health Program well-being survey
The Ohio Physicians Health Program (OPHP) is conducting a statewide COVID-19 well-being survey. The purpose of this study is to gather the perspectives of health care professionals on the types of services needed to support well-being and the infrastructure needed to provide easy accessibility. Your insight will not only benefit the current system of support for health care professionals, but also better equip Ohio for future crises.
Click here to read more and complete the survey. Please complete the survey by August 5.
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The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is leading Ohio’s pandemic response. If you have questions or concerns about their programs, please use the links below. SMBO will continue to share information from ODH as it is received.
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Need to check the expiration date of your license?
eLicense.ohio.gov
24/7 access & instant verification
no need to log in, simply search by name
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Trusted Resources
- State Medical Board of Ohio COVID-19 updates
- Board of Pharmacy updates
- State of Ohio's website
- Department of Health hotline
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
- DEA
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Ohio prescribers are required to include the diagnosis code on all controlled substance prescriptions per 4729:5-5-15 of the Ohio Administrative Code. |
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Licensee obligation to complete death certificates
When an individual dies under natural causes the attending physician is to sign the death certificate within forty-eight hours after the death. Read the Medical Board's policy statement and FAQs here. |
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Board seeks subject matter experts
Family medicine, internal medicine and pain management
The State Medical Board of Ohio contracts with qualified medical experts for quality of care reviews. The board is currently seeking experts in family medicine, internal medicine and pain management. Potential experts should have a clinical practice within Ohio and be board-certified for a minimum of five years. If interested, email your CV to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov. |
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UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS
August 11
September 8
Meetings will be shared via livestream
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Update your address
Medical Board licensees are required to give notice of a change of address (residence, business or electronic) no later than 30 days after the change occurs.
Update your address > |
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Monthly Formal Action report
Review summaries of the disciplinary actions initiated, and the disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Medical Board at its monthly meeting. An individual's license information can be found on
eLicense.
Monthly Formal Actions >
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