|
December 2020 eNews
Updates & Important Information from the State Medical Board of Ohio
|
|
|
New Board Member Appointment
The Medical Board is pleased to welcome a new physician member. Governor Mike DeWine recently appointed Yeshwant P. Reddy, MD, FRCS, FAAPMR, ABIPP of Dublin. Dr. Reddy is on the medical staff at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus and lectures and teaches at various Interventional Pain Courses around the country. He is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine through the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Reddy is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Glasgow, UK. His term begins December 14 and ends on March 18, 2025. |
|
|
Scam Alerts
Licensees should be on alert for a scam that has resurfaced targeting Ohio prescribers. Scammers have been calling and faxing prescribers stating they have been investigated for drug trafficking by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and their license has been suspended effective immediately.
During one reported incident, the scammers called a physician’s office, faxed a fraudulent document to the physician using the State Medical Board of Ohio's logo and used spoofing technology, so it appeared they were legitimately calling from the board’s office.
Please remember, State Medical Board of Ohio investigators will not ask for fine payment or personal/sensitive information over the phone and will never contact licensees via fax.
There is additional information posted on our website. Learn how to identify a legitimate investigation, how to verify if the caller is from the Medical Board and how to file a complaint if you are contacted by a scammer.
In addition, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has reported an email phishing scam has been sent to their licensees. The sender claims to represent the Board of Pharmacy and created a website that mimics the Pharmacy Board’s site as an additional step to deceive licensees. Read the alert here.
|
|
COVID-19 Updates
Ohio Health Care Provider Staffing Survey
Below is a link to a survey about staffing health care entities for the COVID-19 response. The goal of this survey is to identify unaffiliated personnel (people not already being counted by hospitals) who can offer support in a health care surge. Support may be needed for both clinical and behavioral health care. This is an unprecedented incident and we need to identify all available health care providers to mount an effective response. Available and interested licensees will be contacted by a representative from the State of Ohio or by interested health care entities to discuss next steps. If you filled out the survey this past spring and remain interested, you must complete the survey again. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY. Survey responses are encouraged by December 15. If you have questions about the survey, please contact: MRC@odh.ohio.gov.
|
Vaccine
The Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Vaccine Preparedness Office has been preparing for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine for months. The vaccine will be distributed using the same process as the adult influenza vaccine. Click here to learn about the process and the training exercises that ODH is conducting.
The Ohio Department of Health clarified that ultra-cold storage is not required for enrollment as a COVID-19 vaccination provider. If you are a provider interested in administering the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, the Ohio Department of Health urges you to enroll now.
ODH must review and process applications and conduct provider training as quickly as possible to be prepared to mobilize immediately with little notice. It is also essential that they be able to identify and address any vaccine provider gaps across the state.
If you have any questions, please contact the ODH COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Enrollment Team at covidvaccine@odh.ohio.gov.
Webinar
The Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Pandemic Response and Recovery Leadership Team invites you to view a webinar on how to participate in the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program. This webinar is available on-demand and provides an overview of Ohio’s proposed vaccination strategy, as well as detailed instructions if you choose to become a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program Provider Enrollment Overview PDF
How to access to the Vaccination Provider Program
Ohio COVID-19 Vaccination Program Enrollment Checklist
Ohio Licensure During the State of Emergency
The Medical Board has received many inquiries regarding temporary licensure during the state emergency. Please be aware, Ohio law does not currently offer emergency or temporary licensure for out-of-state physicians. Unless an exemption applies (Ohio Revised Code 4731.36), physicians must hold an active Ohio license to practice medicine in the state of Ohio.
Testing
No-cost COVID-19 testing sites are available throughout Ohio. This map lists a combination of private companies, retail sites, Community Health Centers, and pop-up sites offering testing.
|
|
|
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
|
|
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. |
|
|
Petition to Add Qualifying Condition
The State Medical Board of Ohio has the authority to approve and designate conditions or diseases as qualifying medical conditions for treatment with medical marijuana. For the 2020 calendar year, the board will accept petitions for consideration between November 1 and December 31. You can submit a petition here.
Before the experts review the petitions, the Medical Board will allow for a time of public comment, similar to the comment period in the rules-making process.
|
|
|
Duty to Report
Ohio physicians and many other allied health care providers, regulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio, are obligated to report violations of law, rule and code of ethics standards to the 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. Failure to report can result in fines of up to $20,000 and disciplinary action.
While standards of care and scope of practice are specific to the type of health care you provide, you should be familiar with three main sets of regulations:
- Statutes: Laws are outlined in Ohio Revised Code (ORC). A link for each license type can be found on our website.
- Rules: Regulations that were created specifically by the State Medical Board of Ohio for its licensees. These are found in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) and a link for each license type can be found on our website.
- Code of Ethics for your profession
In 2019, the State Medical Board of Ohio took additional steps to ensure licensees know the seriousness of their duty to report knowledge of misconduct. The board added a new section to the application and renewal process to ensure those applying for and renewing their licenses are aware of the duty to report.
Licensees should not assume that by informing their supervisor their duty to report is fulfilled. Ohio law is clear when a licensee needs to report information directly to the Medical Board. Anyone, including licensees, can file a complaint directly with the Medical Board 24/7 through the confidential complaint hotline at 1-833-333-SMBO (7626) or online at med.ohio.gov.
|
|
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
|
|
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.
Medical Marijuana
The State Medical Board of Ohio is looking for qualified medical experts to review petitions. These petitions will request the addition of qualifying medical conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. If you are interested in becoming a subject matter expert reviewer, please submit a completed questionnaire and a copy of your CV to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov. Following receipt of this information, your name will be added to our list of subject matter experts. When the board receives a petition matching your background, experience, and specialty, board personnel will contact you with further details.
|
|
|
| |
|
UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS
December 9
January 13, 2021
|
|
|
EMS PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION
The board is updating its contact information in accordance with Ohio law. Please take a moment to complete* the short survey if you work as:
- An EMS medical director
- An EMS Regional Physician Advisory Board (RPAB) member
- A correctional institution employee
- A youth services employee
*If you have already completed the survey, you do not need to complete it again. |
|
|
Office Closure
The Medical Board’s office will be closed on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1 in observance of the state holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
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 > |
|
|
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 >
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
|  |
|
|
|
|
