|
August 2021 eNews
Updates & important information from the State Medical Board of Ohio
|
|
|---|
|
Medical Board's FY21 Annual Report
The annual report for state fiscal year 2021 has been published in accordance with Ohio Revised Code 149.01 and Ohio Administrative Code 4731-30. This report provides an overview of the Medical Board executing its mission to protect and enhance the health and safety of the public through its goals. The FY21 Annual Report and a brief year-in-review video are available here.
|
|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
|
The Medical Board approved new telemedicine FAQs. These FAQs provide guidance on telemedicine in Ohio and the Medical Board’s resumption of enforcement on December 31, 2021 of its laws and rules requiring in-person visits in certain situations. They can be found here.
|
|
|---|
|
CDC ACIP Recommends Additional Dose of an mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) in moderately to severely immunocompromised people. The vote followed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to expand its emergency use authorization for the mRNA vaccines to allow for a third dose for certain immunocompromised people at least 28 days after finishing the initial two-dose series. The Ohio Department of Health's announcement can be read here.
|
|
|---|
|
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.
|
|
New Public Record Exemptions for Mental Health Providers
Recently, Ohio lawmakers created new exemptions from the definition of a public record that relates to MDs, DOs, DPMs and PAs.
Effective September 1, the new exemptions include the following:
- "Forensic mental health provider" means any employee of a community mental health service provider or local alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services board who, in the course of the employee's duties, has contact with persons committed to a local alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services board by a court order pursuant to section 2945.38, 2945.39, 2945.40, or 2945.402 of the Revised Code.
- "Mental health evaluation provider" means an individual who, under Chapter 5122. of the Revised Code, examines a respondent who is alleged to be a mentally ill person subject to court order, as defined in section 5122.01 of the Revised Code, and reports to the probate court the respondent's mental condition.
- "Regional psychiatric hospital employee" means any employee of the department of mental health and addiction services who, in the course of performing the employee's duties, has contact with patients committed to the department of mental health and addiction services by a court order pursuant to section 2945.38, 2945.39, 2945.40, or 2945.402 of the Revised Code.
Licensees who meet these definitions are exempt from public records of their name, residential address, name of employer, and address of employer. Additional information about the exemptions can be found in the Ohio Revised Code 149.43.
The affected license types will receive a survey where you can indicate if you should be included in the new exemption.
|
|
|---|
|
Health alert from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Non-travel associated
Burkholderia pseudomallei infections (i.e., melioidosis)
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health update regarding a fatal case of
Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis) infection in Georgia that may share a common source of exposure with the three previously identified cases originally reported by the CDC on June 30, 2021. Similar to the other cases, there was no history of travel outside the continental United States.
Consider melioidosis in patients with a compatible illness even if they do not have a travel history to a disease-endemic country. Contact your local health department if you have any questions or suspect a patient may be infected with
Burkholderia pseudomallei.
|
|
Click to read the multistate investigation of non-travel associated Burkholderia pseudomallei Infections (i.e., melioidosis) health update.
|
|
|---|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio prescribers are required to include the diagnosis code on all controlled substance prescriptions per 4729:5-5-15 of the Ohio Administrative Code. |
|
|---|
|
|
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. |
|
|---|
|
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. |
|
|---|
|
Office closure
The Medical Board’s office will be closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of the state holiday. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS
September 8
|
|
|
|
|---|
|
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 >
|
|
|---|
|
|
| |
|
|