Meet Your Legislator at a Reception or Golf Outing

It’s fundraising season for legislative candidates for the Ohio Statehouse. That means golf outings and receptions—and an opportunity to chat directly and informally with lawmakers involved with health care legislation and policy.

The Ohio Osteopathic Political Action Committee (OOPAC) has already made donations to candidates, which covers the reception ticket price and green/cart fees. Now, we’re looking for DOs who live in these locations and are interested in attending.

At this time, there are receptions scheduled for:

• Wadsworth, August 8
• Catawba Island, August 15
• Fairborn, August 22
• Columbus, September 19

The golf outings, starting at 9:00 am, are:

• Columbiana, August 9
• Dublin, August 22
• Mansfield, August 23
• Circleville, August 27
• Cincinnati, August 29
• Lima, September 23

For more information, contact Executive Director Heidi Weber, hweber@OhioDO.org.

photo: Heidi Weber (left) and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) at a fundraiser reception.

Upcoming Certifying Board Deadlines

Application deadlines are quickly approaching. Below are deadlines in August for osteopathic certifying boards.

American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology oral written exam – August 9 (final deadline); clinical exam – August 14 (final deadline)

American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians initial primary and OCC exams – August 9 (final deadline)

American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine initial primary exam – August 18 (final deadline)

American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery initial subspecialty exams – August 9 (first deadline)

American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Part 1 initial primary written exam – August 17 (first deadline)

American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine initial primary written, oral, and CAQ exams – August 9 (first deadline)

Addiction Medicine initial primary and OCC written exams – August 29 (first deadline)

OMT Designation Part 1 written exam – August 9 (final deadline)

Pain Medicine initial primary exam – August 10 (first deadline)

If you have questions, contact Chaunessie Baggett at CBaggett@osteopathic.org.

OOA Members Get Discount on CME Online

There are hundreds of programs available at The CME Center, a collaborative on-demand osteopathic platform to provide high quality online education. Lectures address clinical topics as well as practice management and health care regulation issues. All programs are eligible for AOA Category 1-A credit.

The Ohio offerings include new sessions from the Ohio Osteopathic Symposium, held in April, including:

• Oh, Oh, Oh Ozempic (.75 credit)
• ADHD in Adults: An Update for Primary Care Physicians (1 credit)
• Dermatology: Skin Concerns that Demand Attention (2.25 credits)
• Top Ten Things You Should Know in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine (2 credits)
• Update on Botulinum Toxin Therapy (.75 credit)

Members get a discount on OOA-produced programs! Use the code OOAFamily for 20% off the list price. See all of the OOA lectures here.

Ohio Opioid Dashboard Updated

The Ohio Hospital Association’s (OHA) Opioid Overdose Dashboard has been updated with data through the first quarter of 2024. The data is derived from the more than 36 million annual coded hospital encounters in Ohio.

The release of per-capita rates by county as well as by market area are intended to assist health policymakers, funders, and local collaboratives in their work. The opioid overdose dashboard is made available to help communities, organizations, and local health offices with their research. OHA will release annual and quarterly rates of opioid overdose encounters at its member hospitals.

The data does not reflect overdoses that did not present for care at a hospital or overdoses that occurred among Ohio residents who were cared for at hospitals outside the state.

See the dashboard here.

Encourage Your Patients to Stay Protected

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). The annual observance highlights efforts to protect patients of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination.

Medical offices can use the month to educate patients about the power of vaccines in preventing disease and saving lives and encourage them to stay up to date with their immunizations, protecting not only themselves but also their communities. Research has consistently shown that health care providers are the most trusted source of vaccine information for parents and patients.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, there have been seven cases of measles this year, and the state is not far removed from a substantial measles outbreak that occurred in 2022. There have been outbreaks of pertussis, meningococcal disease, and mumps. In addition, statewide childhood vaccination rates fell slightly in the 2023-2024 school year, with the percentage of kindergarten students up-to-date on all of their vaccines slipping from 86.5% in the 2022-2023 school year to 86.2% last school year.

Worldwide, vaccines prevent up to 3 million deaths each year, emphasizing their critical role in public health.

The CDC offers resources for health care professionals here.

On Your Mark! Get Set!

Each year at OMED, the Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association (AAOA) host the AT Still Fit for Life Fun Run, a timed 5K run/walk race with proceeds designated for AAOA’s Special Projects Grant Fund.

The live event is Sunday, September 22 in San Antonio, but you can participate virtually on TEAM OOA.

Complete details coming soon!