Complete Story
10/12/2023
Important Policy Change on Ohio Physician Data
Update: 10/19/2023
For those who need to make updates to addresses, we have posted instructions here
Physician Colleagues,
The Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati would like to share a very important update regarding personal data for physicians and SMBO licensees.
Last year, the Academy was made aware of a “Roster” containing personal phone numbers, email addresses, and in many cases, home addresses of more than 96,000 State Medical Board of Ohio licensees. This data was pulled directly from licensee applications and published as a downloadable excel file on https://med.ohio.gov in addition to being shared on social media.
In light of increased violence against healthcare workers, heightened political tensions around medical issues, and risks of identity theft, this raised significant concerns among our Physician Council and Advocacy Committee. In researching the issue, such practice was not found in other states or licensing bodies. The Academy engaged directly with leadership at the State Medical Board to raise concerns and understand the legislative policy surrounding this issue. In partnership with Ohio State Medical Association, we formed a committee to explore and take appropriate steps for change.
On July 4th, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 33. Included in the bill was revised language on the publishing of physician contact information. New policy went into effect on October 4th. The newly published Roster no longer includes phone numbers and email addresses but does include a “Business Address” listing.
We are pleased to finally share this good news with you now. However, we urge you to review your information on the roster to ensure your contact address is a business address.
We would like to thank our physician members of the Academy, whose support through membership helped drive this important initiative for all Ohio physicians and Medical Board licensees. The Academy will continue to advocate on issues affecting physicians’ ability to practice in an environment that fosters the highest quality medicine possible.
We invite all local physicians to join us in supporting this crucial mission.
Barry A. Brook, MD Joseph S. Cheng, MD, MS
President President-elect
Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati
Contact: Jessica Sellar, Executive Director
jsellar@academyofmedicine.org
513-421-7010
