Hello all,

Another summer month has faded, and we are enjoying the sun, longer days, and hopefully a cookout or two. Hopefully you and your families are planning or recovering from a summer escape to rest and relax.

My family and I have recently returned from the first ACOFP destination CME event – a cruise to Alaska! This event featured a weeklong cruise out of Seattle, Washington, and took us to several towns in Alaska – some only accessible by plane or boat. We were also able to witness the grandeur of several glaciers. We enjoyed the local food (I ate my weight in crab and salmon), explored forests and lakes, received warm welcomes from the locals, and took in the tranquil awe-inspiring beauty of the towering fjords and endless untouched forests.

The CME portion of the trip brought in experts from across the country to teach and lead discussions. The trip was arranged fantastically to make sure we felt well informed and educated and yet had ample time to rest and explore the ship and our ports of call. The turnout was an excellent group and there were several social events in the ship’s “club” reserved just for us. Overall, it was an excellent trip for myself and my family full of learning, adventure, and enjoying the company of our other members. I hope you will consider joining us next year on the beach and surf in beautiful Maui, Hawaii!

Sean M. Johnson, DO

President, Ohio ACOFP

Ohio Members Serve on ACOFP Board

The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians has formed its Governing Board for 2026-2027. Ohio is proud to be represented by Governor Jennifer L. Gwilym, DO, and New-Physician-In-Practice Governor Sean M. Johnson, DO.

The Board of Governors is ACOFP's executive entity. It is an elected group of dedicated professionals.

We're excited to share a resource designed to support the osteopathic community at every stage of their professional journey.

The Emerging DO Platform connects students, residents, fellows, practicing physicians, and program leaders. Whether you're exploring residency programs, expanding your professional network, or planning your next career move, the platform offers valuable tools and connections to help you succeed.

Vote Scheduled on Rules on Respiratory Care & Office-Based Surgery

The State Medical Board of Ohio has filed rules with the Joint Commission on Agency Rule Review and will conduct a public hearing to consider the adoption of the rules.

The hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. July 21 in conference room 231 of the Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 East Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.

Oral or written testimony may be presented by any person affected by the proposed actions.

Learn More

Comment on Office-Based Surgery Rule Changes

The State Medical Board of Ohio has filed proposed rules with the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) office. This is the second step in the rule revision process during which CSI has assessed any adverse impacts to businesses.

During this process, public input is sought. Rules up for consideration pertain to office-based surgeries.

Comments are due by Friday, July 17.

Learn More

Crackdown on Medicaid Fraud Identifies 'Providers of Concern'

The Ohio Department of Medicaid has suspended payments to "high-risk" Medicaid home health providers that have shown potential signs of fraud, according to the agency. Eight newly identified high-risk providers were suspended, all of whom are connected to at least one of 49 providers suspended last month.

The actions came about as part of Gov. Mike DeWine's push to crack down on Medicaid fraud. The enforcement is made possible by the executive order to establish emergency rules allowing for immediate suspensions.

“We will continue using advanced analytics and enforceable action to protect Ohioans and preserve program integrity," ODM Director Scott Partika said in a press release.

Under the Executive Order, ODM is authorized to immediately suspend payments to providers whose billing patterns and data anomalies suggest a high probability of fraudulent activity.

The overarching strategy from Gov. DeWine is to:

Enforce a six‑month moratorium on new enrollments for high-risk provider categories
Require more frequent revalidation of providers identified as high-risk
Accelerate the implementation of GPS-based Electronic Visit Verification to better monitor in‑home services

The Ohio Osteopathic Association is part of the CME Center, which is managed by the Association of Osteopathic State Executive Directors. The center provides live webinars and on-demand programs. Program completion is reported to the American Osteopathic Association.

Consider this popular topic from the 2026 Ohio Osteopathic Symposium: Increasing Natural Disasters: Emerging Roles for Primary Care Physicians

Faculty: Mary Badger, DO, FACOI, FAWM, is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Specialist. She is a Fellow of both the American College of Osteopathic Internists and the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. She received the US Public Health Service Distinguished Service Award for her work with the Navajo before practicing in Spokane for 31 years.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how & why primary care providers need to play a bigger role in disaster management.
Learn about increasing disaster risks to patients because of climate change.
Learn how OMT can help both patients and providers during/after disasters.

CMEs: This course has been approved for 1.0 AOA Category 1-A.

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