Greetings to all Ohio Osteopathic Family Physicians, residents, and students,

If your last two weeks have been anything like mine, then you are surely looking forward to much-deserved rest and rediscovering a steady, fulfilling rhythm in life. I just returned from Orlando, where I attended ACOFP, and only days later, participated in our local Ohio Osteopathic Symposium, honored to be installed as Ohio ACOFP President. We were fortunate to have Dr. Greg Cohen, the newly installed national ACOFP President, celebrate the moment with my swearing-in ceremony. While these trips do require planning, time-off requests, and energy, I find that I return to the daily routine feeling truly revitalized. Every journey provides inspiration, fresh ideas, and renewed determination to better advocate for and care for our patients and community. I feel uplifted. The energies invested in these experiences come back with even greater reward, reaffirming that every effort was worthwhile.

That spirit of renewal is a meaningful theme for how I want this year to unfold as your Ohio ACOFP President. Together, let's discover new ways to maximize our limited resources—time and energy—so we thrive not only as an organization, but as physicians, leaders, teachers, parents, friends, and partners. There are endless possibilities for us to invest in ourselves and each other.

Future

Our focus this year includes security and financial stability, laying the groundwork for lasting success. I believe we can leave a mark of improvement, as times change and opportunities abound. Together, we will adapt and innovate, fully engaging residents and new physicians in practice. By embracing strategic financial initiatives and pursuing creative solutions, we will meet every need of our osteopathic family.

Mentorship and community

Many of us were inspired by mentors to lead in osteopathic family medicine. That initial invitation brought us in, but lasting relationships fuel our journey. Let’s nurture our thriving community, foster camaraderie, and support our family. Through mentorship, we empower the next generation and safeguard our collective strength.

Membership

There are opportunities to grow our state membership and engagement. I have ideas, but certainly not all the answers. I encourage all members and non-members to share their thoughts and experiences directly with me. Please let me know what matters most to you and how you define success or engagement. Your feedback will help us expand our footprint at the state level efficiently and strategically.

I invite you to join me in focusing on these initiatives so we can increase our relevance to our osteopathic family and our impact in advocacy, education, mentorship, and leadership development. Please reach out to get involved or share your ideas.

Sean M. Johnson, DO

President, Ohio ACOFP

Congratulations, Sean M. Johnson, DO, for being installed as the

ACOFP New Physician-in-Practice Governor!

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2026 Award Winners Honored at OOS

The Ohio State Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians bestowed its 2026 awards to outstanding DOs. Winners were honored during the Ohio Osteopathic Symposium on April 25.

Distinguished Service Award

Jennifer L. Gwilym,

DO, FACOFP dist, FAAFP, HPF, CS

Family Physician of the Year Award

Edward E. Hosbach, II, DO, FACOFP

Family Medicine Resident of the Year Award

Emil Suriel Peguero, DO

Highlights from the

Ohio Osteopathic Symposium

OMT Bootcamp with Dr. Andrew Eilerman, DO

Craniosacral Approach to Newborn Latching Difficulties with Dr. Douglas Harley, DO

"Almost got it..." Seated Fine Tuning OMT with Dr. Nicklaus Hess, DO

SMBO Seeks Comments on Rule Revsions

The State Medical Board of Ohio (SBMO) is seeking public input on proposed rules pertaining to Pronouncement of Death, Surgery Standards, Delegation of Medical Tasks and Radiology Assistant Certification. Comments are due by Wednesday, May 6.

SBMO will review comments received and possibly make changes to the initially proposed language before the rules are then filed with the Common Sense Initiative Office.

The rules up for review are:

Pronouncement of Death
Surgery Standards
Delegation of Medical Tasks
Radiologist Assistants Certification

Read the Rules

Submit Comments

Next Generation MyCare Ohio Program Underway

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) has implemented the Phase 2 rollout of the Next Generation MyCare program effective April 1.

Originally launched in January in 29 counties, the program is now available in Ashtabula, Defiance, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Henry, Licking, Paulding, Sandusky, Williams counties. ODM will continue to phase in the program to the rest of the state as the year progresses.

The program aims to deliver coordinated, person-centered care for Ohioans eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.

Resources for Members:

Input Sought from Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) seeks input from mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. In recognition of the need for more accurate, consistent, and supportive reporting practices, DCY is developing a decision support tool designed to assist mandated reporters and others who have concerns about the safety or well being of a child or family.

DYC has created a brief survey for mandated reporters and partners. It will remain open until May 15.

Take the Survey

The on-demand virtual CME conference is now open! Thanks to the Ohio Osteopathic Association's partnership, the 6th rendition of the VOCCME virtual osteopathic education program comes with an OOA member discount.

OFFERING 48 CREDITS OF AOA & AMA ACCREDITED CME

Register now and complete courses in your own time. You must complete credits by June 30, 2026. That's more than three months to tackle this excellent content!

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 first presented at the 2025 Ohio Osteopathic Symposium: Beyond Checking a Box: Developing Best Practices Around Screening for Social Determinants of Health

Faculty: Alexandra McKenna, DO, is an Associate Program Director at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital Family Medicine residency and Joy Walton, DO, is an Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine residency at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital and the co-Medical Director of Community Care.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on patient outcomes.
Identify common themes around best practices for SDOH screening.
Evaluate potential barriers and facilitators for SDOH screening implementation into an ambulatory practice.

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

Browse All Courses