State Medical Board of Ohio Impairment Modernization Resources

The health and wellness of Ohio’s healthcare professionals is critical for safe patient care. To better support licensees, the State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) advocated for and received legislative changes to modernize its practices related to impaired practitioners.

New laws and rules went into effect on October 3, 2023, allowing practitioners to seek confidential help for mental health, physical illness, or substance use disorders (SUD) through a Professionals Health Program (PHP). A PHP is a confidential resource for healthcare professionals, or those in training, who are suffering from burnout, mental health or SUD, or other potentially impairing conditions.

• Expanded a Confidential Monitoring Program to all impaired licensees and applicants;
• Transitioned SMBO-ordered impairment monitoring from the SMBO to the OhioPHP;
• Transferred the management of the SMBO’s treatment provider network to the OhioPHP; and
• Added new questions on the initial and renewal licensure applications that remove language about a licensee’s history due to mental health, physical illness, or substance use disorders.

For additional information on these changes, watch this quick 15-minute overview or visit the SMBO website.

Archived Webinar Resource

The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP), in collaboration with the OhioPHP, hosted the archived webinar below on November 9, 2023, for all members of the Ohio Coalition of Primary Care Physicians, which includes OAFP members, to share more about all of the changes referenced above.

Watch the archived webinar for: An overview of chronic stress, burnout, mental health, and substance use disorders; An introduction to the new Confidential Monitoring Program, including eligibility requirements; A review of the “Duty to Report” requirements regarding impairment and; How the OhioPHP’s monitoring program can provide additional support for licensed healthcare professionals. Video password: AFuiL+d0

The OhioPHP started as a group of physicians supporting their peers struggling with mental health or  SUD. Today, the OhioPHP assists hundreds of healthcare workers across the state with a wide range of concerns including stress, burnout, mental health, or SUD, and much more. The OhioPHP’s mission is to facilitate the health and wellness of healthcare professionals in order to enhance patient care and safety.

The OhioPHP’s services are available to licensed healthcare professionals in Ohio. This includes acupuncturists, anesthesiology assistants, athletic trainers, chiropractors, chemical dependency counselors, dentists, dental hygienists, dieticians, genetic counselors, healthcare students, massage therapists, optometrists, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, orthotists, ocularists, opticians, physicians, resident physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, pedorthists, prosthetists, psychologists, radiologist assistants, respiratory care professionals, veterinarians,  veterinary technicians and others.

Learn more on the OhioPHP website.