Medical Association Coalition (MAC)
MEMBERS - Medical Associations
American College of Emergency Physicians, Ohio Chapter
American College of Surgeons, Ohio Chapter
Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio
Columbus Medical Association
Ohio Academy of Family Physicians
Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Ohio Foot & Ankle Medical Association
Ohio Hospital Association
Ohio Osteopathic Association
Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association
Ohio Society of Addiction Medicine
Ohio State Medical Association
MEMBERS - Attorneys
Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP
Evelyn Justice Stratton, Retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Graff & McGovern, LLP
Ohio State Bar Association, Health Care Law Committee
Vorys Law Firm
MEMBERS - Advocacy Organizations
Disability Rights Ohio
Mental Health and Addiction Coalition
NAMI Ohio
Ohio Physicians Health Program
MEMBERS - Treatment Providers
Glenbeigh Hospital
Shepherd Hill
The Ridge/Northland
Est. 2014
The Medical Association Coalition (MAC) was established in 2014 by Ohio's major physician associations to address concerns of the State Medical Board of Ohio's (SMBO) proposed changes to the one-bite program. The one-bite program was originally established in 1987 to allow for the confidential treatment of physicians for substance use disorders.
The MAC began its work on a project of improving the previous one-bite program. Through the tireless work of Cheryl Grossman and bill sponsor Stephen Huffman, M.D., positive changes were made under House Bill 145. Enacted in February 2018 by Governor John Kasich following a near unanimous vote of the General Assembly, House Bill 145 made changes that include:
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Requiring impairment to be reported to a monitoring organization not the SMBO, to improve confidentiality;
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Providing clarity of eligibility criteria and minimizing disqualify events for the confidential program;
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Expanding the one-bite program to include all of the licensees under jurisdiction of the SMBO; and
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Removing outdated treatment standards and allowing for individualized treatment plans to be implemented.
The rules were finalized on January 31, 2019 for the One-Bite Program and the MAC is working together with the Ohio Physicians Health Program to ensure the program is running smoothly and is being utilized by Ohio's medical community.
Understanding the impact of physician burnout, untreated and undertreated mental health conditions, and the national physician shortage, the MAC quickly expanded its focus. The MAC is working collaboratively to monitor legislation and regulatory agency rules that could impact physician health and their medical practices. They are currently working to promote changes to the license application to align with best practices established by the Federation of State Medical Board's to avoid unnecessary questions related to personal health information, specifically mental health conditions.
For more information, please contact info@ohiophysicianwellness.org