Congratulations Dr. Hostoffer!

OOA Past President Robert W. Hostoffer, Jr., DO, of Cleveland, has been selected as the 2024 American Osteopathic Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. This pinnacle award honors individuals who have made significant, fundamental contributions to the osteopathic profession throughout their career.

Dr. Hostoffer has brought pride to the profession nationwide through his integrity, generosity, and service. His impact on the profession has been immense, as he has supported osteopathic projects with his time, talent, and treasure. One well-known example is the Scholar Series, which has been an enormous gift to the entire osteopathic community, as many organizations, faculty, and individual DOs have used the program. Dr. Hostoffer originally created the video series in 2015 after he saw the need to develop scholarly work within osteopathic training programs. His focus was to help residents meet ACGME program requirements.

A leader in the profession at the local, state, and national levels, he has served as president of the OOA, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine, and Cleveland Allergy Society. He currently serves on the American Osteopathic Association Board of Trustees.

The award will be presented in September at the AOF Honors Gala in San Antonio, Texas, during OMED, the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians.

Deadline July 26
Coats & Notes

The start of the academic year is just around the corner for first-year students at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. We invite you to welcome the Class of 2028 by making a donation to the OOA White Coat Fund.

For a donation of $45, you can make a meaningful impact by sponsoring the purchase of a white coat for a new student. Along with your contribution, you have the opportunity to share words of inspiration or advice directly. Your personalized message will be printed on an OOA notecard and placed in the coat pocket at the Convocation & White Coat Ceremony, creating a connection from donor to recipient.

Make your donation by July 26 at the OOA website here.

Immunization Summit August 7

A coalition of stakeholders will host a free Immunization Summit on Wednesday, August 7 (11am - 3pm) in Columbus. Discussion topics will include pro-vaccine messaging, addressing vaccine hesitancy, improving data collection, working with rural populations, and more. Together, attendees will create actionable next steps.

If you are interested in attending, contact Executive Director Heidi Weber at HWeber@OhioDO.org.

Potential Bat Exposure to Ohioans

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) would like to raise awareness among health care providers about a potential exposure to bats at a recent overnight camp in Richland County. The camp included attendees from around the state, so health care facilities across Ohio may be affected.

Local health departments are reaching out to affected individuals to conduct risk assessments and are advising those exposed to bats to contact health care facilities in their jurisdiction to obtain rabies post-exposure vaccination and human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) as appropriate. This may lead to an uptick in rabies post-exposure vaccination requests in the coming days.

ODH encourages health care facilities to work through their normal procurement channels to obtain rabies vaccine and HRIG as needed. In the event there is an urgent unmet need, medical facilities should contact the regional health care coordinator for assistance in resource sharing.

If individuals present without having previously connected with public health authorities, providers are advised to conduct a risk assessment. The ODH website includes an online algorithm here to assist with assessing individual risk.

For additional technical assistance, the ODH Zoonotic Disease Program can be reached during business hours at 614-752-1029, option 2, or zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov. In the event of an after-hours emergency, call ODH at 614-722-7221.

Newborn Screening Fact Sheet Available

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has become the first state health department in the US to screen newborns for Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) through the Newborn Screening Program. The ODH Public Health Laboratory screens every newborn dried blood spot specimen received for the enzyme muscle creatine kinase (CK-MM) which, if elevated, may be an indication of DMD.

ODH has posted a fact sheet about this new DMD screening, including the process of notifying primary care providers about screening results, and recommended follow up by the provider if the CK-MM level is inconclusive or elevated. The fact sheet also contains a phone number and email address where primary care providers can contact the ODH Public Health Laboratory with questions.

CDC Updates Vaccination Recommendations

On June 26-27, CDC updated its recommendations for vaccination against COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Everyone 6 months and older is advised to receive the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to combat current variants and prevent severe outcomes during the upcoming fall and winter.

In addition, the updated 2024-2025 flu vaccine is recommended for nearly all individuals over 6 months old to reduce influenza-related risks, highlighting the addition of a new influenza virus strain.

The CDC now also recommends a single dose of RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 and older, focusing on those 75 and older or 60-74 with certain medical conditions to mitigate severe RSV illnesses.

Get the details here.

CMS Approves Ohio Plan to Increase Private Nursing Home Rooms

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have recently approved a proposal by the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) to incentivize nursing homes to make more private rooms available for residents.

ODM developed the new reimbursement structure for nursing home rooms served by Medicaid that rewards facilities for each additional private room they provide. This change is intended to incentivize existing nursing homes to convert more of their multi-resident rooms into private rooms, while also encouraging new nursing homes to emphasize private rooms as they build – a fundamental shift in focus intended to improve both resident satisfaction and health outcomes.

According to national studies by Health Management Associates, 82% of long-term care residents prefer a private room, while only 4% prefer a multi-resident room. Currently in Ohio, the majority of nursing home residents share a room with another person.

The increase in private rooms also aims to improve residents’ health. Multiple studies in hospital settings have shown that shifting from shared rooms to private rooms immediately, substantially, and sustainably reduces the risk of acquiring and spreading potential infections. In long-term care settings, private rooms also result in improved sleep patterns, and have been shown to reduce agitation and aggressive behavior among those with dementia.

More information is here.