04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

OSMA Thought Leadership

At the 2021 OSMA Annual Meeting, Lisa Bohman Egbert, MD, was officially sworn-in as President of the Ohio State Medical Association. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term.

Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career and her vision for leading OSMA.

Q: Tell us about your medical career. What is your role and where are you currently practicing?

A: I have been in solo practice at Paragon Women’s Care in Kettering, Ohio as a general obstetrician gynecologist for 24 years.

Q: How long have you been a member of OSMA? What are the different ways you have been involved in the organization over the years?

A: I became a member of the OSMA during my first year of medical school at The Ohio State University, and have been a member ever since. I served as a Medical Student Delegate, a Resident Delegate as a resident and District 2 Council, as the chair of the Focused Task Force on State Legislation. I am a member of the AMA Delegation and am thrilled to be serving as President.

Locally, I have served as a President of the Montgomery County Medical Society.

Nationally, I have served as a Delegate to the AMA Medical Student, Resident, and Young Physician Sections, including serving as chair of the YPS. I served on the AMA Council on Medical Service, and on the AMPAC Board. I am currently serving as the Vice Speaker of the House and as a member of the AMA and AMA Foundation Board of Trustees.

Q: What are some of the ways in which OSMA has supported your medical practice?

A: There are so many ways that I couldn’t possibly name them all! Perhaps the best example is when the OSMA helped to achieve tort reform legislatively in Ohio and then was able to secure that victory by helping to assure that the Supreme Court of Ohio upheld this legislation. That particular OSMA advocacy victory literally kept my practice doors open.

Q: What are you most excited about in leading OSMA as President?

A: I am very excited to find ways to move the organization forward in a post-COVID world. Hopefully, we will put this pandemic behind us and will be able to use the lessons learned to improve our services to our Ohio physicians and to improve the health of Ohio citizens.

Q: What do you see as the biggest priorities in healthcare? And how can OSMA work to help move healthcare forward?

A: As noted above, first we must put this pandemic safely behind us. Then we need to make sure we take a hard look at our public health infrastructure to make sure we are never caught unprepared again.

Another big priority that was brought into sharp focus by the pandemic is health disparities in our minoritized and marginalized populations. Ohio consistently ranks among the lowest states in general health on most scales. The physicians of Ohio must work together to change this trajectory and improve the health of all Ohioans.

The list hardly ends there. We must include work on physician burnout and well-being, practice support and stabilization, and scope of practice issues, to name a few more. I’m looking forward to working with our OSMA leadership and members to address these in the coming year.

Q: How can Ohio physicians get involved in OSMA and get the most out of their membership?

A: This past year, OSMA has been right there providing practice support, information, and advocacy at the statehouse as we navigated the pandemic. That support will continue to be invaluable to all members going forward. In addition, we encourage all members to share their thoughts and concerns with us as we advocate for them. We have multiple avenues for active involvement. All members are encouraged to comment on issues before our House of Delegates and to vote on leadership. We are also always excited to have members join us at our Annual Meeting, perhaps even choosing to become a Delegate.

The OSMA President and leadership Council participate in determining policy, responding to developing situations, and receiving and acting upon reports from committees and task forces. If you’d like to get in touch with OSMA leadership or learn more about Council, please email council@osma.org.