Journal of Medical Regulation Announces New Editor-in-Chief
Mark A. Bechtel, MD assumes leadership on May 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 26, 2023) – The Journal of Medical Regulation (JMR) has named Mark A. Bechtel, MD, as the publication’s new Editor-in-Chief. Dr. Bechtel, a professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, will begin his role on May 1.
Published continuously since 1913 by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the quarterly, peer-reviewed JMR examines interdisciplinary trends and topics of interest to the national and international community of medical regulators who protect the public’s health and safety through the licensing and disciplining of physicians and other health care professionals.
“Dr. Bechtel is a trusted physician, regulator and educator who will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the future success of JMR,” said Andrea Anderson, MD, FAAFP, Chair of JMR’s Journal Oversight Committee. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Bechtel to his new role and we look forward to his leadership in advancing the work, research, and ideas of the medical regulatory community.”
“I am honored to lead JMR and look forward to helping expand the reach and impact of the journal as we strive to provide U.S. and international medical regulators with the latest knowledge and insights they need to protect the public’s health,” said Dr. Bechtel. “We will work to enhance the experience for readers and authors, increase submissions to JMR, and seek out new policy and research ideas that directly impact the work of medical regulators.”
Dr. Bechtel brings extensive experience in medical regulation, education, scholarly publishing, and medical practice to his new role as Editor-in-Chief.
Dr. Bechtel is a current member of the State Medical Board of Ohio, where he has served as president, secretary, and supervising member. A practicing dermatologist, Dr. Bechtel also educates medical students as professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Prior to his role at Ohio State, Dr. Bechtel was a professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Bechtel has served on the editorial boards of four leading health care journals, including JMR. He also holds numerous awards, including two Presidential Citations from the American Academy of Dermatology and a Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Dermatological Association. He has been awarded the Earl Metz Distinguished Professor Award in 2011 as well as the Mazzaferri-Ellison Master Clinician Award in 2018.
Dr. Bechtel completed his MD at Indiana University and an Internal Medicine internship at Indiana University Medical Center. He then completed a Dermatology residency at the University of Louisville.
The Journal of Medical Regulation extends an open call for submissions in 2023. JMR welcomes manuscripts spanning original research, discussion of best practices, commentaries about patient safety, and related matters relevant to medical regulators in the United States and around the world. For more information, please consult the instructions for authors on the JMR website.
About the Journal of Medical Regulation:
The Journal of Medical Regulation is a peer-reviewed, editorially independent journal published by the Federation of State Medical Boards since 1913. JMR’s scholarly content examines interdisciplinary trends and topics of interest to the international community of medical regulators who protect the public’s health and safety through the licensing and disciplining of physicians and other health care professionals. By publishing evidence-based scholarship, JMR helps foster an environment in which the link between regulatory policies and health and social outcomes is better understood, and new knowledge is created upon which to base regulatory decisions.
About the Federation of State Medical Boards:
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing the medical boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. The FSMB serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best practices. The FSMB serves the public through Docinfo.org, a free physician search tool which provides background information on the more than 1 million doctors in the United States. To learn more about the FSMB, visit www.fsmb.org. and follow the FSMB on Twitter (@theFSMB).