Member Board Spotlight

Member Board Spotlight highlights new developments and innovative practices by FSMB’s member medical boards.

State Medical Board of Ohio: Sexual Misconduct Webpage
Jerica Stewart, Chief of Communications

Why did the Ohio board decide to launch a special webpage on sexual misconduct?

Since 2019, the board has seen an increase in the number of sexual misconduct complaints it’s received. In that time, we’ve learned how complex these cases can be and have taken deliberate measures in providing the necessary protocols, resources and staff to properly handle sexual misconduct complaints and safely address the victims that come forward. Creating a dedicated section of the website was a natural progression and it helped to centralize resources we hoped to make easily accessible to patients, providers, and key stakeholders.      

Have you received much feedback from licensees about the new page? The public?

The feedback we have received has been minimal but positive. However, we are able to view the analytics from our webpage to monitor the traffic and viewing popularity of our content. Since its launch in February, the sexual misconduct page has received more than 6,000 views. It’s satisfying to know that the public and our licensees are accessing the page for information.  

Have you noticed an increase in sexual misconduct complaint reporting since launching the page?

Our complaints really vary month to month based on the needs of the public. We have not seen a spike or dramatic increase since its launch but will continue to monitor over the coming year. It will also be interesting to see if there is a correlation between number of webpage views and complaints we receive. 

Please describe other initiatives the board has undertaken to combat sexual misconduct.

The board has worked diligently to improve its handling of sexual misconduct complaints in many ways. We’ve changed our methodology in the handling of sexual misconduct complaints and incorporated a more collaborative approach through the investigative and enforcement departments. The board has also increased staffing, such as the creation of a sexual misconduct unit including additional investigators and a victim coordinator, and the establishment of a quality assurance administrator. We published a transparency page on our website with clear metrics on the output of complaints and enforcement processes that allow users to drill down on specific data and license types. We have also worked with the Ohio General Assembly to draft a legislative package that if passed will provide the Medical Board with more robust tools to hold licensees accountable for their sexual misconduct. Even more, we’ve incorporated key messaging into our public information campaign, through social media, our YouTube video series, and as a topic in two episodes of our new podcast, Med Board Pulse.

Is there anything you wish the general public knew about your board?

The board launched a public information campaign in 2022 to prioritize the education of Ohio patients and caregivers. Our communication efforts are focused on two main areas:

1. Making sure the public knows the State Medical Board is here to protect them. This means we are always looking for ways to emphasize our purpose and the types of medical professionals we regulate.
2. Providing instructions on how to file a complaint if they have a bad encounter with a Medical Board licensee.

We will always keep our eyes and ears open for new opportunities to inform Ohio citizens and increase public safety.