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FAQ

Are there any exemptions from jury duty for physicians?: There is no physician exemption from serving jury duty. The following six reasons are the only permitted excuses from serving on jury duty: the juror will necessarily be absent from the county at the scheduled time; the interests of the public or the juror will be materially harmed by the juror's presence; the juror is physically unable to serve; the juror's spouse or a near relative of the spouse or juror is very ill or recently died; the juror was already called within the same jury year in that county; or the juror is a cloistered member of a religious organization. If one of these excuses applies, the physician will still have to serve on jury duty, but at a later date.

For more information about jury duty in your county, contact your local county court.
Are there resources for interpreter services?: Check with your local hospital(s). Many times, hospitals offer interpreter services or have already done the research to determine what resources are available in your locality.

Use employees.
You may have staff who might be able to provide translation services, particularly if they receive training in medical translation. If you have a significant number of patients needing interpreter services, it may be cost effective to spend the resources to train staff to handle interpretation within the office. You might also consider whether bilingual staff might be able to interpret for general, customer-service related needs versus medical translation.

Utilize professional services.
Professional translators provide an excellent resource for complex admission, diagnostic and patient education scenarios. Language Line Services provides 24-hour, over-the-phone interpretation in 168 languages, with or without a contract. Learn more at www.languageline.com CyraCom provides over-the-phone interpretation in over 150 languages and dialects twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They also provide document translation services and medical interpreter testing and training. Learn more at www.cyracom.com or call (800) 713-4950.

Third Party Payers
Check with third party payers about their reimbursement policies for interpreter services. For example, effective July 1, 2004, BWC and the Industrial Commission of Ohio (IC) changed their policy for approval and reimbursement of interpreter services. More information is available in the BWC Billing & Reimbursement Manual.
Can you refer me to an attorney who represents physicians before the State Medical Board of Ohio?: For assistance, please e-mail us at info@osma.org.
Do I have to be a member of both the OSMA and the local medical society?: Per the OSMA bylaws, to be eligible for any class of membership other than honorary, affiliate, associate or student, in this Association a person must be a member in good standing of a Component Society.
Does the OSMA still publish the "Physician's Guide to Ohio Law"?: No. The OSMA no longer publishes the "Physician's Guide to Ohio Law." However, much of the information that had been included in the guide is available through various sources such as the, OSMA Web site; the AMA Web site; and the State Medical Board of Ohio's Web site.
How can I obtain a copy of the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics?: Download AMA ethical opinions as part of the AMA Policy Finder on the AMA's Web site at www.ama-assn.org, or you can purchase a copy from the AMA by calling (800) 621-8335 or visiting AMABookstore.com.
How can I place an advertisement on the OSMA Web site?: Naylor, LLC places Web advertisements for the OSMA. Contact Jason Dolder at (800) 369-6220 ext. 2744, Direct: (352) 333-2744, or e-mail at: jdolder@naylor.com.

Click here for more information on placing a classified ad.
How do I become a member of the OSMA?: Visit http://www.osma.org.
Must I provide an interpreter, at my expense for a patient who cannot speak English?: If a physician accepts federal financial assistance such as Medicaid or SCHIP funds (or other "federal financial assistance" but excluding Medicare Part B funds), the physician must abide by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Policy Guidance on providing services to persons with limited English proficiency (LEP). The services must be provided free of charge in many instances. The guidance is designed to ensure that persons with LEP have meaningful access to health-care services. Fortunately, the guidance indicates that this obligation can be met in any number of ways, including community volunteer services, and indicates that how you provide the service may vary depending on the situation and the resources of the provider. You must consider the number or proportion of patients with LEP, the frequency of encounters with LEP patients, the importance of the service provided and resources available. However, there is no definitive method spelled out for how physician offices should meet this requirement. Review the OCR Guidance and FAQs at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/specialtopics/lep/ to develop a plan for how your office will meet its obligations under the law.
Must I provide an interpreter, at my expense, for a patient who is hearing impaired?: Maybe. Title III of the American's With Disabilities Act (ADA) states that places of public accommodation, which include physicians' offices, must provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that disabled individuals have access to goods and services and are not treated differently from others. Hearing impairment is considered a disability for purposes of this law. Although the regulations do not require that an interpreter be provided if other means of communication are acceptable, it may be necessary for physicians to hire qualified interpreters for deaf patients seeking treatment. Additional information about the law can be found on the ADA Web site. See also, The OSMA Legal Brief, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) .
What diseases must be reported to the Department of Health?: Physicians are required to report a significant number of communicable diseases. A complete list of reportable diseases can be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health's Web site. Visit www.odh.ohio.gov, and then search for communicable diseases.

Another option is to contact your local health department.
What if I need overnight accommodations for education courses at the OSMA?: Should you need overnight accommodations, there are two local hotels within a half mile of the our facility: Homewood Suites, 3841 Park Mill Run, Hilliard (614) 529-4100 and the Comfort Suites, 3831 Park Mill Run, Hilliard (614) 529-8118.
When is the 2010 OSMA Annual Meeting?: The 2010 OSMA Annual Meeting is April 9-11 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton.