April 07, 2020

A Message from
Your OGS President

OGS president 2020
Sapna Thomas, MD


Dear Colleagues,

As we begin our third week under Ohio’s Stay-At-Home order—now in place until at least May 1—we have all had time for the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic to sink in. We have watched as our colleagues across the country brave the surge in their communities while we brace for ours in Ohio. 

And this pandemic has hit close to home as nearly 1,000 of our healthcare colleagues are among the 4,800 people statewide as of today who have tested positive for coronavirus in our state. We hope for a speedy recovery to all those affected. These sobering statistics act as a reminder to all of us that we have dedicated our careers to the service of our communities. That commitment may be requested as some of us are asked to return to our internal medicine background to assist in the surge.

We also continue to wait for more aggressive testing to become available to see the true extent of the spread. In order to minimize the delay in obtaining results, the Ohio Department of Health has asked that all tests be sent to their lab or other large institutions across the state. Let’s be sure that we all do our part to help where we can. The governor has maintained the restrictions on elective cases for now as we await further guidance.

The impact on gastroenterology groups across the state will be staggering. The pandemic’s toll has already impacted our workforces—which unfortunately contributes to the skyrocketing number of applicants for unemployment in Ohio. Continue to watch for our weekly emails alerting you to options from the state and federal government to assist GI offices across Ohio who are experiencing financial difficulties.

If you have ideas for best practices that have been successful in your area, please share them with your colleagues. The national GI societies continue to work together to get information to members. And, as always, the Ohio Gastroenterology Society will be here for you, continuing to monitor developments related to the pandemic and bring information that can best assist you.

We will get through this together because we are stronger together.

Be safe,

Sapna Thomas, MD
President, Ohio Gastroenterology Society


To share your COVID-19 experience or ask a question, email OGS Director Reginald FieldsAnd continue to check for updates at the OGS website.



Stay Current on the Latest:

Coronavirus.ohio.gov   OSMA.org/coronavirus


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