Glitch in computer system prevents Ohio doctors from renewing their licenses online

Thousands of medical doctors have been unable to renew their state licenses online for days in Ohio. Those licenses were set to expire on June 30:

About 5,000 doctors statewide needed to renew their medical licenses before the midnight deadline, according to the State Medical Board of Ohio.

State Medical Board spokeswoman Joan Wehrle said the shutdown affected more than just doctors who were attempting to renew their license on the last day.

”All of the regulatory boards for the state use the centralized E-licensing system,” Wehrle said. ”People in many different professions needed to renew their license June 30.”

Late Tuesday afternoon, Wehrle said computer technicians were still trying to determine what happened.

Without a valid license a doctor would not be allowed to work in Ohio. This could be disruptive, particularly in rural areas without many doctors. The deadline has been extended to allow doctors to make the trip to Columbus to renew their licenses in person – and for support staff to address the technical problem with the computer system.