Osteopathic Medical Board Adopts Minutes, Reviews Budget and Licensing Data; DCA Director Announces Retirement
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Summary
At its Nov. 13 meeting the Osteopathic Medical Board approved amended minutes, recognized outgoing member Andrew Marino, announced a gubernatorial appointee joining the board, reviewed budget projections with roughly $4.7M beginning balance and a projected $50,000 reversion, and received licensing statistics showing 17,012 licensed DOs and marked increases in applications.
SACRAMENTO — The Osteopathic Medical Board of California on Nov. 13 adopted amended minutes from its Aug. 14 meeting, heard administrative updates on staffing and training from the Department of Consumer Affairs, and received a budget and licensing briefing from DCA staff.
During the president’s report, Denise Pines recognized outgoing board member Andrew Marino for more than seven years of service and welcomed a recently appointed board member who will attend in person in January. Pines also previewed a planned Hill Day in January 2026 to meet legislators and explain the osteopathic physician license and efforts to codify protections for DOs.
Assistant Deputy Director Shelley Jones and Deputy Director Lucy Saldivar provided DCA updates including a new harassment‑prevention training rollout and unconscious‑bias training for board members. Jones confirmed Kimberly Kirchmeyer, director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, announced her retirement at year end; the board leaders thanked her for decades of service.
Budget analyst Kayla Van Lindt presented the board’s fund condition: a beginning budgetary balance of about $4.709 million, projected expenditures near $4.54 million and an anticipated reversion of roughly $50,000 (about 1.09 percent). The board’s prior‑year reserve was reported at approximately $4.943 million (about 12.4 months in reserve). Van Lindt cautioned that salary and retirement adjustments and future legislation could create cost pressure on the fund.
Licensing Program Manager Machiko Chang reported 17,012 licensed osteopathic physicians and surgeons, 1,695 postgraduate training licensees and 1,369 fictitious name permits. The board is seeing a 17 percent increase in total applications year to date and described process work to improve fictitious‑name permit application clarity and to implement a CME self‑certification and random audit process.
A public comment period drew several Consumers Watchdog volunteers who urged greater transparency for the enforcement committee and asked that proposed disciplinary guidelines be reviewed in a public forum before final board action.
Action taken: The amended minutes for Aug. 14, 2025 were adopted by roll call vote. No other formal policy votes were announced that required public action at this meeting; the board plans to present disciplinary‑guideline language to the full board in January 2026.
Provenance: President’s report, DCA update, budget presentation, licensing statistics and public comments were presented during the morning session of the Nov. 13 meeting.