Public Policy Update - March 2021

Public Policy Update

Co-Chairs: Drs. Stephanie Costa and Bill Cotton

Staff Support: Carrie Baker and Malcolm Porter

Physician Training Opportunities on Effective Advocacy:

51 doctors and students participated in the Advocating for Health: Legislative Training for Physicians led by Rep. Beth Liston, MD on February 23.

Legislative Delegation Relationship Meetings

Invitation to all CMA members – Are CMA Board Members interested to participate? If so, please indicate tonight to Dr. Cotton and/or Lisa Oyer

We have identified 7 legislators to start within March/April, based on House Finance Committee and budget considerations. 4 from Franklin/Delaware and 3 from farther out:

  • Allison Russo - D - on Finance Committee and Health/Human Service Finance Subcommittee

  • Dontevious Jarrells - D - on Finance Committee

  • Erica Crawley - D - on Finance Committee

  • Rick Carfagna - R - on Finance Committee and a part of Speaker Cupp's leadership team

  • Jeff LaRe - R - on Finance Committee - Fairfield County

  • Tracy Richardson - R - on Finance Committee - Union County

  • Scott Oelslager - R - Chair of Finance Committee - Canton

Legislative Monitoring:

As the focus is on the biennial budget, a relatively small number of bills have been introduced. Two items to update:

  • SB 22/HB 90 Emergency Health Orders - limits Governor/Health Director’s authority and creates a role for the legislature to validate/terminate directives. General expectations are for some form of this idea to pass and be vetoed by the Governor. Unclear, but don’t be surprised that if the legislature passes it, they will have already secured the votes to override a veto.

  • SCR 4 – Declare Racism as a Public Health Crisis – this resolution is similar to the issue presented in the last General Assembly. Given that the CMA’s Board has taken a recent position on this issue, the CMA will send a similar letter for this resolution.

Initiatives Supporting Physicians Who Work/Volunteer with Vulnerable Populations and Trauma-Related Issues (CMA and COTS/PCC/HCGC)

HCGC staff testified last week before the House Finance Committee’s Health and Human Service Subcommittee about the effectiveness of their HUB service delivery model in Central Ohio. Communications to CMA members and legislative delegation about this testimony will be circulated.

Preliminary conversations continue regarding a proposed state-wide trauma effort to improve patient outcomes. COTS is a stakeholder involved in this work.

Malcolm Porter