04/26/2010

OAPA Update - April 2010

In This Issue:

Legislative Summary April 2010
PAC Challenge
PAPC Vacancies
Clothing Needed for Children in Afghanistan
Volunteers Sought for Ohio Asthma Coalition
Introducing Best Bones Forever!

Legislative Summary April 2010

Comprehensive PA Bill

The comprehensive PA bill has a sponsor and is currently in LSC being drafted for introduction. The legislation will strengthen PA practice in Ohio by allowing PAs to pronounce death, giving PAs immunity when providing emergency services, allowing PAs to provide medical services outside their supervisory plan in a time of disaster, eliminating the prescriptive authority provisional period for PAs moving in from out-of-state (providing they have had prescriptive authority in another jurisdiction), specifying Medicaid reimbursement for PAs at 100%, clarifying that PAs can give physical therapy and occupational therapy orders and giving PAs Schedule II prescriptive authority.

OAPA has contacted physician and other organizations and several meetings have taken place to discuss the legislation and solicit their support.

HB122 (Boyd) Establishes standards for physician designations by health care insurers. Passed by the House and pending in Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. OAPA sent a letter of support to the sponsor.

HB198 (Lehner, Ujvagi) Establishes a Medical Home Model Demonstration Project and award scholarships to medical students for practice in primary care. Passed by the House and is pending in the Senate Health Committee. OAPA sent letters of support and met with the sponsors who are receptive to including PAs. OAPA drafting an amendment to the bill.

HB205 (Letson) Requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to assign a circulating nurse to each procedure performed in an operating room or invasive procedure room and to require surgical technologists to work under the direct supervision of circulating nurses. Substitute bill pending in House Health Committee. OAPA participated in a stakeholder meeting and was successful in having language regarding supervisory authority of circulating nurses removed from the bill. OAPA is now neutral.

HB206 (Boyd, Oelslager) Gives APNs Schedule II prescriptive authority. Reported out of the House Committee but is still pending on the House floor. OAPA met with the APNs who refused to include PAs. OAPA met, and continues to meet, with the sponsors, the OSMA and various members of the General Assembly leadership to request inclusion. Draft language has been completed.

HB267 (Luckie) Creates the Ohio Official Prescription Program. Pending in House the Health Committee. OAPA sent a letter of opposition to the sponsor.

HB314 (Ujvagi) Authorizes RNs to determine and pronounce death. Passed the House and is pending in the Senate Health Committee. OAPA met with the sponsor to ask for PA inclusion in the bill in the Senate. This issue has been included in the OAPA Comprehensive Bill.

HB442 (Yuko) Enacts provisions regarding complementary or alternative health services. Pending in the House Commerce and Labor Committee. OAPA is monitoring this bill.

HB450 (Driehaus, Bolon) Increases the penalty for assault on an RN or LPN during healthcare duties. Pending sponsor testimony in the House Criminal Justice Committee. OAPA monitory with regard to possible opposition to the bill.

SB86 (Buehrer) To grant qualified civil immunity to a physician who provides emergency medical services, first-aid treatment or other emergency professional care in compliance with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or as a result of a disaster. Substitute bill pending in the Senate Civil Justice Committee. OAPA has contacted the committee chair requesting inclusion in the bill.

SB89 (Morano) Eliminates prescriptive authority provisional period for out-of-state APNs. Signed by the Governor and will become effective at the end of March. OAPA tried unsuccessfully to be included in this bill. This issue is currently in the OAPA Comprehensive bill.

SB158 (R. Miller) Requires certain health care professionals to complete instruction in cultural competency. Pending in Senate Health Committee. OAPA is monitoring the bill and expects to take no action.

SB200 (Morano) Authorizes CRNAs to issue prescriptions for the administration of drugs during certain phases of patient care. Pending in Senate Health Committee. OAPA met with OSMA and will support the OSMA position to oppose the bill.

PAC Challenge

OAPA Government Affairs Chair Josanne Pagel, during the recent pharmacology conference, challenged the Board of Directors and OAPA members to match her $100 donation to the OAPA Political Action Committee (PAC). 24 people met the challenge and $2100 was raised for the PAC.

As OAPA moves forward with the comprehensive modernization PA bill, it will be important to support the campaign efforts of the legislators that are friends of PAs, on key committees and also in Ohio General Assembly party leadership.

Upon recommendations from our lobbyist the OAPA PAC makes contributions to fundraisers held by the legislators. The fundraisers are attended by our lobbyist and OAPA GARC members where they have an opportunity to meet the legislator and educate him or her on the PA profession and PA issues.

The PAC is a separate fund and not the same as the OAPA Legal Fund which is used to support lobbying on our behalf by Bricker and Eckler. OAPA by law, cannot contribute funds from the association to the PAC. All PAC funds need to come from individuals that support OAPA and its legislative efforts.

It is never too late to donate to the PAC and join the list of recent contributors. A donation in any amount is welcome. You may send a check, made out to OAPA-PAC to the office or donate by credit card on the OAPA website at www.ohiopa.com. Thank you for your support.

Our sincere thanks to the 2010 PAC contributors that met the challenge:

Diann Bothwick
Melissa Bowlby
Christine Cribbins
James Cribbins
Jeremiah Curran
Teresa D'Alessandro
Albert Etheart
Douglas Eulberg
James Gaidelis
Genevieve George
Daniel Goodrich
Jane Goodrich
Linda Green
Kent Kulow
Clare Logan
Jean Metz
Noreen Ondrusko
Josanne Pagel
Denise Scotch
Michelle Springer
Natalie Talboo
JP Thompson
Maureen Williams
Robert Zaayer

PAPC Vacancies

OAPA has been asked by the State Medical Board of Ohio to submit five (5) nominees for two positions on the Physician Assistant Policy Committee (PAPC) that will come vacant in May.

The PAPC is a committee of the OSMB consisting of three physicians, three physician assistants and two pharmacists. This committee's responsibilities include the review and recommendations to the OSMB on special services plans, formulary updates and other matters involving physician assistants. The committee currently meets the second Tuesday of each month in downtown Columbus.

If you are interested in having your name submitted to the Medical Board, please email a letter of interest and a current CV to the OAPA office (oapa@ohiopa.com) no later than Noon on Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Clothing Needed for Children in Afghanistan

A Request from OAPA Member Andrea Boyd.

My husband, Gary Boyd, is currently serving as a part of the 56-man Operational Mentoring and Liason Team (OMLT) Orthus in the Northeast Afghanistan. The OMLT is a NATO-run, joint Hungarian Defense Force / U.S. Army (Ohio National Guard) operation training indigenous troops in Northeast Afghanistan. Gary is in charge of relief for the neighboring Afghan civilians and has need of gently used children's clothing. He needs long pants, t-shirts, button- down shirts, light windbreaker-like jackets and shoes, preferably non-thong sandals or crocs, for both boys and girls, all sizes. He tells me the children don't wear shorts and the girls are not allowed to wear short sleeves. There is a need for winter clothing as well, which will be stored until the weather begins to cool again and can be dispersed by the next OMLT relieving Gary. Toboggan hats and coats (no scarves), as well as cardigan sweaters and socks would be greatly appreciated.
It would be easiest to ship items directly to Gary.

His address is:

SFC GARY BOYD
OMLT TEAM ORTHUS
CAMP KHELAGAI
APO AE 09368

A large "if it fits, it ships" box from the USPS is available at all post offices and costs $12.95 to ship to APO addresses. Be sure the box is open when taken to the post office, so its contents can be inspected, if the postmaster so desires. A customs form will need to be filled out, too, but is very straightforward.

Thank you to everyone in advance for your assistance with this. I have no doubt that the children of Northeast Afghanistan will be grateful, too.

Volunteers Sought for Ohio Asthma Coalition

The Ohio Asthma Coalition has invited OAPA to participate on two committees that are being coordinated by the Ohio Department of Health. OAPA is looking for a PA who has an interest in improving asthma outcomes through better primary care.

The Ohio Asthma Health Plan Collaborative is looking for ways to engage members and providers in more evidence based care since that has shown to have better outcomes for patients and to save costs.

The Clinical Initiative Committee is planning to review literature and resources about evidence based interventions to improve clinical care.

If you are interested in representing OAPA on either of these committees, please contact the OAPA office at 800/229-4997 or oapa@ohiopa.com

Introducing Best Bones Forever!

A fresh and fun bone health campaign for girls

Osteoporosis is a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. In terms of bone health, the stage is set early on: girls build close to 90% of their bone mass by age 18. Once they reach adulthood, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to make it up. Unfortunately, most adolescent girls do not get the calcium, vitamin D, and physical activity they need to grow strong, healthy bones.

That's why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH) launched Best Bones Forever!, a national bone health campaign for girls ages 9-14. Best Bones Forever! focuses on friendship and funand encourages girls to "grow strong together, stay strong forever."

The new campaign empowers girls and their BFFs (best friend forever) to build strong bones by choosing snacks and foods with calcium and vitamin D, and getting an hour of physical activity a day.

Campaign materials such as journals, posters, magnets, tattoos, book covers and a Web site (www.bestbonesforever.gov) get girls excited about bone health with recipes, tips, and fun activities. Parents can get important bone health information from a brochure in both English and Spanish, and a Web site: www.bestbonesforever.gov/parents.

Help make an impact by taking just a few minutes to discuss bone health with your young patients and their parents. If you are interested in ordering our free Best Bones Forever! materials, visit http://www.bestbonesforever.gov/parents/materials.cfm, and enter the partner code BBFPA914.