OSTEOFACTS | Civil Immunity Bill Advances

July 3, 2020

	Ohio Senate Approves Civil Immunity Bill Legislation passed in the Ohio Senate this week, 22-6, after the Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill that shields health care workers and businesses from lawsuits related to the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, HB 606 “grants civil immunity to a person who provides services for essential businesses and operations for injury, death, or loss that was caused by the transmission of COVID-19 during the period of emergency declared by the Executive Order issued on March 9.” State Rep. Diane Grendell, calls her legislation the Good Samaritan Expansion Bill. “It provides front line medical professionals the protection and peace of mind necessary to ensure they can expend all their energy on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic without worrying about being sued,” she said. Opponents of the bill said the increased burden of proof in civil lawsuits is problematic. The bill now goes back to the House where representatives can either concur with the Senate changes or create a conference committee to iron out the differences. In other advocacy news, the OOA signed on to a letter, with 20 other medical and health care organizations, to Gov. Mike DeWine asking him to direct the Ohio Department of Health to use its authority related to vaccines. Specifically, the coalition advocates for a standard immunization form as well as desire to “require ACIP recommended vaccines for college and university students who are living on campus.” The issue of declining immunization rates has been well documented in the media and among local health officials and pediatric health care providers. The coalition believes an update to the ODH school entry protocols would boost Ohio’s immunization rates and ensure children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
	COVID Cases Continue to Climb The number of new cases in Ohio recorded on Wednesday was the highest single day total since April. At Thursday’s briefing Gov. Mike DeWine introduced the Public Health Advisory System to assess individual counties and assign protocols. The alert system is a four-level, color-coded scale: Level 1 (yellow) least severe - 53 counties Level 2 (orange) - 28 counties Level 3 (red) - 7 counties Level 4 (purple) - 0 counties although Franklin County is inching that way. Levels are determined by seven indicators: New cases per capita Sustained increase in new cases Non-congregate living cases Sustained increase in emergency room visits Sustained increase in outpatient visits, including tele-visits Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions ICU occupancy Earlier this week, DeWine announced that beginning July 20, nursing homes are permitted to begin outdoor visitation as long as all safety standards are met. When assessing their readiness to permit outdoor visitation, nursing homes should consider: case status in the surrounding community; case status in the nursing home; staffing levels; access to adequate testing for residents and staff; personal protective equipment supplies; and local hospital capacity. More information is here.
	OOA Members to Participate in National Meeting Thirty-one Ohio DOs and three OU-HCOM students will represent the OOA at the 2020 AOA House of Delegates. The annual gathering of 500+ osteopathic physicians from across the nation will be held virtually, July 18, with a special meeting, also virtual, on October 13-14. The July agenda includes installation of President-elect Thomas Ely, DO, of Tennessee, election of officers and trustees, and essential business required by the AOA Constitution & Bylaws. Ohio Delegation Chair George Thomas, DO, will serve as OOA’s proxy for the meeting. Reference committees, resolution deliberation, and other reports will be conducted at the October meeting.
	Refinance Your Student Loan A survey from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine found that nearly 86 percent of graduates begin their careers with an average debt load of $240,000. Refinancing your student loan can save you thousands of dollars, depending on your current balance and interest rate. The OOA and AOA have partnered with SoFi to bring members—including students and residents—a complete solution for their student loan needs. SoFi is a leading student loan refinancing provider. The process is fast, easy, and all online. Complete a simple online application to get prequalified in minutes. Plus, there is now a of 0.5% rate discount through August 15!
	Seeking Pediatric Surgeon for Committee The Trauma Committee of the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services (EMFTS) is seeking nominations for a board-certified surgeon who actively practices pediatric trauma surgery. The Trauma Committee was created to advise and assist the EMFTS in all matters regarding trauma care and the Ohio Trauma System. Its membership is spelled out in Revised Code. The Committee generally meets every other month. Candidates should submit a CV by July 16 to OOA Executive Director Matt Harney at mattharney@OhioDO.org.
	Follow us on Instagram...Instantly! No really, just click the icon. Tuesday was National Social Media Day. In honor of the “holiday” follow us on all of our accounts: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and our new Instagram. We work diligently to connect with our members wherever they are. In the pandemic era, we realize that’s expanding into social media. So be sure to like, comment, tag, follow, share, retweet, etc!