OOA Castigates Racism and Advocates for Equality

In light of last week’s horrific killing of George Floyd and the continued endangerment of people of color, the Ohio Osteopathic Association (OOA) expresses its support for peaceful protests for racial justice. In the strongest possible terms, the OOA advocates for equality in all its forms.

In 2017, the OOA passed policy to encourage osteopathic medical institutions to “engage in expert facilitated, evidence-based dialogue in cultural competency and the physician’s role in eliminating racial health care disparities in medical treatment as part of a longitudinal curriculum throughout undergraduate medical education.” The impetus of this policy was recognition that health care outcomes of minorities were lower even when patients’ socioeconomic differences were controlled. This same policy was approved by the American Osteopathic Association later that year. The OOA remains more committed than ever to these enduring values to address racial disparities in medical treatment.

Comprehensive wellness—in body, mind, and spirit—can only be fully achieved if personal safety is guaranteed for all people. Entirely too often this safety is not ensured. Discriminatory surveillance and policing are often exacerbated by excessive force. This must stop. Every single person deserves respect, equality, and justice. As a country, we are falling short. To that end, the OOA strongly encourages all legal expressions and efforts to extinguish racism and discrimination in any form.

House Approves Fireworks Bill, Senate Rejects Contact Tracing Limitations

State representatives swiftly approved HB 253 yesterday to legalize the discharge of consumer grade fireworks, including bottle rockets, firecrackers, and missiles. The OOA and other organizations urged the House Commerce & Labor Committee to oppose the bill, which ultimately approved the bill only hours before hitting the House floor. Executive Director Matt Harney provided testimony, stressing that passage would result in a surge of emergency room visits as studies show the frequency and severity of fireworks injuries increase when discharge is legalized in a state. 

The OOA issued an action alert yesterday morning to OOA members whose state representative serves on the C&L Committee. The message was to vote no on the bill or remove consumer discharge for the safety of all Ohioans, particularly children as one-third of fireworks injuries affect them. By the afternoon the bill had been approved by the full House.

Our efforts now move to the Ohio Senate. Please take action today and contact your state senator.

On Wednesday the Ohio Senate approved SB 308 to expand civil immunity for health care and service providers during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill in part would expand legal immunity to providers of emergency services during a declared disaster and to service providers for injury, death or loss in providing services resulting from a disaster or declared emergency related to COVID-19. A substitute version adopted in committee earlier in the day removed language that would have continued the immunity into permanent law; restored the health care immunity to a reckless standard; eliminated immunity for intentional conduct; clarified that K-12 and institutions of higher education are included; and made clear that orders and recommendations do not create a legal duty for tort law.

Senators also rejected amendments that would require local health officials to get written approval from contact-tracing participants. The Ohio House had added the language to SB 31. Public-health officials worried that requiring written consent would slow efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The bill now goes to a conference committee of House and Senate members iron out the differences. Last week, the Ohio House passed its own civil immunity bill, which the Senate is expected to review next week.

The Senate also passed SB 252 to prohibit “fail first” coverage of drugs to treat stage four advanced metastatic cancer and a resolution, SR 406, to designate April 26, 2021 as Diabetic Ketoacidosis Awareness Day.

COVID-19 Update

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that health care providers may resume all surgeries and procedures that had previously been delayed if they meet safety criteria, including: 

• Maintaining adequate inventories of PPE, supplies, equipment, and medicine.
• Creating a plan for the conservation and monitoring use of PPE, as well as other supplies and equipment that could include decontamination and reuse.
• Maintaining a reliable supply chain to support non-COVID-19 cases and to respond to an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases, if needed.
• Defining processes for timely COVID-19 testing of patients and staff.
• Continuing the use of telehealth whenever possible.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Health issued updated guidance for testing, noting it should be made available to individuals in Priorities 1, 2, 3, and 4. The testing guidance defines a new Priority 5, asymptomatic individuals not covered in the other priority groups. Despite this, testing continues to lag, as the state will average about 10,589 tests a day this month—far below the 22,000 DeWine anticipated.

Yesterday, DeWine announced the reopening of certain facilities, including entertainment venues, with health and safety restrictions.

During his COVID-19 briefing, DeWine also announced he is intensifying efforts in Ohio to improve issues of health and economic disparities, racism, and inequity. He said addressing lead paint poisoning in children; reducing infant and maternal mortality in the African American community; increasing home visiting programs for at-risk, first-time moms; fighting the drug epidemic; and prioritizing the availability of mental health services in schools are among the issues.

Buy a Coat, Welcome a New Medical Student into the Profession

All first-year medical students at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine receive their first white coat compliments of the OOA and Ohio Osteopathic Foundation. It is a gift from their professional family to commemorate the beginning of their academic career as a medical student. A program founded last year offers OOA members and other friends of the profession an opportunity to connect with these incoming students by sponsoring the purchase of a white coat.

Simply make your $45 donation online to the “Student White Coat Fund” and write a message to an incoming student in the comment box.

Pay it forward to the next generation of osteopathic physicians by making your tax-deductible donation by July 31.