Prognosis Ohio

On episode 139, Dan Skinner talks with Emily Campbell, who recently began her service as President and CEO of the Center for Community Solutions after 16 years with the organization. Dan and Emily talk through the extensive (88--one for each Ohio county) fact sheets CCS recently released with data about the status of women in Ohio. Topics include economic barriers such as pay inequity, maternity deserts, policy hurdles to making Ohio an attractive state for aging in place, and more. Streams/notes/subscribe: www.prognosisohio.com/episodes/campbell.

Smoking is not only one of the top causes of death in Cleveland, but is a function of years of inequitable and racist policy, with devastating consequences for communities of color. Dan talks with Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health for the City of Cleveland, about his and others' efforts to get Cleveland’s horrendous smoking rates under control, especially by addressing flavored tobacco. Topics include the origins of Cleveland's extremely high smoking rates; the racial dimensions of the debate over menthol cigarettes; regulating tobacco after passage of Issue 2, which legalized cannabis in Ohio; and political barriers, in the Cleveland City Council and in the Ohio Statehouse to putting meaningful anti-smoking public health policies in place. Show notes, streams, and ways to support at prognosisohio.com. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Social media and production support by Nathaniel Powell. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

Rick Neal is a well-known progressive advocate in Central Ohio, but his political conscience has long been driven by his passion for and professional experience in humanitarian relief, especially in Asia and Africa. On Episode 137, taking a few weeks off from challenges here in Ohio, Dan Skinner talks with Rick about his experience as a humanitarian relief worker with Peace Corps, Oxfam, and Refugees International. Topics include the challenges of securing adequate funding, geopolitical complexities, and how to ensure Ohioans don't forget the serious crises that exist around the world, even as we tend to our own challenges here at home. Listen, as well, as Rick explains why medical and public health professionals in Ohio might consider jumping in to do this important work. Show notes and stream at prognosisohio.com/episodes/neal

Dan Skinner talks with Dr. Ayaz Hyder of Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and Gavin French of Columbus Public Health about their article, published in the Ohio Journal of Public Health, "Real-time Monitoring and Evaluation of the Vax Cash Program: A Case Study from Columbus, Ohio." Dan, Ayaz, and Gavin discuss the idea behind incentive programs such as Vax Cash, which provided cash to help individuals get vaccinated in the early months when COVID-19 vaccinations became available. Show notes at prognosisohio.com.

Just two weeks from November 7, the last date Ohioans can vote on Issue 1, a ballot initiative that will enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio constitution, Dan Skinner talks with Marcela Azevedo, MD, Co-Founder of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights (OPRR) about the state of the “Yes on Issue 1” movement. Topics include whether OPRR and issue 1 supporters have been able to cut through the noise and misinformation that have clouded voters’ understanding of what Issue 1 will do; the health stakes of Issue 1, including what we learned from the 82 days after Dobbs when abortion was illegal in Ohio; the significance of physician leadership on the issue of reproductive freedom; and more. Show notes: www.prognosisohio.com/episodes/oprr Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Social media and production support by Nathaniel Powell. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

Despite the immense loss and often nasty politics that set in a few months into Ohio’s pandemic response, former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton insists that there was far more love than hate in those early months. Despite the challenges we face, she wants Ohioans to reflect on how much they accomplished together and think about what the means for the state moving forward. On Episode 134 of Prognosis Ohio, more than three years after she stepped down after leading Ohio’s COVID-19 response in 2020, Acton joins Prognosis Ohio to talk with Dan Skinner about what perspective and insight a few years of processing the experience have given her. Topics in the state of public health preparedness in Ohio, and what Ohio needs to do to start not only learning important lessons from our state’s collective experience with COVID, but to grieve. Acton also talks poignantly about the state of our democratic systems and the relationship between the malignant forces that stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and the divisiveness and threats of violence that set in in Ohio in response to public health measures. Through all of this, Acton offers a number of reasons to have some hope. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss. Links, Name Checks, and miscellany: · Read Dr. Acton’s Wikipedia entry here. · Read about Acton’s new project, with WKYC, “Health, Hope, and Healing.” · Acton mentions the book to which she and Dan both contributed, Ohio Under COVID. You can read it for free. Acton sat for an interview that became the Afterword. While Dan’s chapter (with Kathryn Poe) opens the book with a discussion of the gender politics of Acton’s time as the state’s health director. · Acton mentioned a “pandemic playbook” created by the George W. Bush administration. You can read about it in this Politico article. · Acton mentions a New Yorker piece for which she did interviews in 2019. You can read it here. · Dan mentions his conversation, from 2021, with Rick Hodges, former director of the Ohio Department of Health, who led the states response to the Ebola threat. · Acton mentions Josh Sharfstein’s important book, The Public Health Crisis Survival Guide, which includes a discussion of crisis communication in public health. · Listeners should also listen to our recent episode with Minority Leader Rep. Allison Russo, who has also been calling for a statewide study of Ohio’s COVID response. · Visit our archive of 35 Prognosis Ohio episodes addressing COVID-19 in some manner. · Acton mentions a COVID memorial in Great Seal State Park, in Chillicothe. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Audio engineering by Mike Foley. Video engineering by Columbus City Schools. Social media and production support by Nathaniel Powell. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On episode 133, Dan Skinner talks with Washington Post reporters Lauren Weber and Dan Diamond about their reporting on life expectancy in Ohio. How Red-State Politics Are Shaving Years Off American Lives is a sobering, thoughtful, and carefully reported article that all Ohioans should read. In the conversation, Lauren and Dan discuss reactions to the piece so far; the relationship between public health and perceptions of liberty; Ohio’s place within larger national conversations; the lack of democratic responsiveness in Ohio politics; and other issues that show the dire health consequences of Ohio’s failure to prioritize public health and safety. Show notes at prognosisohio.com.

On episode 132, Dan talks with John Corlett of the Center for Community Solutions about the need for a human service chamber in Northeast Ohio, the state of poverty in Ohio, the vulnerabilities of Ohio’s aging population, and the political consensus that has emerged around Medicaid. John also reflects on his distinguished career serving Ohio in a range of ways. See www.prognosisohio.com/episodes/corlett for full show notes. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Audio engineering by Mike Foley. Video engineering by Columbus City Schools. Social media and production support by Nathaniel Powell. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On the first episode of the Fall 2023 season, things get wonky with the good people at Yuvo Health and My Community Health Center about how creative approaches to value-based care can improve care delivery at Ohio’s community health centers. Specifically, Yuvo is doing some really exciting work with My Community Health Center in Canton. Dan talks with Dr. Lora Council, Chief Medical Officer at Yuvo Health; Dr. Sarah Hoehnen, Chief Medical Officer at My Community Health Center; and Loren Anthes, who is Head of External Affairs at Yuvo Health. For more on Yuvo Health see their website. Connect with Yuvo on LinkedIn. For those new to value-based health care, the role of risk in health care, and other topics discussed on the show, the Commonwealth Fund also has a nice overview of value-based health care. Check it out here. Some shoutouts on the show: - Congrats to Julie DiRossi-King on becoming president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers. - Learn more about the Health Policy Institute of Ohio’s Health Value Dashboard. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On episode 130, Dan talks with Danielle Bessett of the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network and Morgan Mitchell of the Abortion Fund of Ohio about the state of changing abortion access in Ohio, and especially medication abortion. The conversation includes pending legal cases that stand to increase health disparities throughout Ohio, two consequential elections--in August and November--designed by their architects to ignore the will of a majority of Ohioans who support basic abortion rights, and the reaction of the medical community to this incursion into patient-provider decision-making. Show notes at prognosisohio.com/episodes/medicationabortion.

On episode 129, Dan talks with Dr. Ean Bett, a family medicine physician in Columbus, about Medicare for All, single-payer healthcare, and national healthcare insurance. Dan mentions a Youtube video of Dr. Bett in conversation with Greg Moody, “Is Medicare for All the Answer.” USA Healthcare, an organization Dr. Bett is a founding member of, has a different approach from Medicare for All by educating around social values and has a slogan of “Universal. Simple. Affordable.” Dr. Bett references a 2018 Ohio Medicaid study that showed employment rates of people on Medicaid increased. Dr. Bett also shares information about Direct Primary Care, an innovative option to get around private insurance. Learn more about Dr. Ean Bett. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Copywriting and production support by Angela Lin. Engineering support by Mike Foley. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On episode 128, Dan talks with Randy Leite and Patrick Caniglia from the Appalachian Children Coalition about the behavioral health workforce and mental health needs of children in Appalachian Ohio. Show notes and streams at prognosisohio.com/episodes/acc. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Editorial and production support by Angela Lin and Mike Foley. TIMESTAMPS 2:30: Stereotypes and misconceptions about Appalachia 10:00 Behavioral health outcomes in Appalachia 16:45 Workforce issues, continued 23:00 Politics undermining LGBTQ behavioral health and beyond 26:54 Politics and Ohio’s healthcare workforce

On episode 127, Dan talks with Sherri Kovach and Jodi Keller with COTS Ohio about mass casualty preparedness in Ohio. Timestamps: 1:26 Assessment of Ohio’s state of preparation and scenario planning 7:30 Learning from the response to the East Palestine train derailment 15:08 The challenges of operating in the background 19:36 Fostering collaborating in cultures of competition 21:30 - COTS and national emergency preparedness 23:30 - The 2024 Eclipse Jodi and Sherri talk about planning for the worst case scenarios, coordinating the EMS response, and training with hospitals for such events. The thing that really keeps COTS up at night are “no-notice” incidents during a time when hospitals may already be overwhelmed and understaffed. They mention the shootings in Dayton, Columbine, Florida, and Las Vegas, as examples. COTS coordinates two healthcare coalitions, the Central Region Coalition with 15 counties and Southeast/Southeast Central Coalition. The coalitions are made up of hundreds of members that may be part of the healthcare response: hospitals, EMS, EMA, public health, long term care, dialysis centers, etc. Funding for COTS comes from the federal government’s Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) through the Ohio Department of Health. Sherri gives a special shoutout to Red, White, and Boom and the security and emergency response preparation for that event. They mention the stabbing at the Ohio State University in 2016 and how they learned some processes that they now have in place, including a notification process and communicating to get blood in. In response to the blood shortage at trauma centers during the COVID pandemic, COTS helped develop a shared plan among hospitals to conserve blood. COTS is already preparing for the eclipse on April 8, 2024. Learn more about COTS on their website. NAME CHECKS/RELATED EPISODES Dan mentions the current budget season, which he talks about with Tara Britton and Kelsey Bergfeld on episode 121. Dan brings up the train derailment in East Palestine. Listen to the Prognosis Ohio episode with River Valley Organizing and the Ohio Environmental Council discussing this disaster. One of Dan’s public health heroes, Franklin County Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola, praised COTS and the work they do. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Copywriting and production support by Angela Lin. Engineering support by Mike Foley, curator of the WCBE Podcast Experience. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On episode 126, Dan talks with OSU professor and clinician Dr. Rosie Bauder about suicide and suicide prevention, as well as the findings of her latest paper, published with OSU’s Dr. Austin Starkey, Examining Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Ohio Youth with Oppressed Identities Using the 2019 Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published in the Ohio Journal of Public Health. Timestamps: 3:22: Rosie’s paper and intersectionality 6:32: On being a clinician 8:21: Firearms as a method of suicide 13:50: What’s unique about Ohio when it comes to our approach to suicide 17:05: What is Rosie most excited about with her position In their study, Bauder and Starkey confirm that there are real disparities in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among youth with oppressed sexual, racial, and ethnic identities. Rosie and Dan define intersectionality and explore the important dynamics in suicidal thoughts and behaviors at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. When discussing firearms as a method of suicide, Rosie notes that, 9 times out of 10, when people attempt suicide with a firearm, it proves to be lethal compared to other means. But, she praises Ohio’s strategic plan from the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation that addresses unique considerations around firearm suicide prevention. In the conversation Dr. Bauder expresses a sentiment that we don’t often hear in Ohio: hope! Read more about Rosie Bauder in her bio. Please check out ADAMH of Franklin County’s suicide prevention resources. If you or a loved one needs help, please call the North Central 24-Hour Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-221-5445 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988.

On episode 125, Dan talks with obstetrician-gynecologist and State Rep. Anita Somani about abortion and reproductive rights, the impact anti-transgender legislation is poised to have on Ohio patients; and balancing life as a physician-legislator. SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS 2:00: On being a physician and legislator 5:30: The state budget and the stakes for social and economic policy 8:45: Abortion and reproductive health care 14:50: The hypocrisy of bills that hurt children and children’s mental health while trumpeting support for child health 17:59: “What’s behind these bills?” 19:56: The relationship between democratic responsiveness and health 25:40: The wave of anti-transgender bills moving through the Statehouse: what Rep. Somani’s experience can teach us. In the interview, Rep. Somani talks about the Heartbeat Bill and current penalties for physicians who don’t report abortions. Rep. Somani maintains, among other things, that Ohio’s infant and maternal mortality rates have gone up in direct correlation with abortion restrictions. In his 2023 State of the State address Gov. DeWine identified mental health and children’s needs as a major priority. However, Rep. Somani talks about the inherent hypocrisy of the bills the Ohio General Assembly has introduced — specifically HB 6, the anti-trans sports bill, and HB 51, which loosens gun restrictions — and the impact these bills will have on students’ mental health. Dan asks Rep. Somani about democratic responsiveness and the current assault on voting rights, including House Joint Resolution 1, which would raise the threshold needed to pass constitutional amendments on the ballot to 60%. In response, Rep. Somani reflects on the in-state support for reproductive rights and abortion rights, as demonstrated by groups collecting 7,000 signatures when they only needed 1,000 signatures to get the language certified to be on the ballot. Read more about Rep. Anita Somani in her bio. Check out a podcast produced by the Columbus Medical Association, in which Rep. Somani talks about her first few weeks at the Statehouse. NAME CHECKS / RELATED EPISODES Rep. Somani gives a shoutout to podcasts, from which she gets her news despite her busy schedule, whether that’s Apple News, The Daily, or local podcasts like Prognosis Ohio! Dan mentions previous episodes on the COVID-19 public health emergency unwind and the current budget process, both of which are high stakes for health policy in Ohio In talking about gerrymandering, Rep. Somani gives a special shoutout to Voters Not Politicians, Michigan’s redistricting independent commission. Dan mentions David Pepper, who was previously on the podcast to discuss democratic accountability, gerrymandering, and autocracy. SUPPORT WCBE and Prognosis Ohio! WCBE is currently in the midst of a fund drive. Please donate if you can! You can also support Prognosis Ohio through Patreon. Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Engineering support provided by Mike Foley at WCBE. Copywriting and production support by Angela Lin. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

On episode 124, Dan talks with Columbus Dispatch reporters Max Filby and Jennifer Smola Shaffer about their investigative series, Preying on Patients. They discuss their findings, possible reforms for the medical board, and the role journalism plays in bringing these stories about sexual misconduct to light.

Dan talks with State Representative and House Assistant Minority Leader Dontavius Jarrells about his background, bills he has introduced and supported, and his health priorities in the Ohio Statehouse as Assistant Minority Leader. After surviving lead poisoning as a kid, Rep. Jarrells introduced H.B. 587, laying the groundwork for securing a historic $150 million in ARPA funding for lead poison prevention. This money will fund the remediation and mitigation of lead out of homes, but it does not address lead in pipes. Rep. Jarrells also authored H.B. 453, which established the “Recovery is Beautiful” specialty license plate and demonstrated recovery-oriented systems of care that puts recovery at the forefront of policy. H.B. 281, which was signed into law, removed derogatory language from Ohio Revised Code. This bill was the most comprehensive change in terms of terminology since the Ohio Revised Code was rewritten and issued into law in 1974. Read more about Rep. Jarrells on his website and the Ohio House website.

On this bonus episode of Prognosis Ohio, Dan talks with Emily Wright of River Valley Organizing and Melanie Houston of the Ohio Environmental Council about the situation in East Palestine in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Topics include what residents are reporting; predatory entities; water, ground and air testing; and what policy changes we'll need to pursue to ensure this never happens again. Show notes and streams at prognosisohio.com. Produced by Dan Skinner.

Dan Skinner talks with Tara Britton of the Center for Community Solutions and Kelsey Bergfeld of Advocates for Ohio's Future about the state budget and their organizations’ policy priorities. Topics include SNAP benefits, Medicaid, harm reduction, doula services, and the workplace. Show notes at prognosisohio.com and wcbe.org. Support Prognosis Ohio here. 2:30 - The State Budget and the Public Health Emergency Unwind 5:55 - Building on Medicaid 10:12 - Support for Building on Medicaid? 15:31 - Addiction and Harm Reduction 19:37 - Doula Care 21:15 - Support for Workers 23:14 - The Stakes of the 2023 Biennial Budget Hosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Copywriting and production support by Angela Lin. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.

Dan talks with genetic counselor Paul Hudson, current President of the Ohio Association of Genetic Counselors, about a range of issues in the field. Among other things, they dive into the effects of the Dobbs decision, diversity efforts in the genetic counseling, and preventing discrimination from the use of genetic information. Interview starts at 2:20. Show notes, links, and streams at prognosisohio.com.