The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) advocacy team monitors healthcare related legislation, rule changes, and legislative updates for Ohio’s family physicians.
To access the OAFP Bill Tracker, visit the OAFP Public Policy webpage and click on the Bill Tracker icon.
Read on for this week’s updates and contact Advocacy Coordinator Kaela Springhetti with questions or for ways to get involved.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Ending all Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Patients by September 26
Source: WOSU Public Media
Nationwide Children’s Hospital is ending gender-affirming care for all of its transgender patients including those who are over 18 or were “grandfathered in” under a state law that prohibits gender-affirming care for minors.
The hospital gave a statement to WOSU recently that it’s currently in compliance with state and federal regulations, but it wants to “proactively plan” for quick changes in regulations.
Nationwide Children’s will stop prescribing gender-affirming medicines for trans patients effective Friday, September 26.
“The hospital will be working with affected patients to end their prescriptions, always with patient safety as a top priority,” the Nationwide Children’s statement reads. “Nationwide Children’s will continue to support these patients and families through the provision of behavioral health services, and any other needed healthcare.”
Nationwide Children’s did not say how many people will be affected or whether most affected patients were minors, or over the age of 18.
The Ohio Supreme Court allowed a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors to go into effect this spring. Governor Mike DeWine had originally vetoed the ban, but that veto was overturned by Republican lawmakers before the issue made its way to the courts, where it remains under consideration.
Medical centers like The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic provide gender-affirming care to people over the age of 19.
Ohio’s ban affects only those under 18, but a January executive order from the Trump Administration called “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” defines children as being under the age of 19.
Unlike Florida, Ohio Will Stay the Course on Vaccines
Source: News 5 Clevland
Ohio will continue promoting the benefits of vaccines and supporting vaccinations, despite some Republican leaders casting doubt on their legitimacy and Florida making an effort to ban requirements.
Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, FAAFP, will continue following the decades of science that show vaccines are safe, Gov. DeWine’s team said.
The percentage of kids starting kindergarten with their vaccinations continues to decline on a state and national level for diseases like diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps, and polio.
In the 2019-20 school year, vaccination rates were at 89.9%, Dr. Vanderhoff said. Those numbers are now down to 85.4%, a 4.5% decrease over five years.
In a congressional hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he believes that many vaccines cause harm, an argument refuted by medical experts. He has also pulled funding from vaccine development and fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.
Read the full article on News 5 Cleveland.