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 shooter-ohio-state-university.html">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.

Dan Skinner talks with Scott Rider, an Ohioan at heart living with Parkinson's Disease in South Carolina. Scott joined Dan at the WCBE studios on a trip back to Columbus to receive some care, taking the time to reflect on his experience with Parkinson's, state of support and research for those living with the disease, and some of the infrastructure challenges we face in providing communities and homes in which people with mobility challenges can live. At 1:01, you'll hear a new edition of "Things You Need to Know," brought to you in collaboration with the Center for Community Solutions. The interview begins at 4:27. Show notes at prognosisohio.com.

Dan Skinner talks with Greg Moody about his work as the Director of Governor Kasich’s Office of Health Transformation as well as his current work on promoting nonpartisan leadership in health care at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. Show notes and links at prognosisohio.com.

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.