Ohio School Based Health Care Association

At the Ohio Statehouse

SBHC Site-Visit Season is upon us. OSBHCA's new Director of State Advocacy, Heidi Welch, will be contacting members across the state to complete legislative site visits with members of the Ohio General Assembly. Fall is a great time to meet with members (and candidates!). In addition, OSBHCA staff will be presenting advocacy trainings with OSBHCA and Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success members in the coming months.

At the Ohio Statehouse, with Congress or in actual SBHCs, members of the Ohio School Based Health Care Association is advocating for better quality of and greater access to health care for children and families in Ohio. Our SBHC-specific state policy goals are to expand services and centers throughout Ohio; secure funding at the state level for SBHCs; encourage policy makers to expand and increase funding for state-sponsored services (such as Ohio Medicaid) and increase access to those services, especially in under-served areas.

               
   Ohio Department of Health Director Alvin Jackson, MD, visits the Keifer Mercy Health Center in Springfield, Ohio, April 2008.

Our members advocate via:

• Grassroots letter writing, email and phone call campaigns on issues of importance to state and federal legislators and administrators
• Individual SBHC site visits with elected officials
• Participating in statehouse days
• Collaborating with other state coalitions and advocacy groups

For more information on how you can be a part of our advocacy agenda, contact us today!

Proposed Medicaid Cuts:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a series of regulation changes that would cause significant harm to children, seniors, and people with disabilities, damage our nation's health care system, and put further stress on state and local budgets. The regulations must be delayed and reconsidered.

Federal Authorization:

A federally authorized program is the first step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of SBHCs. NASBHC has taken this step with "The School-Based Health Clinic Establishment Act of 2007."
 
For more information on these updates, please visit the National Assembly on School Based Health Care's website.

Advocacy Tools
Steps to a Successful SBHC Tour
The power of the SBHC model is best experienced in person. Whether you want your supportive Congressman to become a champion or you need an undecided Senator to vote “yes,” a tour of your center is a great way to achieve these goals. Below are 12 steps for you to plan a successful tour for any elected official. Are you ready?
Candidate Forum Guide
Elections are a great time to get the word about school-based health centers (SBHCs) into the public dialogue. There are opportunities to participate in candidate forums for federal, state, and local offices. Getting involved in a candidate forum can advance the goals of SBHC policy at all levels with a number of audiences.

Click here for NASBHC tools