The Cuyahoga County Board of Health holds press conference updating citizens the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Terry Allan, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health’s Commissioner said that Cuyahoga County and the state are both successfully “flattening the curve.” “We are flattening the curve,” said Allan. “We are extending out cases that...
Category: Strengthening the HHS Safety Net
March 27, 2020
Cuyahoga County to buy $1 million in PPE, start small business fund
Cuyahoga County executive Armond Budish spoke at the Board of Health’s press conference. He announced that the county has established a small business “On the one hand I’m happy to see that people are following the governor’s orders, but I’m also very, very sad and concerned about the future of these businesses….When small businesses die...
March 27, 2020
Benefit changes: Redeterminations, requirements affected by coronavirus
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the State of Ohio and Cuyahoga County have issued new guidance surrounding the public benefits many Ohioans rely on, including Supplemental Assistance for needy Families (SNAP), Ohio Works First (OWF) and Medicaid. Medicaid recipients can now utilize telehealth services even for first time appointments. Redeterminations are suspended for 180...
March 25, 2020
Policy recommendations to flatten the coronavirus curve
On March 15, The Center for Community Solutions released a memo outlining steps the State of Ohio and the federal government could take to help flatten the coronavirus curve and to boost Ohio’s economy. Since then, Ohio and the federal government have adopted some of our policy suggestions. This is meant to be a status...
March 21, 2020
Preventing social isolation when the senior center closes
Governor Mike DeWine announced that all senior centers must close by the end of the day on Monday, March 23, 2020. Even before the official government decree, congregate meal sites for older adults across the state were transitioning from group meals within their facilities to meal delivery and meal pick-up. Governor Mike DeWine announced that...
March 19, 2020
The census in the season of Coronavirus
April 1, 2020 is Census Day. The federal government has been planning for this day, and the rollout of invitation that preceded it, for the past decade. But no one could have foreseen at the time that our government would undertake its decennial census at the exact moment of a public health crisis. 2020 is...
March 18, 2020
How to get food assistance, unemployment benefits
We know many of our fellow Ohioans are experiencing layoffs, lost school meals and financial pain right now. According to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted more than 100,000 Ohioans have filed unemployment claims this week, compared to 6,500 claims over the time period two weeks ago. Ohio’s foodbanks are ready to help the millions of Ohioans who...
March 18, 2020
How to help your local foodbank during COVID-19
Everyone is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but as we have previously written, vulnerable populations are even more at risk during this difficult time. And more of our fellow Ohioans may soon need assistance from safety net services like Ohio’s foodbanks. That’s why we’re sharing information from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks on how you...
March 16, 2020
Ohio needs emergency health & human services Coronavirus policy changes
In light of the first, and hopefully only, global pandemic in our lives, my colleagues and I, with help from others, have pulled together a list of policy steps that we think are essential. The challenges the health and humans services sector face are unlikely any in our lifetime. Unless we take extraordinary steps, lives...