Maternal & Infant Health
Public testimony

Testimony on House’s initial budget proposals, Tara Britton

May 6, 2019
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

May 3, 2019

The Honorable Scott Oelslager, Chair

Ohio House Finance Committee

Ohio House of Representatives

77 South High Street, 13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Chairman Oelslager,  

Thank you for accepting the following as written testimony.  

My name is Tara Britton and I am the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at The Center for Community Solutions, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that aims to improve health, social and economic conditions through research, policy analysis and communication. I am here today to offer testimony on proposals in the budget regarding adult protective services (APS), and maternal mortality, and to recommend the inclusion of proposals developed by the multi-system youth joint study committee.  

Maternal Mortality  

In the United States, women are dying from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth at a higher rate than other industrialized nations, and the rate is increasing. Approximately 700 women die each year in the U.S., and thousands more experience complications, often viewed as “near misses” of a maternal death. Non-Hispanic black women are dying at a rate 3 to 4 times that of non-Hispanic white women. The most recent data available for Ohio shows that between 2008 and 2014 there were 408 pregnancy-associated deaths. This data, from 2014, is also the most recent data available on maternal deaths in Ohio. Over the last 18 months Community Solutions has worked to improve awareness and knowledge of maternal mortality in Ohio. Language was included in the as-introduced budget that intended to move us toward strengthening data and reporting on this issue. This language was removed in the substitute bill and we recommend restating it through the omnibus amendment, with some changes that would codify Ohio’s Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) committee and require more frequent reporting of the committee’s overall findings.  

There is time sensitivity to including this language in the budget bill. An open federal funding opportunity, made available through the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, is eligible only to states with maternal mortality review committees. Ohio is eligible to apply for federal funds to support the state’s PAMR, situated at the Ohio Department of Health and the proposed legislative language includes elements that are required to be in place in states that apply for funding.  

Currently, this committee is not in state statute and does not have any parameters by which it operates specifically included in state law. We recommend formally establishing this committee (the as-introduced budget language makes the creation permissive) and giving it the tools it needs to pull in timely and high-quality data on maternal deaths. This is key to understanding our Ohio maternal mortality rate. We also recommend that the language requiring reporting frequency to be changed from triennial reports on maternal deaths in Ohio to either annual or biennial reports.  

Having timely and complete data on this issue is an important first step toward implementing measures to improve maternal health and wellbeing and will ensure Ohio is able to submit a strong application for federal funding. Community Solutions is committed to working alongside the General Assembly and the administration to carry this issue forward now, and beyond this budget, and to work to support implementation of on-the-ground changes to prevent maternal deaths.  

Adult Protective Services  

Community Solutions has a long history of advocating for a strong adult protective services system in Ohio. In recent research we covered the rollout of statewide APS changes, enacted legislation that increases the categories of mandatory reporters of suspected APS cases, and senior levies in place across Ohio. Ohio now has a common statewide data system for adult protective services and indications from 2018 data show that more calls are coming into counties. We are supportive of making aggregate-level data from this system publicly available on a routine basis to better inform our discussions on the topic.  

The substitute budget bill includes an increase to the APS line item (line item 600534), a strong move in the right direction to protect senior Ohioans. This increase brings the line item from $2.74 million each year of the biennium to $4.23 million each year of the biennium. At current budget levels, each county receives around $31,000 for APS. The substitute bill increase would provide about $48,000 per county in Ohio. Community Solutions continues to support an increase to at least $5.72 million each year, which would allow an allocation of $65,000 per Ohio county, to support one full-time, designated APS caseworker. With a system long overdue for increased support, we want to continue to discuss an overall increase in the line item to $10 million per year, which would provide support for a full-time worker and wraparound supports to help older adults remain safe in their communities.  

Multi-System Youth  

Community Solutions supports inclusion of the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Committee on Multi-System Youth, including the need for a dedicated, flexible funding source to address the tragic circumstance of custody relinquishment.  

Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in on Sub HB 166. The Center for Community Solutions is committed to working with the General Assembly as members deliberate the budget. Please reach out to us with any questions.  

Sincerely,

Tara Britton, MPA

Director of Public Policy and Advocacy

The Center for Community Solutions

tbritton@communitysolutions.com

614-745-0740 ext. 301

Download Fact Sheets

District 10

Download

All Council Districts 2024

Download

District 4

Download

District 2

Download

District 11

Download

District 9

Download

District 8

Download

District 5

Download

District 7

Download

District 1

Download

District 3

Download

District 6

Download

West Boulevard

Download

University

Download

Union-Miles

Download

Tremont

Download

Stockyards

Download

St.Clair-Superior

Download

Old Brooklyn

Download

Ohio City

Download

North Shore Collinwood

Download

Mount Pleasant

Download

Lee-Seville

Download

Lee-Harvard

Download

Kinsman

Download

Kamm's Corners

Download

Jefferson

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park

Download

Glenville

Download

Fairfax

Download

Euclid-Green

Download

Edgewater

Download

Downtown

Download

Detroit Shoreway

Download

Cudell

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham

Download

Clark-Fulton

Download

Central

Download

Buckeye-Woodhill

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square

Download

Brooklyn Centre

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village

Download

Bellaire-Puritas

Download

All Neighborhoods 2024

Download

West Boulevard Factsheet

Download

University Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Union-Miles Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Tremont Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Stockyards Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Old Brooklyn Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Ohio City Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

North Shore Collinwood Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Seville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Harvard Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kinsman Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kamm's Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Jefferson Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hough Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hopkins Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Glenville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Fairfax Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Euclid-Green Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Edgewater Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Downtown Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cuyahoga Valley Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cudell Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Clark-Fulton Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Central Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Brooklyn Centre Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Bellaire-Puritas Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

All Neighborhoods 2016

Download

District 2

Download

District 1

Download

Ohio Women Statewide

Download

All Women Fact Sheets

Download

Wyandot Women

Download

Wood Women

Download

Williams Women

Download

Wayne Women

Download

Washington Women

Download

Warren Women

Download

Vinton Women

Download

Van Wert Women

Download

Union Women

Download

Tuscarawas Women

Download

Trumbell Women

Download

Summit Women

Download

Stark Women

Download

Shelby Women

Download

Seneca Women

Download

Scioto Women

Download

Sandusky Women

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Maternal & Infant Health
Public testimony

Maternal mental health: HCR 16 Proponent Testimony

Natasha Takyi-Micah
June 5, 2024
Behavioral Health
Public testimony

Proponent Testimony on HB 300: remote treatment of opioid use disorder

Dylan Armstrong
April 29, 2024
Maternal & Infant Health
Public testimony

Hospital licensing, maternal and infant health data in Ohio

Community Solutions Team
March 1, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Public testimony

Provisions to Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Quality Control System

Community Solutions Team
November 23, 2023
Maternal & Infant Health
Public testimony

October 11: House Public Health Policy Committee

Community Solutions Team
October 11, 2023