The Ohio Hospital Association is coordinating COVID-19 communications and protocols between state and federal agencies and Ohio's health care delivery network. OHA monitors clinical and policy updates from the Ohio Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Hospital Association and shares the most relevant links on this page. Quick Links OHA members share COVID vaccince communications tools OHA COVID-19 Hospitalization Dashboard Ohio's COVID-19 caseload dashboard and resource site Ohio's vaccination provider links and communications resources CDC COVID-19 resource portal | AHA COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics resource site
The Ohio Department of Health March 18 released public service announcements that promote the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines. The videos, which feature Ohioans sharing why they wanted a vaccine, are available for member hospitals to share on their communications channels. Click here for more details and to access the videos.
OHA's Patient Safety & Quality team is presenting a 4-part webinar series on COVID Vaccinations. Click here to access recordings and links to the slides and tool kits.
OHA has partnered with Gabbe Health and Wellness of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to share free resources that were developed to address provider resilience, especially as the pandemic continues to burden our health care teams. This catalog of 32 two- and five-minute videos offer short opportunities of mindfulness and reflection for providers. Please use and share this resource with your teams.
Ohioans with certain medical conditions are eligible for vaccines regardless of their age. OHA is providing members with the diagnostic codes for the conditions so providers can use their electronic health records reach out to patients and alert them to their eligibility. Click here for the most current list.
The Ad Council, working with the CDC, released research, messaging and PSA materials for hospitals and community groups to leverage in outreach to those who are hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read the details and to access the materials.
OHA has aggregated COVID-19 vaccination communications materials from member hospitals for use by providers and community organizations in their outreach. Click here to see the library, which is frequently updated.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the launch of a new health equity website. The page highlights Ohio’s efforts to achieve equity in its pandemic response while also providing resources to help communities, agencies and organizations in the state. The new website includes a Communications Resources Hub. Click here to read more.
Ohio has produced a fact sheet dispelling many vaccine myths in 15 languages. Additionally, COVID Vaccine Town Halls were held by the Ohio departments of Health and Mental Health and Addiction Services, along with CAS and the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, to debunk COVID vaccine myths and provide reliable, trustworthy information for special populations in the state. Click here to access recordings and audience-specific communications tools.
OHA’s Patient Safety & Quality team hosted the “Considerations for Monoclonal Antibody Usage” webinar and has archived several resources from the webinar for health care professionals. Click here to access the recording and materials.
As hospitals prepared for the expected surge in patients and dealt with limited resources of both staff and equipment, they worked to expand capacity and procure supplies and equipment. While hospitals and providers do all they can to provide the best care to every patient, they also need to plan for situations where the number of patients in need of intense medical interventions exceeds the available resources. OHA offers several resources. Click here for an overview.
OHA aggregates COVID-19 financial relief opportunity information to provide an overview of federal and state funding opportunities available to hospitals and health systems through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and other federal and state programs. For most of these financial relief opportunities, hospitals must submit an application. This content is limited to OHA members. Click here and log in to view.
OHA is aggregating stories featuring Ohio health care workers and hospitals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. OHA is regularly updating the webpage and sharing the stories on our social media channels. Click here to read the articles.
Mike Abrams, president and CEO of OHA and OHA member Akram Boutros, MD, president and CEO of MetroHealth, joined fellow Ohio Business Roundtable members to encourage employers to activate their employees to show leadership at work, at home and in their communities by demonstrating actions to keep Ohioans safe. Community immunity is the goal. Click here to access the employer toolkit produced by the Ohio Business Roundtable.
OHA's Health Economics & Policy team analyzes the reimbursement policies and claims processing requirements of health insurers operating in Ohio. We summarize payer updates for their impact on our member hospitals and provide additional reference tools for each payer in the Ohio market. This content is limited to OHA members. Click here and log in to view.
OHA launched a public awareness campaign urging Ohioans to do the right thing, every single day, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Click here to access the video and audio files to share.
For up-to-date information about COVID-19 and resources, the state maintains a dedicated website at coronavirus.ohio.gov. The site includes resources on prevention and a dashboard of cases the state is monitoring. Click here to connect to the site.
The Ohio Department of Health provides an online archive of all state orders related to the COVID-19 crisis. See the orders signed by Gov. Mike DeWine or issued by ODH here.
Ohio’s leading health care organizations are assuring Ohioans it is safe to see your doctor or visit a hospital to seek medical care and attention. Health Care is Safe in Ohio is a public awareness campaign launched by OHA, the Ohio State Medical Association and Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. The campaign features public service announcements and social media efforts. Click here to access the tools.
Gov. Mike DeWine on June 2 announced that Ohio health care providers may resume all surgeries and procedures that had previously been delayed by the COVID-19 emergency. The governor set guidelines for providers. Read the full story here.
OHA has compiled a list of resources for our members to help with PPE shortages. This list is grouped by state, federal, private and American Hospital Association-related resources. The state and AHA are vetting providers through their systems to help hospitals find nontraditional suppliers. Click here to view the resources.
Gov. Mike DeWine on April 27 presented the Responsible RestartOhio plan for reopening the Ohio economy beginning with allowing medical procedures and surgeries not requiring an overnight stay to resume as of May 1. On June 2, DeWine announced health care providers could return to offering a full scope of services. Click here to access resources for all business ectors.
OHA on March 15 issued visitation policy guidance for member hospitals. Recommendations are divided between hospitals with no active cases and those with confirmed cases. Read the guidance here.
Working with the Executive Advisory Group convened by Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health, OHA has distrtibuted communication resources to ensure all Ohio hospitals are communicating consistent information regarding COVID-19. Click here to access the consumer information for hospitals to use.
Ohio and the nation are facing a dire shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, including that maintained in the national cache. This situation warrants a unified, consistent approach and requires primary care providers and other outpatient services providers to comply with a new course of action regarding screening and treatment of potential COVID-19 patients. Read the guidance released March 14 here.
The Ohio Department of Health through the Ohio Hospital Association on March 14 issued new guidance recommending immediate actions for all health care facilities in Ohio to preserve personal protective equipment, or PPE, due to the ongoing COVID-19 response. See the details here.
The Ohio Department of Health, OHA and several health care organizations on March 11 issued new guidance for outpatient providers evaluating patients for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Decisions on which patients receive testing should be based on the local epidemiology of COVID-19, as well as the clinical course of illness. Read the full guidance here.
OHA President and CEO Mike Abrams on March 7 joined Gov. Mike DeWine, Amy Acton, MD, director, Ohio Department of Health and members of the Executive Advisory Group at the Ohio Statehouse to announce the state's ability to begin testing for COVID-19. Click here to view the press conference.
Gov. Mike DeWine on March 4 convened an Executive Advisory Group composed of Ohio Hospital Association staff, OHA Board, member hospitals and the Columbus medical community to advise the governor as the state continues its preparations for the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Read more here.
Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, MD, on March 6 announced ODH opened a call center to answer questions regarding coronavirus, COVID-19. The call center will be open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reached at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634). Call center staff includes licensed nurses and infectious disease experts. Read more here.