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Hospitals Lead the Charge to a Healthier Ohio Ohio’s position in this study inched upward this year to 26th, after hovering at 27th overall in both 2001 and 2002. In 2003, Ohio remained 2.2 percent above the overall national norm, reducing motor vehicle deaths by eight percent from 2002 and infant mortality 23 percent between 1990 and 2003. The state’s prenatal care remains a strength, with 82.3 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate care, and the incidence of infectious disease is low—11.6 cases per 100,000 population. But despite these improvements, Ohio’s overall health score remains low. The number of children in poverty continues to decrease, but very slowly, and the number of those without health insurance climbs steadily higher, both in Ohio and nationwide. A large percentage of pregnant women receive adequate care, but this access is not evenly distributed throughout the state or between different ethnicities. The state also remains above the national average in risk for heart disease, based on factors such as obesity, hypertension and sedentary lifestyle. Ohio’s overall level of healthiness remains stable, but there are many opportunities for improvement and hospitals throughout the state are serving as catalysts for positive change. Confronting Ohio’s large uninsured population, hospitals provided $716 million in uncompensated care to patients without insurance in 2001. Many hospitals participated in national Cover the Uninsured week in 2003, and plan to encourage the message in 2004. Others are taking a more active role. For example, ProMedica Health System and Mercy Health Partners teamed up with Toledo Mayor Jack Ford in 2002 to create CareNet, a program to provide coordinated health care on a sliding fee scale for eligible low-income Lucas County residents who do not have health insurance and who do not qualify for government health programs. Ohio has also seen an increase in emphasis on healthy lifestyles from both the local and state levels. Gov. Bob Taft announced the Healthy Ohioans initiative in 2002 to encourage smoking cessation, improved eating and exercise habits and attention to weight control. Hospitals throughout the state offer programs and educational resources on health and wellness for employees and other community members. OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities identified a 2003 focus of increasing physical activity and reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in Ohio. The foundation granted nearly $90,000 to eight Ohio hospitals for projects devoted to these targets. Focusing exclusively on smoking prevention and cessation, Ohio’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation will spend about $38 million this year and $56 million next year on anti-smoking efforts, including its four-year advertising campaign stand (www.standohio.org). However, $350 million overall has been diverted from tobacco prevention for the state budget, with state lawmakers promising full restoration of funds in 10 years. The efforts of hospitals to address the health risks in their communities related to smoking and other risk factors often rely on adequate outside funding. The percentage of total state and local spending going toward public welfare, health and hospitals in Ohio remains below the national level, ranking Ohio 33rd in terms of support of public health care. OHA advocates on behalf of Ohio’s hospitals in the state and federal legislature, protecting hospitals’ ability to provide quality care and continue to look toward the future of health care. In part due to these efforts, 60,000 current Medicaid enrollees did not lose their health insurance in 2003 and Medicaid reimbursements to Ohio hospitals were protected. As Ohio strives to meet the challenge of confronting risk factors and improving the overall health of its citizens, its hospitals continue leading the way to a healthier Ohio.
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