Making Preparations
Hospitals statewide conducted voter registration drives and encouraged associates to vote this November. Before this push, approximately 9 percent of hospital workers—about 20,000 Ohio employees—were not registered to vote. Twenty percent of these employees, an additional 4,200, registered through these drives and can exercise their right to vote Nov. 2.

Of these registered voters, emergency health care workers and others with concerns about reaching the polls on Nov. 2 should consider requesting an absentee ballot. The window to request absentee ballots continues to narrow, and requests should be submitted immediately to ensure enough time to receive the ballot and submit it prior to the closing of the polls on Election Day. Ballot request forms and a list of all Ohio county boards of elections are available online at www.AskYourDoctorOhio.com/managed_content/downloads_absentee_card.pdf.

Spreading it Around
Hospital employees know first-hand the potential or existing impact of the medical liability insurance crisis in their areas. They know the recipe for positive change includes not only legislative reform and adjustments in the insurance industry, but an Ohio Supreme Court that upholds critical reforms. By nature of their professions and commitment to the health of their communities, health care workers touch the lives of countless people every day—both at work and beyond the hospital. Educating themselves and sharing information is one more way hospital workers can help protect and maintain quality health care for Ohioans.

Ohio health care organizations also remain on the front lines, providing information on the medical liability insurance problem. The Akron Regional Hospital Association held a public rally this week with testimonials from physicians and patients hurt by this crisis. The rally encouraged voting, with Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) addressing the importance of the Ohio Supreme Court in upholding med mal reform legislation. A mobile billboard, provided by the Ohio Osteopathic Association, reminded onlookers medical emergencies are not the time for Ohioans to find out their doctors can’t be there. Hospitals throughout the state also continue efforts on a unified campaign to educate their employees and Ohioans through advertising and a comprehensive grassroots effort.

Health care workers interested in encouraging co-workers, family members or others to vote this Nov. 2 can download flyers, posters and other reminder materials at www.AskYourDoctorOhio.com/downloads.aspx. A bipartisan guide to the Ohio Supreme Court candidates is available at www.AskYourDoctorOhio.com under “Supreme Court Candidate Information.”

Voting: The Key Ingredient
The most important thing to remember: Get out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2! In the 2000 presidential election, 7.5 million Ohioans registered to vote but only about 64 percent of those cast a vote. Approximately 93 percent of hospital employees are registered to vote and their votes have a direct impact on the medical liability environment in Ohio.

Presidential election years draw additional voters, but choosing a commander in chief should not overshadow other items on the ballot, including the four Ohio Supreme Court positions on this year’s ticket. Four seats, and the balance of the court, depend on this election. In 2000, between 15 and 20 percent of voters who visited the polls failed to cast a vote for an open state supreme court seat. With four open seats, voting the entire ticket this year gives Ohioans an even stronger voice as they choose not just justices but the overall tenor of their highest court.

Those needing information on where to vote or their registration status should contact their local county boards of elections. To view an Ohio County Board of Elections Directory, visit www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/boe/.

The medical liability insurance environment in Ohio remains at a crisis level. Health care workers are a trusted source of information about this problem and the role of the Ohio Supreme Court in solving it. Get out and vote on Nov. 2, and vote the entire ticket. Help protect health care in Ohio.