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Our Public Policy Committee and Advocacy Community assist physicians in getting their voices heard on the issues that matter most to them.

 

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Top tags: Advocacy  COTS  Federal Policy  State Policy Update  HPP Funding  Ohio Budget  Public Policy  HPP 

Hospital Preparedness Program - Funding at risk
Posted By Lisa J. Oyer, Monday, May 19, 2025
Updated: Monday, May 19, 2025

Dear COTS Valued Partners,

CMA’s affiliate, COTS, needs your help! President Trump’s proposed federal budget eliminates funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), the primary source of funding for health care preparedness and response. COTS coordinates emergency preparedness and response for 36 of Ohio's 88 counties for the Ohio Department of Health, which administers the HPP in Ohio. The complete elimination of this program is an existential threat to the safety of all Ohioans. In addition, the proposed federal budget significantly decreases funding for public health coordination and emergency management. See COTS' impact here.

COTS is taking action by creating awareness with our Board of Trustees, stakeholders, and committee members, and developing an advocacy plan.

You can help! Please email or call one or more of these Representatives who represent districts in COTS’ service area. If you have a personal relationship with any of these Members of Congress or others, we welcome your direct advocacy to them, as well.

  • Bob Latta – House District 5; Covered by Region 4 | Phone: (202) 225-6405
  • Troy Balderson – House District 12; COTS Regions 4, 7, and 8 | Phone: (202) 225-5355 | Email: Rep.Balderson@mail.house.gov
  • Michael Rulli – House District 6; COTS Region 8 | Phone: (202) 225-5705  | Email: michael.rulli@mail.house.gov
  • David Taylor – House District 2; COTS Regions 4, 7 | Phone: (202) 225-3164
  • Joyce Beatty –House  District 3; COTS  Region 4 | Phone: (202) 225-4324 | Email: joyce.beatty@mail.house.gov
  • Jim Jordan – House District 4; COTS Region 4 | Phone: (202) 225-2676
  • *Mike Carey – House District 15; COTS Region 4 | Phone: (202) 225-2015

 *Congressman Carey is also a member of the House Budget Committee, so your advocacy with him will be particularly effective.

The message is simple:

“Congressman/woman, the President’s budget proposes elimination of the Hospital Preparedness Program. The House Energy & Commerce Committee’s marked up reconciliation bill does NOT implement those cuts. Please keep funding for the HPP at current levels. Defunding emergency preparedness programs will not only result in lost lives but significant economic costs, including higher response and recovery expenses, overwhelmed hospitals, and lost productivity. These decisions will place a severe financial burden on our healthcare system, with costs extending well beyond those associated with an immediate disaster. The compounded impact of these cuts will lead to avoidable fatalities, long-term recovery costs, and inefficiencies in addressing regional crises.” 

About the Hospital Preparedness Program

The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Hospital Preparedness Program prepares the health care delivery system to save lives through the development of health care coalitions (HCCs) that incentivize diverse and often competitive health care organizations with differing priorities and objectives to work together. HPP is the only source of federal funding for health care delivery system readiness, intended to improve patient outcomes, minimize the need for federal and supplemental state resources during emergencies, and enable rapid recovery. 

The purpose of the Regional Healthcare Coalition is to provide training and exercises, the coordination of plans, and operational support during emergency response, and to develop policies and procedures that identify responsibilities required for the successful interoperability of coalition partners: hospitals, public health, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), emergency management, and community partners during a major disaster. 

The Ohio HPP activities include:

  • Guidance and development of health care coalitions
  • Management of the Ebola Assessment Hospital (EAH) and Ebola Coalition contracts
  • Participation in the Great Lakes Healthcare Partnership with Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and Chicago
  • Facilitation of Burn Surge planning committee
  • Management of the bed tracking (EMResource), and patient tracking (EMTrack) systems
  • Facilitation and participation in healthcare planning, training and exercises

We appreciate your collective partnership.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Sherri

Sherri Kovach, MS, BSN, RN, EMT
President
HIPAA Privacy/Security Officer

Tags:  Advocacy  COTS  Ohio Budget  Public Policy 

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Strengthening Our Advocacy: Welcoming Public Policy Consultant Daphne Kackloudis
Posted By Tracy Davidson, CEO, Thursday, May 15, 2025

With research and nonprofit funding concerns, a measles outbreak, and attacks on evidence-based medicine, health care policy and advocacy is more important now than ever. I’m excited to share that we are working with a new public policy consultant to guide us through these turbulent times, help us understand our role, and give us concrete action steps to advocate for public health and our patients.

Daphne Kackloudis is the head of the health care practice at Columbus-based law firm, Brennan Manna Diamond (BMD), a longtime supporter and sponsor of the CMAA. Daphne has broad experience in health care operations, regulatory compliance, board governance, Medicaid, public policy, and government affairs. She works with a number of health care trade and membership-based associations, as well as with physicians group and solo practices.

Consulting with our Board and public policy co-chairs, Drs. Chris Brown and Bill Cotton, we selected Daphne because of her deep understanding of local and state policy, her track record of working with physician-led organizations, and her commitment to advocating for the most vulnerable populations. Her insight into the practical challenges facing both clinicians and patients makes her an ideal partner in helping us elevate the physician voice and shape policies that protect and promote public health.

The physician’s voice is crucial for us to navigate these turbulent times. Policymakers at all levels need to hear from you as experts when policies are concerning or off base. We encourage our membership to keep a close eye out for our advocacy alerts and calls for in-person or written testimony. Additionally, the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) is a partner with a strong state-wide voice. Their 2025 top legislative issues can be found here.

It’s also important we hear from our membership. Please let us know your concerns, public policy priorities, and any skills you can offer by submitting the information through this form.

Tags:  Advocacy  Public Policy 

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