February 22, 2019 Senator Dave Burke Senate Building 1 Capital
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
February 22, 2019 Senator Dave Burke Senate Building 1 Capital Square Columbus, Ohio 43215 Dear Senator Burke, The following letter was sent to Governor Kasich in December 2016 regarding the ‘Heartbeat Bill’. The letter was signed by over 1,000 Ohio residents, many of whom are physicians. I believe their opinions on this issue have not changed. We appreciate your consideration of the information provided in the letter. We sincerely hope you will not sign the Heartbeat bill out of expediency and will look at as we do in an evidence based manner. Sincerely, Anita Somani, MD Immediate Past-President, Columbus Medical Association 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org December 12, 2016 Governor John Kasich Riffe Center, 30th Floor 77 South High Street Columbus, OH 43215-6117 Dear Governor Kasich, As the President of the Columbus Medical Association and a practicing Obstetrician/Gynecologist, I see the real impact of political decisions on patients’ health every day. Never has the impact been clearer than with the decision of the legislature to include the “heartbeat bill” provisions into House Bill 493 and to pass SB 127. I am writing to urge you to veto the abortion portion of this legislation along with the legislation that criminalizes physicians. Regardless of one’s personal faith orientation, it is completely untenable for the State of Ohio to criminalize physician behavior and deny a medical procedure to patients that is both Constitutional and consistent with a physician’s professional medical standards of care. I do not perform abortions but I am often called to counsel my patients about all their options, including abortion, when their baby has a lethal anomaly or when pregnancy would threaten their own life. These laws would make what Ob/Gyns do every day a felony under the law. How are my physician colleagues supposed to counsel and care for their patients when we face double jeopardy in the sense that we may do something against the law by providing reasonable medical care but if we follow the law we may end up being charged with medical malpractice. Statistically, there is proof that women will continue to have abortions regardless of whether they are legal or not, so politicians should ensure that they can be done safely and legally and physicians should not have to fear prosecution for doing their ethical duty. By making abortion illegal in Ohio you will NOT prevent abortions BUT you will see an increase in septic abortions and maternal death. If you are truly interested in reducing abortion rates you would provide contraception for free like Colorado and Hawaii do. By defunding Planned Parenthood you have actually made it harder for women, especially those of lower income to get good preventive care and contraception. Ohio has a terrible track record when it comes to infant mortality and there are task forces which are working to reduce infant mortality. Unfortunately, when you force women to carry a pregnancy conceived by rape or incest you also see a woman who will not seek prenatal care and this will worsen the outcomes related to infant mortality. There is already data that supports this. 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org Each bill may not seem like a big deal, but it has added up to the point where it is becoming virtually impossible for a woman to obtain an abortion in Ohio, particularly a women in poverty or from a rural underserved area, who is unable to take off time to travel to the clinic multiple times or find transportation to one of the few clinics left in Ohio. If you and other politicians truly care about women and life, you should support women through these difficult situations and fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood, provide free contraception, work on stopping the cycle of poverty and teenage pregnancy, and keep abortion safe and legal. Criminalizing physician’s actions that are consistent with their professional standards of care is simply unacceptable. If laws like this are allowed in Ohio, it will not be long before there will be a shortage of obstetricians in our state, as young professionals will not choose Ohio to locate their practice. Why would these young doctors voluntarily place themselves in the midst of a potential legal quagmire that would prevent them from meeting their moral obligations to provide care for their patients? Regardless of the doctor’s moral and legal peril, the provisions in this bill reflect a complete lack of understanding of the medical realities that are faced every day by patients and doctors in our community. Your veto of these misguided pieces of legislations is essential. Sincerely, Anita P. Somani, MD, FACOG President, Columbus Medical Association As of this morning, this letter has been co-signed by over 1,000 other Ohio residents (many of whom are physicians, nurses and other medical professionals.) Additional signatures are continually being added at https://medium.com/@anitasomani/open-letter-to-governor-kasich-557397356df8#.9axaz8ptj Kara Richardson, Medical Kyle Richardson M. Alicia Dola Student Kristin M Foley, MD Mahala Spalsbury, Medical Ann Peeples, Registered Nurse Student Amy Masterson 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org Andrea Riley, Medical Student Ellen Winkler Jamie Crane Kathy Ragousis Trudy Wu, Medical Student Amy Glandon Kevin Frank, Medical Student Myra Barry Bethany Wayt, Certified Nurse Midwife Danielle Hery, Medical Student Kristrun Kristinsdottir, Medical Student Dodie Johndon, NP-C Samarchitha Magal, Medical Student Susanna Trejo Michelle Diederich, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Amira Najjar, Medical Student Jamie Babbitt, Social Worker Jennifer Sturgill, DO Anngella Noark Mildred Siers, NP Cheyenne Brown, Certified Delaney Halpin, Medical Erin Clarke Nurse Midwife Student Margaret Diehl Pamela S Burda Samar Sheriff, Medical Student Michelle Howe, Medical Student Janeil Whitworth Taylor Branstool, Medical Student Shannon Thomas Karin Grant, NP Maria Alexander Elizabeth Hopkin Ponnila Marinescu, MD Maggie Reilly, Medical Student Susan Saunders James Pan, MD Caroline Green Katie Cunin, MD Susan Laughlin-Schopis Aviva Aguilar, Medical Student Adeline Miller Michael Grube Rebecca Steele Heather Zarichny Eve Lanyi Elizabeth Flynn, Registered Michaela Ward, Certified Nurse Douglas Times Nurse Midwife Kelsey Hardin Valerie Trimmer-Whipp, Sunita Mohan Kathryn VanDixhorn Registered Nurse Marian Emans Lisa Hayes, RN Anibelky Almanzar Sheila Hirsch Uma Ananth, MD Jill Hill Monica Hirsch Paula Meyers, RN Erica Siefring Steven Hirsch MD Mary Davidson Katherine Turner, MD Jeanne Bauer, Certified Nurse Matthew Hutcherson, Medical Midwife Susan A. Wenn, Certified Nurse Midwife Student David Bell, MD, FACOG Jane Dooley Aine Clements, MD Karen McCloskey, RN Star Simpson Ecehan Cezayirlioglu Kristine Slam, MD Susan Lynne Bell Michelle Djohan, Medical Kimberly Shepherd, MD Student 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org Jamison Pack Laura Herrold Jennifer Brodsky Rachel Migliozzi, RN Nicholas Brown Ann Zimmerman, RN Tonia Bergh Amanda Frazier Jami Bennett Susan Joned Joan Taylor Sitara Koneru, Medical Student Joyce Lewellyn Cheryl Driesen, RN Cindy Farson Susan Littleton, Certified Nurse Beth A Francis Mary Pat Jolivette Midwife Ariel Reppert Alicia DiMarco Graham Mitro, Medical Student Dhyana Graham, RN Mark Hiser Sara Neumeier Jennifer H. Cramblit Melissa Miller, RN Kimberly Baillieul Liz Ericsom Macke Diana Kopp Lauren Lopez, PharmD Bella Mehta Mindy Hall Dorothy Vish Bridget A. Norris Nancy Jesser Jill Ford Jocelyn Miller Christina Keller Kimberly Boggs, Clinical Social Worker Christie Ellis Leslie Hoffman, MD David Hoover Stephanie Backstrom Kelly Harper Linda Kuhr Arienne Allmandinger, RN Bradley L. Krick Rachel McCloskey Karen McDonald Tamara Anderson Jean Gaines, RN Mrunal Shah, MD Douglas DeFranco Laurie Bilovesky Michelle Bugayong, PhD Jocelyn Hardman, PhD Sayaka Piper Patricia Fry, RN Amy Jackson, MD Jaclyn Szaruga Sheila Craft Michael Haase, RN Amanda Wickham Mona Natwa, MD Colleen Wolf Patricia Palmer Rita Hari Sarah Gemperline Maria Siriano Pam Stein Dianna Kaczay MacDonald Tammy Nutter, RN, MSN Ann Kurtenbach Kim DeMooy Lyndsie Petsch Ingrid Cawthorne Linda Artis, RN Lisa Simpson, RN Renae Brown Judith E. Walens-Webber Brooke Fox Jennifer Berner Britta Buchenroth, MD Meredyth Donaldson Seth Hoffman, MD Ian Poissant 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org Shari Herszage Kirsten McKenzie Melissa Richard Tarah Briggs Steven Hurt Kathryn Sasser Heather Marlin Kay Allen John Deever Sara Schroder, MD Patti Gehred Lisa Newmark Jessica Slates, RN Susan Bell, NP Christina McCamish Krista Edington Laura Mickelson Deborah Joanne-Lynn, MD Angela Barnett, RN Lynne Knuth David Richardson Anna Flood Jennifer King Lisa Cunningham Karen A. Riccio, O.D. Laura T. Hegedus Chris Stabile Loren Lazarony Molly McQuillan Lisa Barrett Linda M. Holland-Bunner Leah Welsh, DO Jodi Montgomery, RN Kassandra Kuzma Jennifer Wells Jean Patterson, RN Heather Lipps, RN Carolyn T. Casper Leslie Meadows Chessie Walker, RN Ben Batey Eliana Saari Laura Wilson Kate Polak, RN Linda Jackson Shanna Kara Praveena Dhawale, MD Rebecca Nation Megan Cook, RN, BSN Barbara Nash, APRN James Bishop Jennifer Bunker Nikkia Johnson Natasha Stoll-Juredine, PhD Patricia Reeder Mary Edwards, LMT Julie Canfield, RN David R. Neiger Nichole Smith, LGC Cathy Ruble Tara Barnes Beth Urban Sandra Bell-Duckworth Rebecca Neiger, MD Greg Sprowls Tim Brown Lindsay Leygraff Pat Denino Anessa E. Davis Glynis Armentrout Sofia Marie Saari Stacey Reigle Jessica Skala Nilsa Gonzalez Kim Griggs Anahi Ortiz, MD Alan Sacolick, MD Lisa Bell Nezie Gibbons June Sprowls Lynn Wheeler Caitlin Whitton, RN Amy Dietz, MSN, RNC-OB Kim Jordan, MD Susan Porter-Pintz William Cotton, MD Shari Sacolick 1390 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215 p. (614) 240-7410 f. (614) 240-7415 www.CMAloop.org Gabe Stabile Linda Crim, NP Rosemary Oaks Joseph M.