The Advocate. Annual NDASH Meeting a Success COHCA Well Represented. Mission Statement JUNE 2013 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

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1 The Advocate VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 C O H C A O N L I N E. O R G Mission Statement To promote excellence in health care, education, JUNE 2013 Annual NDASH Meeting a Success COHCA Well Represented The Council for Ohio Health Care Advocacy (COHCA) joined 28 other organizations in co-sponsoring Nurse s Day at the State House (NDASH) The meeting took place on February 20. research, and policy decisions through transdisciplinary, collaborative leadership. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: NDASH COHCA Leadership 2 PAC 2 Board Member Spotlight CE/Ed Update 3 Member Spotlight 4 Legislative Updates 5 Writing For Publication 8 Free Clinics 9 Save the Date 11 Join COHCA 12 3 This annual event brings nurses together from across the state of Ohio to address current legislative issues facing health care and the profession of nursing. It was an exciting and invigorating day where each co-sponsor was invited to present specific legislative issues their organizations are spearheading. Kris Scordo, PhD, ACNP-BC, FAANP represented COHCA at the event. Nurses were invited to have lunch with their district representatives to discuss pertinent issues in their respective communities. Governor Kasich also stopped by for a surprise visit where he expressed his appreciation for the nurses across the state and shared his family s personal experience with nursing care. COHCA was well represented with many board members and members present at the event. Barbara Schaffner, PhD, PNP, Interim Dean, Graduate School of Nursing, Otterbein University (L), Tracey Herstitch, MSN, PNP-AC, Akron Children s (M), and Michelle Wilson, MS, CNP, APRN-BC, CPNP-AC, Akron Children s (R) Michelle Wilson, MS, CNP, APRN-BC, CPNP-AC, Akron Children s (L), Scott Oelslager, Ohio Senate, District 29, Stark County, Chair Senate Finance Committee, member Senate Medicaid, Health & Human Services Committee (M), Tracey Herstitch, MSN, PNP-AC, Akron Children s (R)

2 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 2 Officers, Board, & Committees Officers Co-President: Co-President: President-Elect: Secretary: Treasurer: Max J. Peoples RPh open position Julie Tsirambidis MSN, CNP open position Jeanne Bauer MSN, CNM Board members Jeri A. Milstead, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Catherine Rhodes MSN, CRNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB Kristine Anne Scordo PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAANP Nancy Stiefvater BA, consumer member Mary Temple-Cooper MS, PharmD, BCPS Tracey Vitori MS, MSN, MEd, RN, ACNP Mary Grace Mihalyo BS, PharmD Committee chairs Health Policy: Finance: Membership: Communications: Nominating: Education Public Relations: PAC: PAC Treasurer: Webmaster: Newsletter Editor: Jan Fuchs MBA, MSN, NEA-BC open co-chair position Elizabeth Ruzga CNM, MBA Lori Wade MSN, FNP-BC, CDE Nicole F. Garritano, MN, APRN, CPNP-AC Mary Temple-Cooper MS, PharmD, BCPS (temporary) Kristine Anne Scordo PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAANP Meredith Lahl, MSN, PCNS-BC, PNP-BC, CPON Gail Miller CRNP Mark Knauss CRNP Chris Sooy, cdsdesign.net Nicole F. Garritano, MN, APRN, CPNP-AC Health Policy Consultants: Jeri Milstead PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN; Margaret Clark Graham PhD, PNP, FNP; Mary Temple-Cooper MS, PharmD, BCPS; Jacalyn R Golden MSN, CRNP Contribute to COHCA s Political Action Committee (PAC) The Council of Ohio Healthcare Advocacy has created a Political Action Committee (PAC) to support provider- and patient-friendly state legislative candidates. are able to practice within their full knowledge, skills and abilities. By pooling our resources, we will maximize our scope of influence in the legislative arena. As defined by the state of Ohio, a PAC is two or more persons who receive or spend money in an attempt to influence the outcome of an election. A PAC is developed so that individuals may pool their resources more effectively. COHCA is committed to supporting state legislators who promote policies that encourage greater access to high quality health care that is delivered by professionals who Your contributions are vital to the success of our PAC. Please consider making a contribution today. State law requires that you include your full name and street address (not post office box) with your contribution. Pay online or mail the form on the last page with your check (payable to COHCA PAC ). Thank you for your support of the COHCA PAC.

3 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 COHCA Board Member Spotlight Director of Education Receives The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Outstanding Educator Award Kristine Scordo, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAANP Professor and Director of the Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Wright State University, College of Nursing and COHCA Board Member was honored as the Outstanding Educator of the year at the annual NONPF meeting in Pittsburgh this April. With grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Sciences, in 1998 she started one of the first acute care nurse practitioner programs in Ohio. Later, in 2003 she received further HRSA funding to establish an acute care cardiology specialty. To date the program has maintained a 100% first time pass rate on national certification. Dr. Scordo is a wellknown speaker who presents various topics in cardiology locally, regionally and nationally. COHCA congratulates her on winning this very prestigious national award. Kristine Scordo, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAANP CE/Education Update The required Schedule II 6 hour CE program for Prescriptive Authority of Ohio Advance Practice continues to be available at until September 1, Please remember that all CTP holders, as required by law, must complete a 6 hour course that meets the requirements stated in SB 83before the renewal cycle ends on August 31, Further information regarding the requirements can be found at the OBN website at For immediate legislative updates and breaking news, Follow and Friend us!

4 PAGE 4 THE AD VOCATE COHCA Member Spotlight COHCA Member Wins Advocacy Award Michelle Wilson, MS, CNP, APRN-BC, CPNP-AC, and COHCA member was recently awarded the 2013 Nurse Practitioner State Advocacy Award for the state of Ohio by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). This award recognizes nurse practitioners (NP) in each state who have made significant contributions toward increasing awareness and acceptance of the NP role. Michelle was nominated by Tracey Herstich, MSN, CNP, one of her colleagues at Akron Children s Hospital for her outstanding advocacy achievements. I was happy to nominate Michelle. Michelle's dedication and passion for advocacy shines forth in her profession. Her role as chair of our advocacy committee has been crucial for leading our Advanced Practice Provider (APP) legislative actions for advancing our profession, said Tracey. Michelle Wilson, MS, CNP, APRN-BC, CPNP-AC Michelle s achievements include: establishing a formalized meeting structure for the more than 140 APPs within her hospital, development of Outreach and Advocacy Committees for the APPs, speaking at Nursing Grand Rounds on advanced practice and participating in the development of a boot camp APP orientation program which includes billing and coding seminars, and the proposal for a Pre-surgery Preparation Center led by NPs and billed by NP where patients can be seen prior to surgery for their H&P and surgical education. Michelle has successfully engaged key stakeholders at Akron Children s including the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Director of Governmental Affairs, the Director of Nursing, coding & billing specialists, and the lead surgeon of the ambulatory surgery center to not only implement change within her institution but also to promote the role of the APP. Michelle s passion for advocacy stretches beyond her own organization. She is a member of COHCA and is actively involved in the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNPAP) Ohio Chapter. When asked what advice she would offer to fellow NPs who want to further their professional endeavors, Michelle said, If you are passionate about something, find an avenue to pursue it. With over 24 years of nursing experience, Michelle describes herself as a life-long learner; I love to read; I love to create. This proves to be true with her many advocacy accomplishments over the past year. We at COHCA salute Michelle on a job well done!

5 PAGE 5 THE AD VOCATE Transdisciplinary Legislative Update Lori Herf, MA The Ohio General Assembly has dedicated much of the winter and spring months to budget (HB 59) deliberations. With the new state fiscal year beginning on July 1 st, 2013, legislative leaders will focus most of their attention not only on the fiscal operations of the state of Ohio, but also on the many policy changes made as amendments to state budget provisions. APRNs and Physician Assistants Language was considered that would have allowed advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to admit patients to hospitals. That provision is now being considered independently of the budget as HB 139. Pharmacists A number of pharmacy provisions remain part of the budget as well. One of the provisions would require that Medicaid managed care organizations provide 90 days notice to pharmacies being terminated as a network provider and extends the notice to all types of health care providers. In the case of pharmacies, similarly the budget would require that 90 days advance notice be given regarding the removal of a prescribed drug from the formulary or preferred drug list used by the organization or administrator or any change in the terms governing access to the drug. The amendment that we are opposing in the budget which is HB 59 dealt with remote dispensing. The amendment would have allowed a pharmacy that is licensed as a terminal distributor of dangerous drugs to use a remote drug dispensing system at a nursing home or residential care facility. The pharmacist would not be required to be physically present where the system is used to dispense the drugs. COHCA has strong concerns regarding this provision and asked legislators to remove the language from the budget bill. The Ohio Senate did remove the language from the substitute version of the bill; however the bill will be amended next week and then be considered by a conference committee that could reinsert the language into the final version of the bill. Other Bills: House Bill 44 HEALTH EMERGENCIES (McClain) To require the Director of Health to develop protocols regarding the authority to administer, deliver, distribute, or dispense drugs during certain public health emergencies. This is currently pending in House Health and Aging Committee where it has received two hearings. Requires the Director of Health to develop one or more protocols that authorize certain licensed health professionals to administer, deliver, or distribute drugs during a public health emergency; requires the Director to develop protocols as well that authorize pharmacists and pharmacy interns to dispense limited quantities of dangerous drugs without a prescription or record of a prescription during a public health emergency; and provides that an individual who administers, delivers, distributes or dispenses a drug or dangerous drug in accordance with one or more of those protocols is not liable for, nor subject to civil damages, criminal prosecution, or professional disciplinary action, unless the individual s acts of omissions constitute willful, wanton misconduct. House Bill 60 MATERNITY UNITS (Huffman) To require that rules governing maternity units, newborn care nurseries, and maternity homes include certain provisions pertaining to the authority to make decisions regarding the transfer of patients to other facilities and to specify procedures for granting variances or waivers of any requirement in the rules governing operation of such facilities. Currently pending in House Health and Aging where it has received two hearings. The bill codifies an administrative rule that authorizes the Director of Health to grant a variance from or waiver of any of the requirements of rules regarding the operation of a maternity unit, newborn care nursery, or maternity home; requires the Director to adopt rules regarding application forms to be used and procedures to be followed in applying for a variance or waiver; requires the Director to review all applications for variances and waivers and, not later than 90 days after

6 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 6 Transdisciplinary Legislative Update (continued from p. 6) receipt of an application, to determine whether to grant the variance or waiver and notify the applicant of the decision. House Bill 83 PSYCHOLOGY LAWS (Hackett) To make 14 major changes to the law that governs the practice of psychology. Heard in the House Health and Aging Committee; reported out of committee; passed the House 96-1; currently pending in the Senate Medicaid, Health and Human Services Committee. House Bill 94 HEALTH PLANS (Gonzales) To require a health insuring corporation, public employee benefit plan, or sickness and accident insurer to reimburse a board of health for any services provided to an individual by the board that is covered by a plan issued to the individual by the health insuring corporation, public employee benefit plan, or sickness and accident insurer upon request submitted by the Board of Health. Currently pending in House Insurance Committee; has received two hearings. House Bill 123 TELEHEALTH SERVICES (Gonzales, Wachtmann) Regarding Medicaid and health insurance coverage of telehealth services. Currently pending in House Health and Aging Committee where it has received two hearings. The bill authorizes health care insurers to provide coverage of telehealth services provided by health care professionals and facilities, requires the Office of Medical Assistance to adopt rules establishing standards for Medicaid reimbursement of telehealth services provided by health care professionals and facilities; specifies that coverage of a telehealth service applies only if the service involves an immediate and direct interaction with a patient, is medically appropriate and necessary, and is provided by a licensed health care provider or facility; and requires that a health care provider seeking reimbursement for telehealth service maintain documentation of providing the service as part of the patient records the provider maintains. House Bill 131 TANNING REGULATIONS (Johnson, Stinziano) To regulate chemical tanning and prohibit tanning facilities from allowing the use of sun lamps by certain individuals under 18 years of age. Currently pending in House Health and Aging Committee where it has received three hearings. Prohibits an operator or employee of a tanning facility from allowing an individual under age 18 to use the facility s fluorescent sun lamp tanning services unless the individual presents a prescription issued by a physician; and requires the State Board of Cosmetology to regulate chemical tanning facilities. House Bill 139 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS (Gonzales) To permit certain advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to admit patients to hospitals. Currently pending in House Health and Aging Committee where it has received two hearings. Current law allows only physicians, dentists and podiatrists who are members of the medical staff to admit patients to hospitals. The bill would add clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives and certified nurse practitioners who have a standard care arrangement with a physician or podiatrist who is a member of the medical staff. The bill would also allow physician s assistants, under the supervision, control or direction of a physician or podiatrist who is a member of the medical staff, to admit patients to hospitals. The bill also would require the APRN or PA to notify the collaborating or supervising physician or podiatrist not later than 12 hours after admitting a patient to a hospital. House Bill 147 MASTECTOMY GUIDANCE (Patmon, Wachtmann) To require a surgeon performing a mastectomy, lymph node dissection, or lumpectomy in a hospital to guide the patient and provide referrals in accordance with the standards of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and to name this act the Lizzie B. Byrd Act. Currently pending in the House Health and Aging Committee where it has had two hearings. The bill, in addition to the above would require the surgeon performing a mastectomy or lumpectomy to refer a patient if breast reconstruction is appropriate, and requires the surgeon to offer the patient a preoperative referral to a reconstructive or plastic surgeon in accordance with NAPBC standards. House Bill 159 DENTAL SERVICES (Hacket, Schuring) To prohibit a health insurer from establishing a fee schedule for dental providers for services that are not covered by any contract or participating provider agreement between the health insurer and the dental provider. Currently the bill is pending in the House Insurance

7 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 7 Transdisciplinary Legislative Update (continued from p. 7) Committee where it has had one hearing. Prohibits a contracting entity from requiring a dental provider to provide services to plan enrollees at a fee set by or subject to approval by the contracting entity unless certain circumstances are met; makes setting or requiring the insurer s approval of fees for dental services an unfair and deceptive act in the business of insurance unless certain circumstances are met; and makes the offering of a health benefit plan that sets fees for dental services an unfair and deceptive act in the business of insurance unless certain circumstances apply. House Bill 165 HYPERBARIC TECHNOLOGISTS (Roegner) Exempts certified hyperbaric technologists from the laws governing the practice of respiratory care. Currently pending in the House Health and Aging Committee. Has not been heard. House Bill 170 DRUG OVERDOSES (Johnson, Stinziano) To provide that a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe naloxone, if acting with reasonable care, may prescribe, administer, dispense or furnish naloxone to a person who is, or a person who is in a position to assist a person who is, apparently experiencing or who is likely to experience an opioid-related overdose without being subject to administrative action or criminal prosecution, to provide that a person who is in a position to assist a person who is apparently experiencing or who is likely to experience an opiodrelated overdose is not subject to actions of professional licensing boards, administrative action, or criminal prosecution for a drug offense or practicing medicine without a license if the person acting in good faith, obtains naloxone prescription from a licensed health professional and administers it to a person for an opioid-related overdose, and to provide that peace officers and licensed emergency responders who are acting in good faith are not subject to administrative action or criminal prosecution for a drug offense or practicing medicine without a license for administering naloxone to a person who is apparently experiencing an opioid-related overdose. Currently pending in the House Health and Aging Committee. It has not yet been heard by the committee. Senate Bill 4 NEWBORN SCREENINGS (Manning, Oelslager) To require a pulse oximetry screening for each newborn born in a hospital or freestanding birthing center. Received two hearings in Senate Medicaid, Health and Human Services Committee, reported out of Committee; passed the Senate 33-0; referred to House Health and Aging Committee where it has received 5 hearings. Requires hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to conduct a pulse oximetry screening on each newborn (unless a parent objects on religious grounds) for purposes of detecting critical congenital health defects; requires the Director of Health to adopt rules establishing standards and procedures for the pulse oximetry screenings. Senate Bill 43 CIVIL COMMITMENT (Burke) Makes a number of changes to the laws governing the civil commitment of and treatment provided to mentally ill persons. Currently pending in Senate Criminal Justice Committee. It has received one hearing. Senate Bill 99 CANCER MEDICATIONS (Oelslager, Tavares) Regarding insurance coverage for rarely administered cancer medications. Pending in Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee where it has not received a hearing.

8 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 8 So You Want to Write for Publication? Part 2 of a 2-part series Jeri A. Milstead, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN In the last issue, we offered advice about how to choose a publisher if you are interested in submitting a paper written for a class. In this issue, we offer some tips for writing (or re-writing) your paper to improve your chances of seeing your ideas in print. 1. Is your topic relevant to the audience who reads the journal or newsletter? For example, if you are writing about orthopedic issues, consider a journal read by orthopedic nurses. 2. Can you re-write your paper towards a practice (or administrative or research) audience rather than your academic advisors? A paper about a concept (e.g., anxiety) may have little relevance to readers unless you use scenarios in practice in which you demonstrate symptoms of anxiety and offer tactics to reduce the feeling. Organization theory will be more publishable if the writer offers examples in which administrators can improve the company. 3. Always write a brief introductory paragraph that tells the reader what you are writing about and how you have organized your topic. 4. Use headings throughout your paper to guide the reader and to help you organize your own thoughts. 5. Within each heading write short paragraphs that relate to the heading. Use transitional sentences from one paragraph to the next to help the reader follow your ideas. Dr. Milstead 6. Remember your audience refer to the orthopedic nurse or the collaborating pharmacist or the nurse administrator often throughout your paper. This tactic keeps you tuned to your target audience and the reader can sense a connection with the topic. 7. Finally, draw a conclusion that ties your ideas together at the end. If your introduction laid out the logic of your writing, summarize by repeating or restating items in the overview. After you submit your article, do not expect to see it in print immediately. Publishers of refereed journals send potential articles to experts for blind review (without author identity), employ editors to assure proper grammar, sentence structure, and coherent thought. Months may pass before an article reaches the public. Do not let the time and effort involved to dissuade you from putting your thoughts before your colleagues. Dissemination of ideas and research are critical to the advancement of knowledge. Dr. Milstead is a member of the COHCA Health Policy Committee, on the Board of Trustees at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus and Senior Nurse Consultant and a retired dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Toledo. She is editor and senior writer of Health Policy and Politics: A Nurses s Guide, 4th edition, JBLearning Publishers.

9 PAGE 9 THE AD VOCATE Free Clinic Service: An Opportunity for Pharmacists Too Kelly J. Wright, PharmD Kelly J. Wright, PharmD Dr. Wright is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Cedarville University. She also provides clinical services at the Columbus Neighborhood Health Center. Dr. Wright enjoys working with underserved and culturally diverse populations. She volunteers at a free clinic and has served on many mission trips to Uganda, Kenya, Honduras, and Swaziland. Kofi was living as a refugee in Columbus when he became a patient at a free clinic. He had been a successful computer expert and businessman in Africa, until he became so successful that his country s government took control of his company against his will. When he fought back, his life was threatened and he was forced to leave his family and his home. Kofi suffered from a chronic condition requiring prescription medications. Through the help of the volunteers, including pharmacists, at the Helping Hands Health and Wellness Center, located on Morse Road in Columbus, Ohio, he was given treatment and assistance to get his medications and control his condition. Now he has two jobs, and has been able to bring most of his family to Columbus to be free from an oppressive government. What is the role of a pharmacist volunteer in a free clinic? Free clinics, otherwise known as charitable clinics, fill the gaps in the health care system for thousands of patients in Ohio every year. Sometimes that gap is urgent care, sometimes bridge care, and sometimes it is primary care. Joyce Bourgault, the Executive Director of Helping Hands, says that many of the patients they serve are working and unable to afford insurance. This can eventually lead to unemployment due an inability to work because of uncontrolled medical conditions. Clinics often dispense short supplies of medications to patients and direct them to local pharmacies and federally funded health centers where they can receive continued care. They also assist patients with the application process for medication assistance programs. Clinics usually dispense medications under the supervision of a physician, so nurses or nonmedical volunteers can dispense medications. Physicians and nurses are the staple medical volunteers in these clinics, but the time has come for pharmacists to also step up and take their role in this area of patient care. Every clinic is different, as is the role of its pharmacist. Some clinics do not dispense medication, which allows the pharmacist to take on other roles, such as obtaining medication histories, engaging in medication reconciliation, providing drug information and therapeutic recommendations, and counseling patients. When pharmacists dispense from free clinics they do so as an agent of the prescriber, meaning that the prescriber supervises the dispensing process, signs off on the documentation, and takes official responsibility for the medications dispensed. In other words, free clinics operate as physician practices, subject to Ohio rules and regulations governing such practice sites. Even though a license to practice pharmacy is not legally required to dispense in this setting, a pharmacist is able to counsel patients and catch prescribing errors in addition to assisting with the dispensing process. Bourgault is extremely thankful for her team of invaluable pharmacists and student pharmacists who ensure that each patient has long-term access to medications that they can afford, and realizes that increased communication between the prescriber and the pharmacist is to the benefit of the patients. What s going on in Columbus? Pharmacists serving patients like Kofi across Columbus have been gathering together to form the Central Ohio Free Clinic Pharmacist Volunteers Learning Community. There are currently 21 pharmacists in this grass-roots effort, but the foundation for this community began in 2005 when Christine Murphy joined the Board of Physicians Free Clinic (PFC), now known as Physicians Care Connection (PCC). She became a volunteer pharmacist for PFC in 2006 and invited other pharmacists to join her. Student pharmacists from The Ohio

10 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 10 Free Clinics (continued from page 11) State University College of Pharmacy began volunteering in 2008 and student coordinators continue to manage the student pharmacist scheduling process for PCC. In the spring of 2009, Jerry Cable of OSU College of Pharmacy was one of several faculty coordinators in a course focused on interprofessional collaboration hosted at New Life Methodist Church (NLMC). NLMC was also conducting a health care clinic on Sunday mornings and asked the students and faculty in the course to present ideas for improving the clinic s services. Cable and his four students (Anna Gehres, Brigid Long, Matt Byrdy and Anuj Thirwani) volunteered to assist the clinic with formulary management and scheduling student volunteers to work during the Sunday morning clinic. This service is still growing, and the clinic now uses an efficient inventory management and dispensing process developed by these students. Later that year, Cable and Byrdy visited another local free clinic, the Faith Mission Health Clinic, which serves the homeless population. They began dispensing medication and counseling patients at the clinic every Thursday evening. As more student pharmacists and pharmacists have joined the team at Faith Mission, their roles have become an integral part of the clinic s system. First, they interview the patient and compile a complete medication list for the physician. Student pharmacists then work with the physician throughout the patient s visit to engage in discussion about the patient s diagnosis and treatment. Finally, they dispense medications and counsel the patient. Building once again upon growing experience and success, Cable, new pharmacist volunteers and a core group of student pharmacists reached out to the Helping Hands Health and Wellness Center, where they would eventually treat Kofi. By January 2011, the clinic had a regular schedule of pharmacists and students for the three nights per month they are open, and in January 2012, student pharmacists began performing medication histories/ medication reconciliation before the patient sees the provider in addition to the established dispensing and counseling services. This Central Ohio story is an example of the impact that a few volunteers can have. The movement is still growing, as one of the pharmacists who served at several of the clinics, Dr. Thad Franz, was asked to help develop a new free clinic called Grace in the City, Hardin Clinic. As a result, pharmacists have been a fundamental aspect of the clinic since it opened in the spring of What started with OSU professors and students has now grown into a learning community of pharmacists serving all over the city of Columbus, making an impact on countless patients. The purpose of the learning community is to enable each pharmacist and clinic to provide consistent and effective patient care. The clinics use similar forms and procedures for documentation of medication inventory and dispensing, which standardizes the process for volunteers who work at multiple sites. Most of the communication within the group occurs via and at the clinics, but there are also quarterly meetings where pharmacist volunteers can get to know each other and share successes and struggles from their various clinics. Each of the clinics mentioned above presents with its own set of challenges, so the group works as a team to solve problems and encourage each other. By working together, they present a strong, united presence and encourage the clinics to collaborate as well. This module may serve well for other cities and groups of volunteer health care providers. Why should I volunteer? Everyone has a different reason for volunteering. Some see it as their professional duty to take care of the underserved. Some volunteer because of the positive impact that serving the less fortunate has on the entire community. Others serve as an act of worship or a natural expression of their faith. Dr. Frank Krivanek, a pharmacist at Memorial Hospital of Union County in Marysville, volunteers at Faith Mission because of the satisfaction he gets from helping others and working with students. To see their faces after they counsel their first patient is fantastic, says Krivanek. Student pharmacists are serving for the professional development and experience they receive. For example, graduates earning their Doctor of Pharmacy are eager to use their clinical skills in patient care. Yet, it is becoming increasingly competitive for them to obtain residencies or clinical positions. Volunteers in free clinics usually work closely with the rest of the health care team and are able to have a

11 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 11 Free Clinics (continued from page 12) level of involvement with patient care that can be difficult to achieve in some community or hospital settings. Several of Ohio s pharmacy schools are promoting service learning, so many students are working in these clinics and need experienced, passionate pharmacists there to be models of professionalism. How do I get involved? There are free clinics all across Ohio looking for pharmacist and other medical volunteers. Are you ready to meet the need? A good place to start is the website of the Ohio Association of Free Clinics (OAFC) ( Not all of Ohio s free clinics are members of OAFC, but the association consists of 41 free clinics in 51 counties and may be able to direct you to other clinics in your area. Another way to get involved is by contacting Jerry Cable at cable@pharmacy.ohio-state.edu if you are (1) a pharmacist or student pharmacist who would like to join the Central Ohio Free Clinic Pharmacist Volunteers Learning Community, or (2) anyone who would like to exchange and share information and stories about volunteering experiences and ideas. Dr. Byrdy, one of the original students to work at NLMC, is now a clinical pharmacist at a hospital in Columbus. He reflects on what he has learned during his work in the free clinics. I got to see a pretty good snapshot of a whole city by working at different places; from surrounding rural communities to downtown, I got to see a lot of different walks of life. In pharmacy school you learn based on ideal situations and ideal patients, but people present lots of individual challenges. As a pharmacist our role is to have an open line of communication we are in a great role to make a difference. The time has come for pharmacists to join the physicians, nurses, and other health care providers in professional service. Inter-disciplinary partnerships for a common cause will continue to strengthen the health care system as a whole. SAVE THE DATE: FIRST ANNUAL COHCA MEETING Council for Health Care Advocacy presents its First Annual Meeting When: Saturday, September 14, 2013 Where: The Ohio State University College of Nursing Please mark your calendars and join COHCA for a day filled with legislative updates and successes, CE opportunities, and breakout sessions offering members the opportunity to become more involved in the COHCA organization. We appreciate our members and want to harness your energy and enthusiasm while we move COHCA s agenda further.

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