House bill 236 has been introduced to the Ohio House of Representatives. The following explain this significant bill for Ohioans medical freedom as reported by Ohioans for Medical Freedom:
“Over the last three years we have gained a heightened awareness of the need for legislation that protects the right of a patient to have access to a loved one or an advocate to act on behalf of their best interest while in a hospital or inpatient care facility. Staffing shortages and severe inpatient facility visitation protocols left thousands of Ohioans without the attention they desperately needed and even worse, many saw the end of their life in a cold empty room without a familiar voice or hand to hold.
OAMF believes that NO Ohioan should have to face hospitalization or death alone, and so we have partnered with Representative Melanie Miller, and Representative Beth Lear, to bring Ohioans “The Never Alone Act” (HB 236)
HB 236 will finally ensure that every inpatient Ohioan will be allowed access to someone who can advocate for their health needs and be the hand they hold when they take their final breath.
HB 236 does the following:
Every Ohio patient or resident in a congregate facility will have the right to have an advocate both on-site and available via telecommunication when they are off-site, regardless of any declared health emergency, rule, or order.
A provision is included to secure the facility’s ability to temporarily restrict presence of a patient advocate during surgeries and procedures where a sterile environment is required for patient safety.
A provision is included to secure the facility’s ability to set a personal protective equipment protocol for patient advocate visitors when isolation precautions are in affect due to highly infectious illness.
A provision is included to allow for a patient advocate to quarantine with a patient during an all-staff facility quarantine and offers liability protection against a patient taking action against the facility should the patient advocate contract the illness during quarantine with the patient. (Negligence and malpractice still applies to patient treatment.)” Learn what the
5 specific provisions are in this vital bill
here.
