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Senate President Keith Faber
Legislation
Announced on Commission on Infant Mortality Recommendations
Addressing Ohio's infant mortality crisis is a top priority for Senate
President Keith Faber
COLUMBUS—State Senator Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) and Senator
Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) today introduced legislation to
implement many of the recommendations proposed in the Commission on
Infant Mortality’s March 2016 Report.
In 2014, Ohio’s overall infant mortality rate was 6.8 deaths per 1,000
live births. This puts Ohio at 45th in the nation for its overall
infant mortality rate—and the rate among African American babies is
even worse. White babies have an infant mortality rate of 5.3 deaths
per 1000 live births, while for African American babies the infant
mortality rate is a staggering 14.3 deaths per 1000 live births.
“African American babies are dying at a 2½ times greater rate than
white babies. This disparity is shocking and completely unacceptable,”
said Jones. “This gross inequity demands the continued attention of the
members of the 131st General Assembly, challenging our processes and
systems, and this bill is a step in the right direction.”
After conducting a series of traveling Senate hearings in 2013, Jones
and Tavares sponsored legislation in the 130th General Assembly
creating the Ohio Commission on Infant Mortality and directed it to
create an inventory of state interventions and prepare recommendations
for the Governor and General Assembly. Senate Bill 332 reflects the
recommendations of six months of the Commission’s public hearings,
expert testimony and discussion.
"This is an issue that’s very personal to me and so many other Ohioans
who’ve been impacted by it,” said Senate President Keith Faber
(R-Celina) who helped establish the Commission on Infant Mortality.
"Infant mortality is a devastating but preventable health crisis, and
we owe it to Ohio’s families to make this issue a priority. I commend
Senator Jones for the tireless work she’s doing to enact the
commission’s recommendations, and I ask the entire medical and human
services community to come together and help us get this done."
Provisions of the bill focus on four key areas: improvements in the
collection and sharing of data, building on proven interventions,
health system improvements and addressing the social determinants of
health.
Jones and Tavares are scheduled to give sponsor testimony on SB 332
this Wednesday in the Senate Health and Human Service Committee.
For the full report with recommendations, testimony and presentations
from Commission meetings, and the data inventory, please visit
http://cim.legislature.ohio.gov.
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