HEALTHCARE

In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should struggle to access basic healthcare.

Sadly, this happens regularly in our state as families find themselves choosing between hospital bills and groceries. Healthcare is a basic human right. Rose Lounsbury supports efforts to scale down Ohio’s aggressive Medicaid estate recovery policy, allowing grieving families the peace of mind to know that—even though they lost a loved one—they will not also lose their homes.

To provide comprehensive care for all Ohioans, we must support our doctors and nurses. We need MORE people in the medical field, not less. Our hospitals have alarming staff shortages due to low morale and overwhelming workloads. Rose Lounsbury will aggressively support efforts to recruit and retain energetic, compassionate professionals in Ohio’s medical field, including legislation that mandates safe staffing levels. Rose will also push for the creation of a task force of doctors and nurses to explore causes and solutions for staffing shortages.

To keep our best and brightest minds at the bedsides of Ohio’s hospitals, we must listen to and respect the expertise of our medical professionals. From COVID safety protocols to reproductive care to gender-affirming care, our politicians have shown us repeatedly that they do NOT care what our medical experts have to say. If this continues, we will continue to see staffing shortages and burnt-out nurses, as medical professionals leave our state or refuse to come here in the first place.

And who pays the price of that? All of us, as we suffer the natural consequences—preventable disease, high maternal and infant mortality, and other poor health outcomes—that result from a state that can’t attract or retain good doctors.

Rose Lounsbury will fight to keep good doctors and nurses in Ohio. They take care of us. We need to take care of them.