Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rich Cordray brought his campaign to Springfield and Cincinnati Monday. In Cincinnati he met with Hamilton County health-care professionals largely focused on reducing infant mortality.
"We have an infant-mortality crisis in the state of Ohio where we are one of the worst states in the nation and particularly bad in the African-American community for newborn babies dying at rates far exceeding the national average," he said.
The state is using Medicaid funding in the fight against infant mortality. Cordray supports Ohio's Medicaid expansion. His opponent, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, says it's not sustainable. He says he believes Congress will give states flexibility through block grants and waivers to come up with customized Medicaid programs.
Meanwhile, Cordray also heard about school-based health centers during his campaign stops.
He held roundtables with addiction treatment and child health-care providers. In Cincinnati, he asked about the possibility of scaling up Cincinnati's school-based model statewide.
"Schools as centers for health services and mental-health services and prevention services is important," he said. "I get a sense of people working together because they need to, because they see that they must."
Representatives with Cincinnati Children's told Cordray their clinics are widely successful because communities see the locations as trustworthy.
Meanwhile, DeWine announced Monday he wants a collaboration among Ohio children's hospitals to identify and prevent child abuse in infants.
