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Kasich's Pick For Ohio Health Department Defends Lack Of Medical Degree

Hodge’s a former state lawmaker and the former head of the Ohio Turnpike Commission. Hodges has management experience but he’s not a doctor. Recent directors of that agency have been doctors. But Hodges tells Ohio Senators during his committee hearing that a medical degree is not necessary to do the job.

Hodges “I am an experienced chief executive officer with a highly trained medical team. This new structure allows me to lead the operational complexities of a state agency and direct health and strategic priorities while allowing medical staff to focus their attention on clinical issues.”

Critics of Hodges who didn’t get to testify say he’s not qualified to deal with the complex medical issues that the department is charged with handling, even if he has a well-respected doctor who was recently appointed to a new position there to help him make those decisions.

Jaime Miracle with NARAL Pro Choice Ohio says the health director is the one who has been put in charge of determining whether abortion clinics stay open under a new state law. And she suspects Hodges has been selected because of his anti – abortion ideology to continue the charge to close clinics. NARAL Ohio is fighting those laws in a newly filed lawsuit.