Since an ebola patient traveled to Ohio, we learn Ohio's Department of Health is not lead by a Dr.

[greatlaurel]

He did work in marketing at a small hospital in Wauseon, Ohio for a while, though.

http://www.plunderbund.com/2014/10/16/can-kasichs-unqualified-health-director-save-ohio-from-the-ebola-crisis/
"Ohio law requires that the head of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the agency responsible for managing public health emergencies, be either a “physician holding the degree of doctor of medicine” or an “individual who has had significant experience in the public health profession.” But as we reported in early August, Governor John Kasich recently ousted Medical Doctor Ted Wymyslo as head of the ODH, replacing him with Rick Hodges, a former Republican state rep and lobbyist who is neither a medical doctor nor an expert in public health."

Thank you, Governor John Kasich, for appointing a know nothing GOP political hack to the top medical job in the state of Ohio in violation of state law, to boot.

[notadmblnd]

1. well of course. He/she is a bean counter with an MBA

can't let medicine stand in the way of profits.

[greatlaurel]

4. You got that right!

Who would ever think that you might have a medical issue for the Ohio Department of Health to handle?

I cannot believe Kasich is going to be reelected so easily. The man is an absolute idiot. His contempt for Ohioans is epic.

[Thor_MN]

45. But he did once stay at a Holiday Inn Express...

Business hacks think it is cheaper to pay a few wrongful death suits than do the processes that should be done.

[KittyWampus]

2. ALL politics involves cronyism. But Democrats put qualified cronies in while Republicans

disregard rational considerations and just put anybody anywhere if they give enough money.

Like Brownie.

[marions ghost]

3. Unbelievable

---good that this point is being made in OH.

[Faux pas]

5. Dimwits

oh, but wait, they are smarter, stronger, faster then we mere mortals. Crap on a cracker.

[belzabubba333]

6. i'll bet he does a heck of a job just like "brownie"

[tridim]

7. And enjoys a heck of a 7-figure salary too I bet. nt

[Hekate]

54. That was my immediate thought, too. nt

[BOSNYCDC]

8. No reason to have an MD at the top

In fact (and I've worked in public health for many, many years) I'd much rather have a public health professional (DrPH, PhD) at the helm with a Chief Medical Officer (MD) at the ready to make any clinical decisions.
MDs are not trained in public health, population health, management and policy in the ways a PhD is.

[KamaAina]

9. True, but this mook is neither

and welcome to DU!

[brentspeak]

10. This GOP flunkie is not exactly a Phd, either

The Kasich Administration quickly responded to our concerns over Hodges’ qualifications… by having Hodges alter his LinkedIn profile. Within hours, Hodges’ profile was magically amended to include a marketing position with a small hospital in Wauseon, Ohio. Even with this new-found “experience,” Hodges still failed to meet the requirements set forth in state law for the director of ODH.

[Rozlee]

15. But...but...

he did spend the night at a Holiday Inn.

[CanonRay]

38. Marketing? Really?

That qualifies him...

[greatlaurel]

37. The Ohio Revised Code requires someone with significant public health experience or a physician.

Here is the Ohio Revised Code on qualifications to be the director of health in Ohio:

Ohio Revised Code 121.10:

The director of health shall be either:

(A) A physician holding the degree of doctor of medicine from a medical college approved by the state medical board who, before assuming his duties, has been licensed to practice medicine in the state and who has had experience in pursuing some phase of medical practice;

(B) An individual who has had significant experience in the public health profession.

The current director was knowingly appointed in violation of the Ohio Revised Code and is completely unqualified to hold such an important position. His only link to health care is he against women making decisions about their own bodies and he is a crony of Kasich. He has no public health credentials at all.

[IronLionZion]

48. Agreed, but this person isn't qualified for public health either

these positions should not be staffed by political hacks.

[pnwmom]

50. This political hack is neither an MD nor a public health professional. /t

[jwirr]

11. I am afraid this is too often the situation. Crony appointments are part of the reason so many

organizations are having trouble fulfilling their missions today.

[Warpy]

12. That explains why he's freaking out

Honestly, we need to weed out businessmen and other medically ignorant people from boards of health, hospital administration, and national health appointments.

Republicans always appoint party hacks to the agencies that affect human beings, from FEMA to school committees to health agencies.

There are people out there with degrees in public health. They don't seem to be considered for employment by stupid ass Republicans.

[Chuuku Davis]

13. Don't throw stones too far

I have yet to talk to a physician who thinks Dr. Vivek Murthy should be surgeon general

I know I am against him

[Cryptoad]

20. I have yet to talk to physican,,,,,

that thinks Obama could anybody that they would give their approval.

[JimDandy]

42. What? n/t

[mainer]

14. Holy cow. Not even an MPH.

Unbelievable.

[greatlaurel]

39. John Kasich has no concern for the health or welfare of the citizens of Ohio.

We are only to be used in the furtherance of his goals which are to enrich himself, further enrich his powerful backers like the Wolfe and Lindner families, and to run for POTUS. For some reason this ninny thinks he should be president.

[procon]

16. Remember those "death panels" that Republicans invented?

Well, when money trumps health and safety, it looks like Ohio really has one now by putting a lobbyist in charge of public health. Its like putting an anti-global warming, creationist in charge of the science committee... or the government hating Republicans in control of our government. Crazy.

[DhhD]

46. You're describing the House Science Committee where government hating Republicans are in control.

[Renew Deal]

17. Kakistocracy

[hobbit709]

18. Actually with Republicans you get a kleptocratic kakistocracy.

Or maybe it's a kakistocratic kleptocracy.

[xocet]

22. Would that be the klassic kakistocratic kleptocracy, perchance? n/t

[Cryptoad]

19. May not be a Doc,,,,

but he is helluva "Obama Fighter"

[valerief]

21. Kick!

[calimary]

23. GREAT. But remember - guvmnt BAAAAAAAD! We need to shrink the guvmnt down so we can drown

it in a bathtub!!!

Gummnt BAAAAD!!!! So then, those of us who believe that - NEED to get INTO gummnt so we can PROVE it, by Jove!

[Curmudgeoness]

24. That part "in violation of state law".....

who will be prosecuted for violating the law? This is where I always get confused.

[Louisiana1976]

29. Pity nobody has the presence of mind to demand the impeachment of John Kasich.

[lpbk2713]

25. Seems like nothing ever changes but the changes.

This rampant cronyism is disgusting.

[morningfog]

26. No wonder they are closing schools and putting people on leave. That explains it.

[Ms. Toad]

31. Because the Cleveland Clinic - who put several of its nurses on paid leave

(because they were on the same plane to Ohio with Vinson) is such a medically incompetent institution.

I'll give you that closing the schools was dumb - but that was likely a decision by the local school superintendent - not a bureaucrat at the stat level.

And the folks in Summit County (where she spent most of her time) are competent (and have an MD at the helm).

[Auggie]

27. So glad I moved out of Ohio all those years ago

[LiberalArkie]

28. He did stay at the Holiday Inn Express didn't he? That's all that matters.

[riqster]

30. This is what 1-party rule looks like.

GOTV can fix the problem. Nothing else can.

[greatlaurel]

40. You are right, riqster.

Last edited Thu Oct 16, 2014, 07:20 PM - Edit history (1)

We need to vote out these crooks this November.

[fadedrose]

32. giggle

But I hope he replaces him for the peoples' sake. Shouldn't be too hard to find a Republican doctor, not hard at all.

[greatlaurel]

33. The previous director of ODH was a right wing ideologue, but he did have a medical degree.

[Enthusiast]

34. Kicked and recommended!

The GOP portrays Kasich as a moderate when in fact he is nothing of the kind.

Of course they have him on the short list for VP.

[greatlaurel]

43. Kasich has no real philosphy, IMO, he has just attached himself to right wing nuts to get power.

Having Kasich run on a national ticket would be a godsend for Ohio and the Democratic Party. He would do an absolute meltdown under a national media spotlight and we would get rid of him here in Ohio, because the GOP would have to get rid of him when he becomes a national embarrassment to their party.

Notice how he will not do a debate with his opponent this year. He can not be allowed out in public to be exposed for the fraudster that he is. He must have some sort of pretty severe alcohol or other substance abuse problem. His hair looks really bad and he has aged dramatically facially in just a couple of years. His wealthy owners must keep promising him he will be POTUS, in order to keep being given the tax dollars of Ohioans.

[Enthusiast]

53. I hope your Kasich predictions are accurate.

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[greatlaurel]

55. The Wolfe family has been Kasich's backer since he started in politics.

His district was near where I live so was subjected to all the local media hype about him. He gives me the creeps and I cannot understand how people vote for people like him. I am starting to think that an awful lot of conservatives are drawn to scam artists and sociopaths. It is like they have no instinct for self preservation. It's baffling to me.

Of course, the state rep for my district is Ron Hood, another creepy Republican. The hair on the back of my neck stands up when he is around. He gives off a scam artist/evangelical preacher/sociopath vibe that is unmistakable. Ohioans keep voting for these people who are clearly not interested in anything except enriching themselves. But Ron Hood is a member of ALEC, so he will look out for ordinary people, right?

[Enthusiast]

58. It's baffling to me too.

[albino65]

35. Does anyone wonder why Ohio is so fucked up?

The democratic party can't even put up a viable candidate for governor. Kasich is a forgone conclusion to continue raping the environment and looting the treasury. I hate this state so much, but can't afford to move.

[HereSince1628]

36. That wouldn't preclude there being MDs and other skilled experienced people

in charge of things like their communicable disease investigations

When I worked in public health at the state level, we had MDs that were division heads, we had veterinarians and PhDs that were section heads.

When shit happens the political appointments sat back and worked on legal and political issues (to end fear that a factory is contaminated with some awful pathogen can you tell the community that the 3 factory workers who died in a cluster all had complicating medical conditions, which is how you don't say they were HIV+) while the folks with medical, microbiological, and food inspection experience helped organize and direct investigations usually done by counties, but sometimes done by cities.

[greatlaurel]

56. I have seen this argument a couple of times about Kasich's pick. Not buying it, sorry.

By picking someone who is completely unqualified for the position and in clear violation of state law, it shows complete contempt of, not only the law, but the public's welfare. This man was put into this position, mainly because he is backed by the Ohio Right to Life organization. They are not interested in public health, only their single minded obsession with controlling women's bodies. These people are willing to lie in furthering their agenda. Lies like "abortions cause breast cancer." and "birth control pills cause abortions" and all the other lies they promote are proof that such people have no business in charge of the top public health organization in this state.

[HereSince1628]

57. I didn't make a comment on Kasich. I commented on how a state health dept

is structured, and how deep the level of expertise can be, even with a politician on top. It's my experience that those people make a huge difference in making state level public health work even in the face of politics.

Political appointments can and do push agendas even in public health, I did not mean to imply otherwise.

Not being in Texas I can't, and don't think I did, comment on how much Perry and others might want to dismantle aspects of Texas Public Health. I've seen efforts to cut programs, especially programs for women and infant care and nutrition here in Wisconsin. With ALEC being the central source of boiler plate language I would expect similar things to be happening in both states.

[marble falls]

41. He had all the credentials he needed: he was a friend of the Governor.

[greatlaurel]

44. You are correct.

I really wish this would get some national attention on what is going on in Ohio. Our state government is ruled completely by the GOP and it is highly corrupt. Ohio is a home rule state, so there is no state power to root out the corruption that is rampant. Our only protection is at the ballot box and we have the Secretary of Voter Suppression Jon Husted.

[DhhD]

47. Don't forget corruption is as corrution does long time guest, Rick Perry.

[47of74]

49. Obviously Kasich....

...went to the George W. Bush school of leadership.

[lunasun]

51. Bet he will do a heck of a job Ricky will

[SoapBox]

52. Whoa...no way.

Man, that fucker Kasich really is slime.