Talking Points

IFF is a nonprofit lender, developer, and real estate consultant with offices in Columbus and Cleveland and is Ohio’s first and only nonprofit real estate consultant focusing exclusively on boosting under-resourced nonprofits.  IFF has provided nearly $70 million in more than 90 loans to Ohio nonprofits helping local changemakers achieve their dreams for their communities. Omar Elhagmusa, senior lender for IFF in Columbus, and Meg Slifcak, Director of Real Estate Solutions based in IFF’s new Cleveland office share how the organization provide a very unique skillset and very much needed services to Ohio's non-profit community. Learn more at www.iff.org/ohio.

On this episode of Talking Points, Angela Snyder of Lesic and Camper Communications has a conversation with Columbus Public Health Assistant Health Commissioner   Edward Johnson about the importance of vaccinations in the community and the city's recent measles outbreak. Edward also offers some historic perspective regarding vaccine policies dating back to the Revolutionary War. 

Last week Walmart announced that through August 18, it will be accepting applications for its tenth annual Open Call event, inviting small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country to apply for the opportunity to pitch their products to be sold on Walmart or Sam's Club shelves or on Walmart.com. Open Call is at the heart of Walmart's 10-year, $350 billion commitment to strengthen U.S. manufacturing by sourcing products that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S. In 2017, Marisa Sergi, CEO of L’uva Bella Winery, located in Lowellville, OH in Mahoning County, was invited to Bentonville to pitch her Red Head Wines to Walmart buyers. Marisa received a golden ticket and was given the green light to sell her products in 20 stores in northeastern Ohio. Since then she has successfully expanded their brands to more than 800 stores across the Midwest and is continuing to grow. 

Angela Snyder of Lesic and Camper Communications has a conversation with  Milu Nguyen, BSN, RN – Franklin County Public Health, Prevention & Wellness, about the Immunization Advocacy Network of Ohio and importance of being an advocate for strong vaccine policies.  

Typically, this podcast is dedicated to sharing information on issues such as education, business, health care, public safety and how they might impact public policy.  On this episode we’re going to change things up a bit and speak with Chris Heiberger to come on and share a little about his hobby - comedy and improvisation. Chris is with The Hashtag Comedy Co., a local improv group that has been performing on stages across central Ohio and has developed a significant following. Chris tells us about the fundamentals of the art and talks about how he and other members of the troupe are  sharing their passion for making people laugh by offering classes for youth, adults and seniors.

Kaitlin Finan, an Honors and AP Government teacher at Ohio Connections Academy describes her volunteer work for the Pickles Group, a national cancer support organization that works to provide peer-to-peer support and other services to children and teens with a parent or caretaker who is battling cancer. Kaitlin is currently putting her expertise as a teacher in the virtual classroom to work in translating the Pickles Group program for a digital environment. Kaitlin and Pickles Group Executive Director Cassy Horton talk about the program and the work they are doing to connect with more children remotely. The virtual program was launched last September and will soon be starting its third cohort. So far, the virtual program is connecting with kids in 16 different states in four different time zones.

For older Ohioans, and children and adults with disabilities, receiving health care at home is less costly and more effective than institutional care. But Ohio’s Medicaid reimbursement rates fall significantly short of covering the costs of home care. The rates today are essentially the same as they were in the year 2000. 

As a result, home health agencies can’t afford to remain open, hire workers or accept Medicaid patients, and new Medicaid providers aren’t in the wings. Thousands of Ohioans are on waiting lists for home care services because there are not enough providers. As Ohio's population is aging fast, this issue will not go away. We must think ahead to plan for their long-term care and ensure we have a workforce to care for the influx of aging patients.

Lisa Von Lehmden Zidek, Board Chair of the Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice, and Joe Russell, OCHCH Executive Director, are all too aware of Ohio’s Medicaid home care crisis. They say the problem can be addressed in the State’s biennial budget and that Ohio should value the health and safety of its most vulnerable residents in a way that’s on par with Medicare and private pay. 

Last week was National School Counseling Week to focus on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. School counselors lead, advocate and collaborate on efforts that promote equity for all students and create a culture of success for all. Schools, especially through the pandemic, have focused a significant amount of attention on the social/emotional well-being of students and how it impacts their overall academic success. Great River Connections Academy Manager of Counseling Services Alana Pustay shares with us more about her role as a school counselor, the social/emotional needs of students and how those needs are met in a virtual classroom environment.

Parents, students, educators, and education stakeholders across the country recently celebrated National School Choice Week. While the term is self-explanatory, School Choice is the process of affording parents and caregivers the opportunity to choose the K-12 academic environment that best meets their child’s needs.  At Lesic and Camper, we have the privilege to work with five Connections Academy schools in Ohio, Minnesota, and Missouri. Connections Academy is a tuition-free, online public school for students in grades K–12. We invited Marie Hanna, Superintendent of Ohio Connections Academy, Anne Wasmund, Principal of Falcon View Connections Academy in Minnesota and Lynsie Hunt, School Leader at Missouri Connections Academy to have a brief conversation about school choice and what that represents in their respective states. 

Jeff Stone, Walmart Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs and Community Relations talks about how the retailer has intensified its efforts to "Spark Good" in the communities it serves through store transformations and the relationships with local charitable organizations.