To require the Director of Health to establish and operate a prenatal group health care pilot program that is based on the centering pregnancy model of care and to make an appropriation.

Section 1.  As used in this section, "federally qualified health center" and "federally qualified health center look-alike" have the same meanings as in section 3701.047 of the Revised Code.

(A) Not later than June 30, 2014, the Director of Health shall establish a prenatal group health care pilot program that is based on the centering pregnancy model of care developed by the Centering Healthcare Institute. The pilot program shall be operated for two years at four federally qualified health centers or federally qualified health center look-alikes selected by the Director in accordance with division (B) of this section. Two participants must be located in a rural area, and two participants must be located in an urban area.

(B) The Director shall develop a process to be used in issuing a request for proposals to federally qualified health centers and federally qualified health center look-alikes in this state, receiving responses to the request, and evaluating the responses on a competitive basis. In the request for proposals, the Director shall specify that a pilot program participant must be able to demonstrate that it can meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Has space to comfortably host centering pregnancy groups consisting of up to twenty pregnant patients;

(2) Has adequate in-kind resources to contribute to the pilot program, including existing medical staff;

(3) Has had, on average, at least one hundred patients give birth annually in the years recently preceding the effective date of this section;

(4) Is able to identify at least one employee who champions the centering pregnancy model of care by gaining support for the model from peers and others;

(5) Is able to implement a centering pregnancy model of care quickly;

(6) Any other requirements established by the Director.

(C) The Director shall convene a committee to assist the Director in evaluating submitted proposals and selecting pilot program participants. At least one member of the committee shall represent the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers.

(D) The pilot program's goals shall include all of the following:

(1) Decreasing the number of infants born preterm (prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy) whose birth weight is less than two thousand five hundred grams;

(2) Increasing the number of pregnant patients who begin prenatal care during their first trimester of pregnancy, consume appropriate amounts of folic acid, stop smoking, and are screened for depression, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes, and poor oral health;

(3) Increasing the number of women who breastfeed their infants.

(E) The Ohio Association of Community Health Centers shall assist the Director with the pilot program's operation. To that end, the Association shall employ a part-time infant mortality program coordinator whose duties include providing technical assistance to pilot program participants, collecting data regarding the program, and monitoring the program's success.

(F) Not later than July 1 of each year beginning in 2015, the Director shall prepare a written report that summarizes the data that has been collected on the program in the preceding twelve months; evaluates the program's achievement toward its goals, including those specified in division (D) of this section; makes recommendations for the program's future, and provides any other information the Director considers appropriate for inclusion in the report. On completion, the report shall be submitted to the Governor and, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, the General Assembly.

Section 2.  All items in this section are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2015 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2016. The appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other appropriations made in fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016.

General Revenue Fund

CENTERING PREGNANCY PILOT PROJECT

The foregoing appropriation item 440XXX, Centering Pregnancy Pilot Project, shall be used to implement the centering pregnancy model of care developed by the Centering Healthcare Institute in a two-year pilot project at four federally qualified health centers in accordance with Section 1 of this act.

Section 3.  Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the form and manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained.