DeWine reaffirms COVID-skeptic, anti-abortion lobbyist at Ohio Medical Board

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to reappoint a longtime anti-abortion lobbyist and COVID-19 skeptic to the Ohio Medical Board, a spokesman mentioned Monday.

Michael Gonidakis, 48, an lawyer and president of Ohio Proper to Life, will serve his third five-year time period on the board, which is answerable for licensing and disciplining docs and different well being care suppliers.

“I’m honored that the governor has confidence in me to serve,” he mentioned in an interview. “I consider there is no such thing as a better service than public service, and I encourage everybody to discover a board or fee or a technique to give again to the state of Ohio.”

Abortion rights advocates have criticized the appointment of Gonidakis in prior to now, claiming that his anti-abortion lobbying inevitably conflicts along with his state tasks. Extra lately, the US Supreme Court docket overturning deRoe v. Wade in June allowed a brand new abortion restriction to enter impact in Ohio that offers enforcement authority to the state medical board.

from ohio new abortion legislation, enacted hours after Roe’s loss of life, bans the process beginning about six weeks after a girl’s final interval, with restricted exceptions to avoid wasting the mom’s life. This waiver requires physicians to doc their beliefs in writing concerning a girl’s medical emergency and report it to the Ohio Division of Well being. The Ohio Medical Board can revoke or droop a physician’s license for noncompliance, or order the state lawyer normal to pursue a case with a high-quality of as much as $20,000.

Gonidakis is a part of the medical board as one among three members who “will signify the pursuits of customers,” based on State Regulation. A minimum of two of these members “should not be a member of or related to a well being care supplier or occupation.”

Along with his anti-abortion advocacy, state lobbying data present that Gonidakis has signed on to foyer for a wide range of well being care purchasers earlier than state legislators and the chief department throughout his time on the board.

For instance, he has represented eight medical marijuana corporations: farms of origin, CannaNat Therapeutics, Heaven Processing, North Shore Therapeutics, Ohio Rehome, inexperienced leaf gardens, the pharmacyY Marijuana Coverage Group.

His different healthcare purchasers have included WebMD Well being Company., Complete ache administration, Well being Compliance AssociatesY Biosciences Check.

A spokeswoman for the state medical board declined to reply whether or not Gonidakis is fulfilling the necessities of the board of shopper representatives place, noting solely that the governor appoints board members.

Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman, mentioned the appointment doesn’t create any battle.

“Concerning abortion or marijuana, neither of those have been a service-related problem for Mr. Gonidakis in his first two phrases,” ​​he mentioned. “We’re assured they will not be a difficulty in his third time period both, because the overwhelming majority, if not practically all, of the medical licensing points will not be associated to abortion or medical marijuana.”

He added that the sentiment applies to the industries of different Gonidakis lobbying purchasers as effectively.

Gonidakis mentioned he recuses himself on points associated to abortion and medical marijuana once they come earlier than the Medical Board. He mentioned he believes he’s following the statute, since his purchasers could not qualify as a “well being care supplier.”

covid skeptic

A evaluate of Gonidakis’ feedback on social media about COVID-19 exhibits a sample of skepticism round lockdowns, masks, faculty closures, vaccine efficacy, and vaccination insurance policies.

In February 2021, Gonidakis shared a Fox Information article quoting Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal authorities’s prime infectious illness knowledgeable, warning that indoor eating stays unsafe after vaccination given excessive charges. unfold of COVID-19 at the moment.

“If that is correct (and I do not assume it’s), then there may be completely no motive to get vaccinated… There may be merely no justifiable motive,” he mentioned.

Across the identical time, he shared an article citing a research that urged hydroxychloroquine may assist COVID-19 sufferers. The drug grew in reputation following reward from former President Donald Trump, regardless of a number of, large-scale, double-blind research discovering no profit in treating COVID-19 and a attainable danger to sufferers.

“I’m wondering what number of People needed to die as a result of politicians and the media hated Trump a lot and simply rejected this drug as a result of Trump hyped it up?” he mentioned.

He mentioned in an interview that he’s not an “antivaxxer” and that he and his household are vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19. He identified that the Medical Board doesn’t create coverage, however fairly complies with state legislation. Of his tweets, he mentioned that he doesn’t take again any of his feedback, however famous that they arrive in a private capability and never as a member of the medical board.

“Any Ohioan can get vaccinated and wish to shield their household’s well being, but in addition query among the choices which can be being made by politicians,” he mentioned. “Within the medical board, we authorize and regulate docs. We don’t set a coverage in terms of pandemics.”

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