New domestic violence health care standards proposed under recent Ohio bill

Ohio could soon require health care facilities to enact new standards for professionals treating patients who they believe are facing intimate partner violence.

Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) introduced House Bill 566 , what they call the Break the Silence Act, on Tuesday.

HB 566 creates new mandatory standards of care in an instance of likely domestic violence. Among them, practitioners would have to conduct private interviews—with both the patient and then with any family or household member with them—and document possible abuse-related injuries to add to the patient’s medical records.

Breaunna Nooks, a survivor of intimate partner violence, said Thursday when she would go to a doctor’s office, her abuser would tag along.

“He was always th