Akron Children’s Hospital has a new voice in the Statehouse and on Capitol Hill.
Charlie Solley recently joined Children’s as director of government relations.
Solley, 32, had been doing advocacy work on a contract basis for Children’s and other health-care providers before taking the new role with the pediatric hospital.
He also has held positions with the Ohio Hospital Association and with the Ohio General Assembly.
“As dysfunctional as it can sometimes appear from the inside or the outside, I’m a huge believer in our government and our process,” Solley said. “I find it fascinating.”
In his new role, Solley will focus on representing the hospital’s interest on a state and national level.
Like most pediatric hospitals, Children’s relies heavily on revenues from Medicaid, the state and federal public health insurance program.
“Getting the resources you need to provide health care in a high quality way is vital to us,” he said. “… Financing is going to continue to be a primary challenge.”
Solley earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s of public administration from Ohio University.
He and his wife, Sarah, live in Stow with their two daughters.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.