June 2019

 

#MifeNow: Expanding medication abortion training

Thanks to all of our amazing supporters, we were able to reach our goal and raised more than $30,000 to support training clinicians to provide medication abortion! We are on our way to training 500 clinicians in medication abortion to increase access to abortion care across the country. In 2019, we have already trained over 100 clinicians, and have more scheduled and in the works. NPR also did a story in May featuring a medication abortion workshop we hosted in Boston. They did a great job highlighting both the need and RHAP’s approach to expanding access to abortion.

We are doing everything in our power to make medication abortion accessible in primary care. Given the recent influx of state and federal restrictions on abortion, medication abortion care is needed now more than ever! Primary care clinicians offer all kinds of services, from getting yearly physicals, treatment for the flu, managing chronic illnesses, to so much more. Offering abortion care in primary care settings means normalizing abortion and allowing patients to receive services without having to walk by protestors.

If you did not get the chance to contribute to our spring appeal campaign to support our training program, you still can! Support abortion care in primary care settings by donating to train one or more clinicians today.

 

#StopTheBans

It has been a tumultuous few weeks for reproductive rights. Nine states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah – now have anti-abortion laws that criminalize clinicians and patients. Several more states have similar bans that are likely to pass in the coming weeks. These cruel and unconstitutional laws are the latest in a wave of extreme abortion measures being proposed all around the country in an attempt to get the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

At the same time, other states, like Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, and Rhode Island are passing legislation to secure abortion access in their states.

No matter where you live, now is the time to take action. Here are some things you can do.

• Send a message to your congressional representative letting them know you support lifting federal bans on abortion
• Sign our petition to make mifepristone (a.k.a. the abortion pill) available by prescription
• Support local abortion funds like the Yellowhammer Fund in Alabama and Access Reproductive Health Care-Southeast that help people find and pay for abortion care.
• Keep your fingers on the pulse by following organizations like Rewire.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, where we share new actions you can support, as they emerge.

Abortion care is basic health care. As new actions emerge, we’ll share them with you. Join us in taking action to make sure it stays that way. #StopTheBans

 

Spotlight on a Donor

Dr. Nishant Shah is a family medicine and public health physician. He has worked in full-spectrum primary care, obstetrics, and abortion care for many years, as well as in behavioral health and addiction medicine. He is also a consultant supporting family planning programs and a trainer for the UCSF Bixby Beyond the Pill program.

Dr. Shah first learned about the Reproductive Health Access Project as a resident when he used our resources throughout his training. He began engaging more with RHAP when he moved to Baltimore. While working as a consultant with UCSF providing contraception training to primary care clinicians, he found RHAP to be a great resource and wanted other primary care clinicians to know the organization, which compelled him to join our Network’s Mid-Atlantic Cluster. Through the Cluster, he has been able to work with medical students and residents in the area and participate in legislative efforts.

“So much of my patients’ lives are enmeshed with sexuality, fertility, pregnancy, parenting, and contraception. In addition, the silos in many medical specialties prevent them from seeing reproductive health as health care. I am also grateful for the conversation and work done to ensure that resources using gender-affirming language are available and that reproductive justice stays at the center of our advocacy.”

Dr. Shah represented RHAP as a guest speaker for a RHAPpy Hour in March held in Washington, DC. Not only did he donate, but he also brought supporters into the room. He shared a compelling story about his experience as a clinician wanting to provide comprehensive care for a patient managing her miscarriage and talked about the increasing need for this important work around the country. It served as a wonderful reminder for the people already supporting RHAP’s work to stay engaged and inspired many new people to support us. If you would like to help organize a RHAPpy Hour in your city, please email us.

Thank you to Nishant Shah, MD for using your voice to shine a light on reproductive health access and for being a strong advocate for RHAP.

If you are a primary care clinician inspired by Nishant’s journey and would like to join our Network, click here.

 

Apply Now for the 2019-2020 Miscarriage Care Initiative!

Applications are now being accepted for our 2019-2020 Miscarriage Care Initiative. The Miscarriage Care Initiative expands access to evidence-based, patient-centered miscarriage care in primary care settings. Our vision is to support family clinicians and clinic administrators to integrate all three forms of miscarriage management – expectant, medication, and manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) management – into their clinical practice.

Grantees will receive intensive support from RHAP to integrate and expand miscarriage treatment in their primary practice. Each applicant organization will identify a “Clinical Champion,” who will be the primary point of contact and lead program implementation at the practice site. Grantees receive supplies and equipment, patient education materials, and technical assistance to address clinical and administrative issues. Grantees who are clinical faculty also receive support to integrate miscarriage management into their residency education program. The grant period typically ranges from 12-18 months.

To apply, the site must be a primary care setting. RHAP will strive to select a diverse cohort of grantees, both in terms of practice setting (community health centers, private practices, academic practices, etc.) and geographic location (regionally and urban vs. rural). The Clinical Champion should be a board certified or board eligible family physician in the United States. The Clinical Champion, or another project leader, should be trained to competency in offering manual vacuum aspiration (MVA).

Please visit our website for a full description of the Miscarriage Care Initiative and to access the application. Please email the Program Manager, Jordan Silverman, at jordan@reproductiveaccess.org if you have any questions. We are accepting applications through July 26, 2019.