Planned Parenthood Of Northern New England

TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES FOR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWESTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND'S NEW HAMPSHIRE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND'S NEW HAMPSHIRE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM

FY11 PPNNE FOA

TELEHEALTH ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION FOR NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND - PPNNE IS A LONG-TIME RECIPIENT OF TITLE X FUNDING IN ALL THREE STATES. SUBRECIPIENTS TO THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (VDH) IN VERMONT AND MAINE FAMILY PLANNING (MFP) IN MAINE. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, PREVIOUSLY AS A SUBRECIPIENT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (NH DHHS), THEN A TITLE X GRANTEE FROM 2012 UNTIL OUR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PROGRAM IN 2019. VDH, MFP AND PPNNE HAVE APPLIED TO REJOIN THE TITLE X PROGRAM IN APRIL 2022 AS TITLE X GRANTEES IN VERMONT, MAINE, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE RESPECTIVELY. PPNNE HAS RESPONDED TO THE CHALLENGES OF OPERATING DURING A PANDEMIC AND THE LOSS FEDERAL AND STATE FROM TITLE X PROGRAM WITHDRAWAL BY EVALUATING AND DEVELOPING NEW WAYS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS. TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN CRUCIAL IN PROVIDING CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC. AS THIS APPLICATION ILLUSTRATES, WE BELIEVE THERE IS A GROWING DEMAND FOR REMOTE CARE IN THE LARGELY RURAL COMMUNITIES WE SERVE ACROSS NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND ARE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING OUR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE TELEHEALTH SERVICES. WE APPLY FOR A OASH / OPA TITLE X TELEHEALTH GRANT TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR PATIENTS AND CLINICIANS, AS WE DEEPEN AND BROADEN OUR TELEHEALTH SERVICES. WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS THE SAME WAY WE PROVIDE IN-PERSON SERVICES – BY MAKING VISITS EASY, EQUITABLE AND PATIENT-CENTERED. PPNNE’S NETWORK OF TWENTY-ONE HEALTH CENTERS SERVE THE STATE OF VERMONT, SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWESTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND SOUTHWESTERN MAINE. OUR HEALTH CENTERS ARE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN COMMUNITIES OF NEED AND ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT. HOWEVER, A ROBUST TELEHEALTH PROGRAM WILL ALLOW PPNNE TO EXPAND THE PROVISION OF SERVICES BEYOND OUR BRICKS AND MORTAR HEALTH CENTERS TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE LARGELY RURAL STATES WE SERVE. 61% OF THE POPULATIONS OF MAINE AND VERMONT LIVING IN RURAL AREAS, AND 40% OF THE POPULATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. RURAL POPULATIONS ACROSS NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND HAVE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DISPARITIES. THEY OFTEN HAVE HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DISEASE AND/OR DISABILITY, INCREASED MORTALITY RATES, LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCIES, AND HIGHER RATES OF PAIN AND SUFFERING. RISK FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE HEALTH OF RURAL COMMUNITIES INCLUDE GEOGRAPHIC ISOLATION, LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, HIGHER RATES OF UNINSURED, HIGHER RATES OF HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS, HEALTH CARE WORKER SHORTAGES, LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS AND SUBSPECIALISTS, LIMITED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND LACK OF ACCESS TO RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. PPNNE IS REQUESTING $700,000 TO BUILD THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY, SAME-DAY FAMILY PLANNING TELEHEALTH SERVICES, INCREASING ACCESS TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND IMPROVING HEALTH EQUITY IN VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND MAINE. WE WOULD DO THIS BY: 1) IMPLEMENTING A ROBUST, SECURE, AND INTEGRATED TELEHEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY PLATFORM AT PPNNE; 2) OPTIMIZING STAFF CAPACITY FOR SAME-DAY TELEHEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY; AND 3) PROMOTING OUR TELEHEALTH SERVICES TO EXISTING AND NEW PATIENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THROUGH PARTNERS ORGANIZATIONS. TELEHEALTH SERVICES PROVIDE SEVERAL BENEFITS TO PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY LOWER-INCOME PATIENTS LIVING IN RURAL AREAS. TELEHEALTH REDUCES THE TRANSPORTATION BURDEN OF A VISIT, INCREASING CONVENIENCE. TELEHEALTH ALSO INCREASES ACCESS TO SPECIALTY SERVICES, POTENTIALLY NOT AVAILABLE IN PROXIMITY OF THE PATIENT. REMOTE CARE CAN ALSO INCREASE PRIVACY IN SOME CASES. AND FROM THE PROVIDER PERSPECTIVE, TELEHEALTH CAN HELP ADDRESS STAFFING LIMITATIONS. STUDIES IDENTIFY TELEHEALTH USE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS VARY ACROSS RACE AND ETHNICITIES. PPNNE’S TELEHEALTH PROGRAM WILL STRIVE TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT EQUITY BARRIERS TO TELEHEALTH SERVICES – SUCH AS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, DISTRUST AND IMPLICIT BIAS, LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND PRIVACY – DURING THE EXECUTION OF THIS GRANT AND BEYOND.

FUNDING TO ADDRESS DIRE NEED FOR FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE - THERE IS CURRENTLY A SEVERE LACK OF PUBLICLY FUNDED FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE (NH). NO FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING HAS REACHED 15,000 GRANITE STATERS SINCE JUNE 30, 2021. PEOPLE WHO ALREADY FACE THE GREATEST BARRIERS TO CARE, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME AND UNINSURED PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, LGBTQ PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE JEOPARDIZED. PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND (PPNNE) REQUESTS $500,000 UNDER THE FUNDING TO ADDRESS DIRE NEEDS FOR FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (PA-FPH-22-003) TO EXPAND ACCESS AND RETURN TO PRE-COVID SERVICE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE PROVISION LEVELS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWESTERN REGION OF THE STATE OVER THE 15-MONTH PROJECT PERIOD. PPNNE WAS A TITLE X GRANTEE FROM 2012 UNTIL OUR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PROGRAM IN 2019. ON JULY 15, 2019, PPNNE GAVE OUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION PURSUANT TO 45 C.F.R. § 75.372(A)(4). WE WERE COMPELLED BY THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES’ (“THE DEPARTMENT’S”) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2019 FINAL RULE ENTITLED COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY PROGRAM INTEGRITY REQUIREMENTS TO TERMINATE OUR TITLE X AWARD. PPNNE AND 6 OTHER RECIPIENTS OF TITLE X FUNDING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE (7 OUT OF 10) HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO EXIT THE PROGRAM DUE TO THE NEW RULE, LEAVING OVER 16,000 PATIENTS WITHOUT ACCESS TO FEDERALLY FUNDED FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE ALLOCATE STATE FUNDING TO REPLACE THE TITLE X FUNDS FOR A TWO-YEAR PERIOD, THROUGH JUNE 2021. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CURRENT LEGISLATURE, ELECTED IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, DID NOT EXTEND THIS TITLE X REPLACEMENT FUNDING. INSTEAD, THEY ACTIVELY WORKED TO DISMANTLE THE NH FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM BY DRASTICALLY CUTTING THE OVERALL PROGRAM BUDGET AND REJECTING THE PARTICIPATION OF THREE MAJOR FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE PROVIDERS. THE FINAL FY21 BUDGET SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR SUNUNU, REQUIRED NH DHHS TO COMPLETE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AUDITS OF ALL NEW HAMPSHIRE FAMILY PLANNING PROVIDERS TO CONFIRM THAT STATE FAMILY PLANNING FUNDS AREN’T USED FOR ABORTION CARE. STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS ARE ALREADY PROHIBITED FROM GOING TOWARD ABORTION CARE. THESE NEW AUDIT REQUIREMENTS WERE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, OVERREACHING, AND UNNECESSARY. PPNNE COMPLIED WITH ALL REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION, WHICH TOOK PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL OF 2021 FOR THE JULY 1 CONTRACTS THAT WERE BEING VOTED ON. AFTER COMPLETING THE AUDIT, THE NH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES STATED UNEQUIVOCALLY, MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THE FINANCIAL REVIEW, CLEARLY SHOWED THAT NO FAMILY PLANNING FUNDS HAD BEEN USED FOR ABORTION CARE. REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL ASSURANCES, ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2021, NEW HAMPSHIRE’S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL VOTED 4-1 TO REJECT CONTRACTS FOR PPNNE AND TWO OTHER FAMILY PLANNING PROVIDERS WHO PROVIDE ABORTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE X STATUTES AND REGULATIONS. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL’S VOTE JEOPARDIZES ESSENTIAL SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ALREADY FACE THE GREATEST BARRIERS TO CARE, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, LGBTQ PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. THIS COMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS FOR OVER A CENTURY, AS CURRENTLY NEW HAMPSHIRE IS EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST AVERAGE DAILY CASES PER CAPITA RATES OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS IN THE COUNTRY. THE THREE PROVIDERS DEFUNDED BY NH SERVE 80% OF NH’S TITLE X PATIENTS (12,000 PATIENTS IN 2020). IN 2020, PPNNE SERVED 84% OF THE 12,000 PATIENTS (10,872 PATIENTS). OF NOTE, WHILE FINALIZING THIS GRANT APPLICATION FOR SUBMISSION, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE STATE OF NH THAT A FAMILY PLANNING CONTRACT FOR PPNNE FOR OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WILL AGAIN GO BEFORE THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON 22 DECEMBER 2021. THE CONTRACT BEING OFFERED IS FOR A MERE 5% OF PPNNE’S ANNUAL PUBLIC FUNDING IN NH. WE BELIEVE THIS CONTRACT WILL ALSO BE REJECTED.

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