| Calendar of Events |
9/30- MegaMemo Due
9/30-10/2- MPHA
10/7-8-Enrollment Summit
10/29-30- MFPA face to face meeting Helena |
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Quote of the Week
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.
~John Ruskin |
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New CDC Campaign: HIV Treatment Works | | |
HIV Treatment Works
CDC launched its new information campaign, "HIV Treatment Works." Because this national communication campaign has the goal of encouraging people living with HIV to get in care, start taking HIV medications, remain in care and adhere to treatment, it is completely consistent with the goals of the HIV Care Continuum Initiative.
"HIV Treatment Works" is part of CDC's Act Against AIDS Initiative. Please visit the website to learn more about this campaign, download free informational resources and share information with colleagues and co-workers. |
| Prostate Cancer Awareness Month | | |
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National Campaign Highlights | |
Family, Contraception, and Poverty.
The Sunday edition of The New York Times featured an op-ed from Board President Isabel Sawhill. The piece makes the case that pregnancy planning and prevention are a critical way to address persistent poverty, and that low maintenance methods of birth control (IUD and implants) are a promising way to help women avoid the pregnancies they themselves say they are trying to avoid. Below are some excerpts from the op-ed. Read the piece in its entirety here.
"The old social norm was, 'Don't have a child outside of marriage.' The new norm needs to be, 'Don't have a child until you and your partner are ready to be parents.' Whether or not it was a realistic norm in the past, it is now - precisely because newer forms of contraception make planning a family so much easier."
"Long acting reversible contraception (LARCs) change the default from having to do something difficult (reach for a condom or remember to take a pill every day) to not having to do anything until one is ready to be a parent."
"It is in this context that any efforts, like the Supreme Court's decision in Hobby Lobby to curtail access to the most effective forms of birth control, are misguided. If we could make the most effective forms of birth control available to all women with no co-payment, we would not only have healthier children and lower child poverty rates, we would limit the extent of government assistance people need in the process."
Generation Unbound.
The Times piece is based on Isabel Sawhill's new book, Generation Unbound. The book notes that more than half of all births to young adults in the United States now occur outside of marriage, and many are unplanned. The result is increased poverty and inequality for children. The left argues for more social support for unmarried parents; the right argues for a return to traditional marriage.
In Generation Unbound, Sawhill offers a third approach: change "drifters" into "planners;" to move from a culture that accepts a high number of unplanned pregnancies to a culture in which adults only have children when they are ready to be a parent.
Order the book here. |
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The Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate | |
The Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate
Sarah Kliff
The staff of TeenWise, a Minneapolis-based non-profit, crunched the numbers for its annual report on Minnesota teenagers' sexual health. Their calculations seemed to show something unbelievable: the state's teen birth rate had a double-digit decline between 2009 and 2010. That seemed impossible. Just three years earlier, in 2007, Minnesota's teen birth rate had increased by 1.4 percent; nationally it had increased by 3 percent in 2006. How could the rate then fall so steeply and so quickly?
To read the full article, click here |
2014 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws Released | |
Today, we are excited to share our final State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws. To see how your state rates, go to www.polarisproject.org/2014stateratings.
Then, share it with your friends.
In 2014, 37 states passed new laws to combat human trafficking, hold traffickers accountable, or support survivors.
We've seen tremendous progress over time, and it's remarkable to see how the passage of these laws has accelerated in the past four years. In 2011, eleven states were in the top Tier 1 category for having passed significant laws. Today, 39 states are ranked Tier 1.
However, we have found that most states still lack adequate laws to support and assist those affected by human trafficking and modern slavery. For this reason, Polaris chose to rate states separately based solely on five of Polaris's existing categories that focus on victims' assistance. When doing so, only twelve states achieve a top Tier 1 ranking.
Moving forward, it's clear that this is where we must focus our attention. We'll keep you posted on how you can help us ensure that those most harmed by this crime receive the assistance and protection they need.
In the meantime, I invite you to check out our final State Ratings map, and read the accompanying report, "A Look Back: Building a Human Trafficking Legal Framework."
Together, we are working to make Freedom Happen Now.
Sincerely,
Bradley Myles
CEO
Polaris Read more in the report: "A Look Back: Building a Human Trafficking Legal Framework." |
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Preventive Male Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: Recommendations for Clinical Practice | |
We are pleased to announce the release of a groundbreaking report, "Preventive Male Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: Recommendations for Clinical Practice," by our Male Training Center for Family Planning and Reproductive Health (Male Training Center).
The report aims to guide clinical practice to better serve the sexual and reproductive health needs of male patients. We are thrilled to co-release these recommendations with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. These recommendations truly have the potential to transform the way both primary care and specialty care providers deliver reproductive health care services to adolescent and adult males.
You can download a copy of the recommendations here. You can also read the press releases from AccessMatters and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine announcing the release of the recommendations.
The Male Training Center, previously funded by the Office of Family Planning, Office of Population Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, works to help improve family planning and reproductive health service delivery for males.
Daryn Eikner, MS, Director of Service Improvement at AccessMatters and Arik V. Marcell, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine were instrumental in preparing these recommendations.
We are excited that the years of research and deliberation represented in this publication can now be put to work directly in the field and we stand ready to assist providers in doing so.
We are offering a webinar that outlines the recommendations and steps for implementation. The webinar, on October 3, 2014 from 12 Noon to 1:30pm EDT, will feature Dr. Marcell and other members of the Male Training Center Advisory Board and AccessMatters' staff. You can register for this webinar by visiting: www.maletrainingcenter.org. We hope you will join us for this webinar and share it with your colleagues.
Sincerely,
Melissa Weiler Gerber
President & CEO |
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Why Should Your Agency Care About EHRs? | | |
Electronic Health Records: What Works in Title X Agencies
To remain an integral part of health care for women and men, Title X agencies need to determine how to make the transition to electronic health records (EHRs) and how to use an EHR to demonstrate high-quality care with improved health outcomes. According to our 2013 needs assessment, about a third of Title X sites are using EHR systems, and another third are planning or implementing EHR systems.
Last year, we conducted interviews with Title X agencies that have implemented EHRs and developed a list of lessons learned for preparation, implementation, and change management.
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Lessons Learned
Preparation | |
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- Seek mentoring from other Title X agencies.
- Choose a project leader knowledgeable about technology.
- Thoroughly research vendors and identify a vendor and product that can meet the needs of the agency.
- Be aware of hidden costs such as enhancements, maintenance fees, and creating family-planning specific templates. Understand all potential costs before contracting with the vendor.
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Implementation | |
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- Train staff early with the system.
- Conduct a phased implementation of the system (i.e., pilot at one site, feature by feature, or department by department).
- Block out time for mock clinics prior to going live. One agency blocked out four hours a day for two weeks.
- When using the EHR system to populate reports, ensure that the correct data elements are being pulled from the system.
- Know that everything will take longer than you expect.
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Change Management | |
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- Have an EHR champion. Agencies relied on other Title X clinics for support if they did not have it internally.
- Communicate frequently with all staff.
- Identify messages that resonate. One agency called its EHR implementation its "clinic operations improvement project."
- Expect a "continuum of reactions" from those who feel the technology is disruptive to those who embrace it.
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For more information, view the full version of Electronic Health Records: What Works in Title X Agencies. Also, check out our entire catalog of health information technology (IT) resources, including the three-part webinar series How Do I Adopt an EHR in My Organization? |
| Employment Opportunities | |
Bridgercare Seeking Development Coordinator
The Development Coordinator is chiefly responsible for organizing and implementing Bridgercare's event planning, grant/donor cultivation and maintenance, marketing and advertising, and external communications. The ideal candidate will have experience and skills in non-profit organization, event planning, database management, donor relations, fundraising and written communications. Must be community oriented, personable, ambitious, well-organizing, and supportive of Bridgercare's mission.
Associate's or Bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years's experience in an administrative position, preferably in a not-for-profit development office, are required. Salary DOE. Benefits included.
Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Stephanie McDowell at smcdowell@bridgercare.org or to 300 North Willson Ave, Suite 2001, Bozeman, MT 59715.
Applications will be accepted through September 22, 2014, 5:00pm MST.
AND... Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator
The Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator is responsible for assisting individuals to access affordable health insurance by providing information, application assistance, and follow up. This work will take place at Bridgercare and in the community at public events and venues. The ideal candidate will have experience related to the health insurance industry, medical office billing or public benefits support. Must be community oriented, personable, well-organized and supportive of Bridgercare's mission.
Associate's degree and 1 year of experience, prefer
Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Tracie Weiss at or tweiss@bridgercare.org or Bridgercare, 300 North Willson Ave, Suite 2001, Bozeman, MT 59715.
ably in a not-for-profit agency, are required. This is a one year, grant funded position of 32 hours per week. Wage is $15 per hour. Benefits are included. |
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Montana Outreach and Enrollment Summit | | Montana Outreach and Enrollment Summit
Please join us for the first annual Montana Outreach and Enrollment Summit. The Summit is a hands-on training opportunity for those working on outreach and enrollment with the new Health Insurance Marketplace. Attendees will receive up-to-date training on best practices for outreach, enrollment, health insurance literacy, working with special populations, and more. This training is open to all Montana assisters, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet other assisters in their region and plan together for Open Enrollment 2.
Who should attend:
- Navigators & Certified Application Counselors - anyone who is helping folks with the new Health Insurance Marketplace
- Assisters who have outstanding questions or who want to dig deeper into issues like health insurance literacy, regional coordination of outreach and enrollment events, best practices for doing outreach and enrollment in Indian Country, and much more!
- Assister organizations who want to better coordinate with statewide allies
Registration: $80
Includes lunch and dinner on October 7th and breakfast and lunch of October 8th.
Lodging: A block of rooms at the Holiday Inn has been set aside for the Summit. To reserve a room call (406) 443-2200 and ask for the "Montana Primary Care Association" room block.
Agenda: The Summit will begin at 11am on Tuesday October 7th and end at 3pm on Wednesday October 8th.
Workshops and breakout sessions include:
- Strategies for meeting the increased demand of Open Enrollment 2
- Best practices for doing outreach and enrollment in Indian Country
- In-reach strategies to reach and enroll all eligible patients
- Health Insurance Literacy
- Earned media 101
- Breakout sessions by experience level
Guest presenters include:
- The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
- The Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance
- Billings Area Indian Health Service
- Enroll America
Register Now!
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| Get Covered: Family Planning Webinars | |  Get Covered: Family Planning Webinars
With open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) just nine weeks away, NFPRHA is pleased to invite you to a series of webinars to help make the most of your organization's outreach and enrollment work.
Tuesday, September 30, at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT
Countdown to Open Enrollment: Making the Most of External Events
Reaching out to your local communities is an important part of an outreach and enrollment plan. Join this webinar to hear best practices and tips to making your external outreach a success including materials, tactics, and scripts. Register here.
Thursday, October 16, at 3 .pm. ET/ 2 p.m. CT
Countdown to Open Enrollment: Best Practices for ACA In-reach
Your patient base is the most natural target audience for your enrollment efforts. Learn strategies for identifying possible eligible populations and communication opportunities to deliver messages about ACA enrollment. Register here.
Thursday, October 29, at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT
Countdown to Open Enrollment: Visibility
Learn strategies to create a successful media plan that can amplify your ACA outreach and enrollment program, including best practices for using social media, reaching local reporters, and identifying news opportunities. Register here. |
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Life is Short - Smile! | | |
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