“If she were a normal patient…” Physicians use the words “normal” and “abnormal” to differentiate lab values and physical exam findings. But on this evening in particular, in our student-run free clinic in Pennsylvania, our patient had no apparent anomalies. When the physician implied she was abnormal, he wasn’t referring to her health. He was…
Family physicians aim to be “patient-centered.” It’s not always clear, however, what that means. It doesn’t mean that we give antibiotics to anyone with a cold who wants them. It doesn’t mean we prescribe narcotics for anyone who requests them. We practice medicine responsibly while paying attention to our patients’ concerns. Being patient-centered is more…
Last night Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health hosted their annual Rashbaum-Tiller Abortion Provider Awards. The Reproductive Health Access Project came out in full force to celebrate. Can you blame us for being so excited? Linda Prine our Medical Director and one of our organization’s founders, received the William K. Rashbaum, MD Abortion Provider Award…
Every month, the Reproductive Health Access Project writes and sends the Contraceptive Pearls, an evidence-based e-publication containing clinically up-to-date contraceptive information, to thousands of clinicians across the country. These monthly emails cover a wide range of clinical topics such as Non-Prescription Birth Control Methods, IUDs for Teens, and Fertility Following IUD Use. (Access the full…
In August of 2011, I accepted the unique position as a Women’s Health Advocate at a community health center in New York City. So, what does this Women’s Health Advocate job entail? Let me explain. I work with women who need reproductive health care as a doula. Wikipedia defines doula as, “a provider of non-medical…
April is always a busy month for us: We launch our annual survey of family medicine residents trained in abortion care, mail out our spring newsletter, and host national gatherings of our Reproductive Health Access Network. We close the month by attending two key national conferences–back to back. One is a primary care conference, the…
This past weekend, the Reproductive Health Access Project hit the road and journeyed to beautiful Amherst, Massachusetts for the 2012 Civil Liberties and Pubic Policy (CLPP) conference. Hosted by Hampshire College and Pop Dev, CLPP is a gathering of students and advocates from across the U.S. who come together to “build the movement for reproductive…
This week, RHAP presented for the Community HealthCorps Program, a national AmeriCorps group of 18 individuals engaged in a variety of projects to promote access to health care and health information in medically under-served communities all around New York State. This particular group of HealthCorps members is comprised of recent undergrads, many of whom intend…
This week was college outreach week. We had an amazing time talking and listening to the young people we met. On Tuesday RHAP’s Executive Director Lisa Maldonado was a guest lecturer in Barnard College’s “Intro to Women and Health” class. Her presentation focused on the gaps in reproductive health care in the U.S. She then…
This week I saw my third patient with an unintended pregnancy as a result of New York State’s new Medicaid formularies. New York State recently gave over its widespread coverage of medications for Medicaid recipients to the managed care Medicaid plans, allowing their more restrictive formularies to decide which medications are covered, which aren’t, and…