Project ACCESS (Abortion Care Clinical Expansion and Early Pregnancy Loss Support Support Series) is a collaboration between RHAP and the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) to expand access to comprehensive and high-quality sexual and reproductive health, including medication abortion and EPL care in primary care settings. We currently have two opportunities for sites to work with us: the National Virtual Learning Collaborative and the New York State Medication Abortion and Early Pregnancy Loss Workgroup.

Project ACCESS is launching a national Virtual Learning Collaborative (VLC) to offer participating primary care organizations intensive and robust technical assistance and training. By the end of the VLC, we aim for participating sites to be able to provide medication management of EPL and medication abortion care, and/or be prepared to work through the next steps for changing practice. VLC participants will comprise of teams of champions at primary care sites who will meet monthly over Zoom for one year, with facilitators and colleagues across the country. Together, participants will identify shared needs and goals, develop workplans, track progress, and discuss strategies to overcome common barriers. Participating health centers will receive a stipend of $9,000.

Through this project, 10 organizations will receive technical support and coaching from experts within the RHAP and PCDC community on integrating EPL and medication abortion care into practice. Broadly, this support includes: building buy-in for abortion care among leadership and staff, setting up appropriate clinical, financial, and administrative systems, developing policies and procedures, ensuring appropriate coding and billing, training staff in clinical and counseling topics, identifying community supports and resources (i.e. malpractice, accounting, billing, legal, etc), networking with a like minded community, and more. Sites will also receive a $9,000 award to use toward efforts to integrate medication abortion into practice. Through the Project ACCESS VLC, you will be able to provide medication abortion and/or be prepared to work through the next steps in the process.

To be part of the Project ACCESS VLC cohort, sites must commit to:

• Participate in the project for 12 months and support efforts to integrate medication abortion care in their clinical practice.

• Have 1-2 representatives at each monthly VLC session (60-90 minutes long). Sites can have larger teams of individuals championing this effort onsite, though we ask only 1-2 representatives attend sessions. 

• Participate in an email listserv or Slack messaging group with cohort participants to share resources, support, and best practices. 

• Submit a brief financial report to RHAP one year after the end of the program (due June 2025) to demonstrate how the $9,000 award was used toward efforts to integrate medication abortion into practice.

• Engage in evaluation activities (several surveys and interviews).

• Have a director-level staff member sign the Project Award Agreement, if selected to participate. 

We welcome Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and other community-based primary care providers in states where abortion access is likely to be secure to apply. RHAP and PCDC will prioritize FQHCs and other community health centers and providers that receive public funding and serve majority Medicaid and underserved communities.  

Applications for the Project ACCESS VLC are currently open and due March 27th at 9AM ET. If you would like to apply, or if you would like more information, please contact program@reproductiveaccess.org.

New York State Medication Abortion and Early Pregnancy Loss Workgroup

Are you a primary care provider or administrator in New York State who is interested in implementing medication abortion or early pregnancy loss care into your practice, but you aren’t sure where to start? Have you tried in the past but faced barriers that seemed too difficult to overcome without more support?

The Project ACCESS New York State Medication Abortion Workgroup is bringing together FQHCs and other community based providers to discuss the challenges faced when trying to implement this care into practice. Together, we will develop strategies to influence structural, administrative, and policy changes that aim to reduce the barriers health centers face when implementing MAB and/or EPL care. 

We believe that you are best equipped to inform the advocacy efforts that will impact your health centers and your patients. Participating sites will receive a $5,000 stipend to allow staff time to participate in the workgroup, or to support implementation efforts at your health center. 

The Project ACCESS Workgroup includes:

• A Kick-off Meeting – to set the stage for the year-long work of the group. The meeting will provide an overview of the abortion landscape in New York State and the development of shared goals for the project.
• Workgroup Meetings – will occur monthly over Zoom for 60-90 minutes for 12 months.  The sessions will focus on the clinical, regulatory, legal, and fiscal components needed to integrate MAB and EPL into primary care, and will offer:
  • Short didactic presentations by content experts
  • Facilitated discussion of the barriers and challenges primary health care organizations face in implementing MAB and EPL, and strategies to address these barriers
  • Opportunities to meet with colleagues, strategic partners, allies, and stakeholders in New York to discuss barriers and share potential solutions
• One-on-One Training/Technical Assistance and Communication – for sites requesting additional support and training.
• The Identification of Action Steps – observations and highlights discussed during MAB/EPL Workgroup meetings will provide a forum for primary care organizations to identify structural, administrative, and regulatory barriers that require NYS government knowledge and involvement to address.

Who Can Participate?

FQHCs and other community-based primary care providers in New York State who:

• Are interested in finding out more about how to integrate MAB and EPL into primary care.
• Are interested and/or experienced in implementing MAB/EPL in primary care.
• Want to contribute to the identification of strategies and advocacy efforts needed to increase access to MAB and EPL in primary care settings in New York State

To be part of the Project ACCESS NYS Workgroup, sites must commit to:

• Participate in the project for 12 months
• Have  1-2 champions attend each monthly virtual session (60-90 minutes). Sites can have larger teams of individuals interested, though we ask only 1-2 representatives attend each session.
• Participate in an email listserv or Slack messaging group with cohort participants to share resources, questions, support, and best practices.
• Submit a brief financial report to RHAP to demonstrate how the $5,000 award was used.
• Engage in evaluation activities (several surveys and interviews)
• Have a director-level staff member sign the Project Award Agreement, if selected to participate.

We will host an information session on March 22nd at 1:00 EST. Please register here. Applications will be available after the session. If you are unable to make this session, please contact Rory Tito at rory@reproductiveaccess.org for more information and/or to view the recording.

Other Opportunities

If you are not ready to participate in either the Project ACCESS VLC or Workgroup but are still interested in integrating medication abortion into your health center, reach out to program@reproductiveaccess.org to discuss options and opportunities.