Accessmatters

PROTECT, EXPAND & ENHANCE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE & INFO FOR ALL

SUPPORTING A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER NETWORK: ACCESSMATTERS PROVIDES FUNDING AND SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR NETWORK PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION ANCHORS A BROAD NETWORK OF OVER 50 HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, SUPPORTING THEM WITH GRANT FUNDING, QUALITY MANAGEMENT, AND GUIDANCE ON BEST PRACTICES IN CARE AND DELIVERY. IN FY2021, DESPITE A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT PLACED A HEAVY BURDEN ON HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, ACCESSMATTERS' TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM SUPPORTED A NETWORK OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS AND COLLECTIVELY SERVED OVER 67,000 PEOPLE LIVING AT OR NEAR THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL WITH CONFIDENTIAL, HIGH-QUALITY, PATIENT-CENTERED SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES.THESE SERVICES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: AFFORDABLE FDA-APPROVED BIRTH CONTROL, PREGNANCY PLANNING, BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING, TESTING AND TREATMENT FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS), HIV TESTING, AND REFERRALS FOR OTHER CRITICAL SERVICES SUCH AS PRENATAL CARE, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT, AND PRIMARY CARE. ALONG WITH PROVIDING ADOLESCENT HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH THE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING HEALTH CENTERS, ACCESSMATTERS MANAGES A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF HEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES. ACCESSMATTERS ALSO HOSTS THE PHILLY YOUTH POWER (PHLYP) PROJECT, PROVIDING YOUTH IN SYSTEMS OF CARE IN PHILADELPHIA WITH EVIDENCE-BASED AND TRAUMA-INFORMED SEXUALITY EDUCATION. IN FY2021, ACCESSMATTERS' PROGRAMS COLLECTIVELY SERVED OVER 23,900 YOUTH AGED 13-24. ACCESSMATTERS MANAGES THE RYAN WHITE HIV NETWORK IN PHILADELPHIA AND SERVES WOMEN, INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND YOUTH WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV WITH COMPREHENSIVE, FAMILY-CENTERED PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY CARE SUPPORTS; THE PENNSYLVANIA BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER EARLY DETECTION PROGRAM IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGION, REACHING OVER 4,000 UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED PEOPLE IN FY2021 WITH EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT SERVICES; AND THE PENNSYLVANIA PERINATAL PARTNERSHIP, A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PERINATAL AND FAMILY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO PARTNER TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PREGNANT OR POSTPARTUM AND THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND COLLABORATION. ACCESSMATTERS ENGAGES WITH PARTNERS IN FIELDS SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND OTHER HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES: ACCESSMATTERS PROVIDES GUIDANCE, REFERRALS, TESTING, AND CASE MANAGEMENT DIRECTLY TO CLIENTS THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AND ACCESSMATTERS' INFORMATION HOTLINE. IN FY2021, ACCESSMATTERS' PATIENT NAVIGATION PROGRAMS PROVIDED WARM REFERRALS, INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT FOR APPOINTMENTS, AND LINKAGE TO CARE FOR SERVICES RELATED TO FAMILY PLANNING, HIV PREVENTION OR TREATMENT, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING AMONG OTHER SERVICES.ACCESSMATTERS ALSO PROVIDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INFORMATION, AND EDUCATION SERVICES THROUGH ACCESSMATTERS' INFORMATION HOTLINE. THE HOTLINE, WITH BOTH PHONE AND TEXT CAPABILITY, FIELDED OVER 2,600 REQUESTS IN FY2021.REQUESTS INCLUDED ANSWERING QUESTIONS, PROVIDING HEALTH COUNSELING, AND MAKING REFERRALS TO CARE ON ISSUES RANGING FROM STIS TO ADOLESCENT HEALTH TO BIRTH CONTROL AND CONSENT. ACCESSMATTERS' INFORMATION HOTLINE IS STAFFED BY TRAINED COUNSELORS WHO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE, CONFIDENTIAL, AND COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION AND REFERRALS FOR SERVICES. HOTLINE STAFF ALSO PROVIDE OUTREACH SERVICES AT HEALTH FAIRS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON.IN FY2021, BROTHERS UNITED, ACCESSMATTERS' CDC-FUNDED HIV PREVENTION, SCREENING, AND LINKAGE-TO-CARE PROGRAM, SERVED POPULATIONS THAT WERE AT HIGHER RISK FOR HIV AND OFTEN HISTORICALLY OPPRESSED. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE PROGRAM WAS UNABLE TO CONDUCT IN-PERSON TESTING DURING THE MAJORITY OF FY2021 BUT CONTINUED OFFERING HOME-BASED AND TELEPHONE COUNSELING TO ENSURE PEOPLE COULD STILL ACCESS HIV SCREENING SERVICES.

ACCESSMATTERS TRAINS ORGANIZATIONS IN BEST PRACTICES, INVESTIGATES PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES, AND EVALUATES QUALITY OF CARE. ACCESSMATTERS CENTERS HEALTH EQUITY, BREAKS DOWN STIGMA, ENSURES CONFIDENTIALITY, AND WORKS TO NORMALIZE DISCUSSIONS OF SEXUALITY AND THE PROVISION OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES. ACCESSMATTERS SUPPORTS LONG-STANDING, NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED RESEARCH, EVALUATION, TRAINING, AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, PROVIDING TAILORED SOLUTIONS FOR HUNDREDS OF HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS DO THEIR PART TO ELIMINATE SYSTEMIC RACISM AND OTHER OPPRESSIONS, AND WORK IN TRAUMA-INFORMED AND CLIENT-CENTERED WAYS.IN FY2021, ACCESSMATTERS EVALUATED HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' SUCCESS IN IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES AND ASSESSED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS BY TEAM CONDUCTING 11 LITERATURE REVIEWS, NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCANS; AND SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS AND CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS ALONG WITH CONDUCTING PRESENTATIONS. IN FY2021, ACCESSMATTERS PROVIDED MORE THAN 90 VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SKILLS-BUILDING TRAININGS ON TOPICS RELATED TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, CLIENT-CENTERED CARE, HEALTH EQUITY, AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, INCLUDING RACISM. ACCESSMATTERS' TRAININGS WERE DELIVERED TO THOUSANDS OF HEALTH, MEDICINE, AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS AS WELL AS STAFF OF FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, AND NATIONALLY. ACCESSMATTERS RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR ONGOING ADVOCACY TO UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THIS VITAL WORK AND SPEAKS OUT TO SHAPE OPINION AND POLICY ON KEY ISSUES. IN FY2021, ACCESSMATTERS WEIGHED IN ON LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL POLICY, OUTLINING EFFECTIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS AND PROGRAM STRATEGY. ACCESSMATTERS IMPLEMENTED OVER 55 UNIQUE ACTIONS, INCLUDING ENGAGING OVER 21 ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT ACCESSMATTERS' PROGRAMS AND THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE. KEY ISSUES INCLUDED: COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION, HIV/STI PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, EQUITABLE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PREGNANT AND/OR PARENTING, FUNDING FOR SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING THE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM, AND INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE EDUCATION.