Project AbstractThe Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Office of Public Health (OPH) coordinates a statewide network of reproductive health clinics and services that has assured affordable access to family planning and related preventive service for tens of thousands of individuals, couples, and families across Louisiana. As the state?s public health entity entrusted with and accountable for protecting and elevating the health of all residents within the state, LDH OPH is uniquely positioned to ensure that innovative, high quality services are available to help men and women access needed services to plan their families and ensure that these services are part of a larger service system to promote the health of individuals and families. The OPH Bureau of Family Health (BFH) leads statewide efforts addressing some of the most pressing health and social issues facing women, children, youth, and their families. The BFH Reproductive Health Program (RHP), nested within the home for family health services within LDH, is ideally situated to mobilize strategic partnerships for Title X services within a larger framework of health promotion programs and support services for families, couples, and individuals. The State of Louisiana consistently ranks last in the nation when it comes to health, income, education, and other measures that influence the opportunity for residents to live a long and healthy life. The high rates of unintended and teen pregnancy, poor birth outcomes, and high prevalence of STDs reflect a need for better access to quality, comprehensive primary and reproductive health care. In particular, improved access to screening, counseling, treatment, care, and prevention services, and increased community outreach and education are desperately needed to educate the community about the importance of preconception care, women?s preventive health services, and STD prevention.The RHP remains the most qualified and the only entity in the projec
t area capable of making rapid and effective use of federal funds to provide Title X services to all individuals in Louisiana through a network of long-standing OPH Parish Health Units and sub-recipient primary care clinics, selected to best meet the needs of the community and support increased access to comprehensive primary care services. RHP proposes a three-part strategy to achieve the goal of increasing the number of individuals, couples, and families with access to resources to help them plan, postpone, achieve, prevent, or space their pregnancies. Strategy 1: Deliver high-quality, comprehensive reproductive health services in Louisiana?s network of Title X clinics in a new clinical footprint model that focuses on client access, clinic productivity, and strengthened referrals. Strategy 2: Expand and sustain access to high quality reproductive health care in the state:2a. Integrate Title X caliber services into select primary care settings, leveraging Medicaid expansion to cultivate a broader network of clinics.2b. Conduct capacity-building activities with organizations statewide to further the goals of the Title X program.Strategy 3: Engage and involve communities around reproductive health as a part of overall health, by continuing to foster relationships with community members, community and faith-based organizations, and coalitions statewide.RHP is seeking the full award of $4,600,000 to fund its vision for Title X in Louisiana. This proposal will illustrate the necessary organizational capacity, infrastructure, clinical expertise, broad community support and engagement, leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to the goals of the Title X program and, if funded, the RHP will work indefatigably to reach those most in need throughout the state by delivering high-quality services, increasing access through service integration and provider training, and cultivating statewide partnerships.54368