Upstream USA

Exciting news out of Mississippi! Despite federal cuts, a new grant to Converge, a Jackson-based nonprofit, will help expand access to reproductive and sexual healthcare across the state. 👏 As Mississippi’s only grantee under Title X, Converge is a critical asset to reproductive healthcare in the state. Converge’s network of Title X family health clinics and other providers in Mississippi treated 17,000 patients and provided 30,000 discrete reproductive and sexual health services to those patients within the last year alone. Converge also operates its own telehealth program, known as Get Personal, which scheduled 2,800 telehealth appointments last year. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gFXN6Dq3 #ContraceptiveCare #HealthEquity #HealthcareInnovation #ReproductiveHealth #HealthcareWin

Patient choice should always be the cornerstone of contraceptive care, and Upstream is committed to training health centers to provide the full range of contraceptive methods in the most accessible, cost-effective, and patient-centered way. A recent UCLA clinical trial found that removing financial barriers to contraception: ✅ Increased the likelihood of buying contraception by 69% ✅ Raised the efficacy of chosen methods by 44% ✅ Raised the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as IUDs and implants, by 217% Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gh_2P9BA #ContraceptiveAccess #HealthcareEquity #ReproductiveHealth #PublicHealth

For millions of low-income people, Medicaid is a major source of coverage for their contraceptive care. KFF just launched a valuable resource that explores the state-by-state impact that recent changes to the program will have on patients' access to contraceptive care and other reproductive healthcare services. Take a look at the link below.

⭐ New Resource: National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association's inaugural 2025 State Policy Trends in Sexual and Reproductive Health Report provides a high-level overview of significant reproductive health legislation that became law in states across the US this year. ⭐ Legislation covered in this report reflects progress made to expand and protect access to sexual and reproductive health, maternal health and gender-affirming care. These laws support patient rights, improve affordability and access, and reinforce provider protections. Thank you NFPRHA for compiling this critical resource, and thank you to all of the healthcare organizations, providers, and advocates working together to protect family planning and reproductive healthcare across the country. View the report ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e4qzivFR

Congratulations are in order! PRB's “State of Access: A Contraceptive Policy Scorecard” has won a Silver Award in the Best Use of Data for Health category at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards! 👏 This interactive tool assesses policy environments in each U.S. state and the District of Columbia, illuminating where access to contraception is protected or restricted through laws affecting affordability, availability, and environment of care. We are very proud that our own State Policy Director, Liz Elwart, served on the review team for the scorecard. Her policy expertise helped ensure the tool offers the rigorous and actionable insights necessary to drive systemic change.  View the State of Access scorecard ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e2USQbvQ #ContraceptiveAccess #HealthEquity #HealthcarePolicy #PublicHealth #AnthemAwards #UpstreamUSA

88% of young people in the U.S. encounter barriers when trying to access essential contraceptive care. Challenges like cost, misinformation, and logistical hurdles often mean delays in receiving care—or foregoing it entirely. In Houston, at the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic, an efficient and effective model for adolescent contraceptive care delivery is being forged. Baylor Teen Health Clinic is navigating a challenging healthcare landscape by finding ways to reach young people, building rapport with parents and guardians, improving systems of care, and ensuring that teens who want and need contraception can access the full range of methods - no matter their age or income. As an Upstream partner, Baylor has been able to grow and improve their delivery of contraceptive care services while simultaneously streamlining their operations. 🌱💡 Read the full insight here: https://lnkd.in/gC4VWQvw #HealthcareEquity #ContraceptiveAccess #PrimaryCare #ReproductiveHealth

Ariel Remenicky, a Senior Practice Transformation Director at Upstream, recently spoke at Delaware Division of Public Health’s fall meeting in Dover, DE. The State of Delaware Family Planning Program has continued their efforts to sustain impressive Pregnancy Intention Screening Question rates, and as Upstream’s very first state partner, we are always encouraged to hear how Delaware has maintained their commitment to expanding access to patient-centered contraceptive care! As our work grows and evolves, we are grateful to all of our partners past, present, and future. Learn more about our FREE contraceptive training program at upstream.org/join-us 

Congratulations to the Community Health Centers that achieved new or upgraded NACHC Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) status in October! 👏 Upstream-trained health centers InclusivCare, Kintegra Health, Manet Community Health Center, Inc., and North End Waterfront Health earned renewed ACE status, highlighting their consistent engagement and commitment to making advocacy an organizational priority. We are grateful for your partnership and the critical work you do every day! NACHC recognizes over 160 health center ACEs nationwide. Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/3D7f9Zd

Upstream partners with healthcare organizations across the country, including in Texas! 🇨🇱 We recently sat down with TAN Healthcare to hear how their partnership with Upstream helped transform contraceptive care at their health centers in multiple counties across the Lone Star State. “We were able to provide basic women’s healthcare and contraceptive care, but this partnership with Upstream has allowed us to go far beyond that…We’re going to touch a lot of lives with the different methods, family planning, education, and everything Upstream has given us so far.” -DJ Adams, TAN Healthcare Watch the full video to hear more: https://lnkd.in/dE9VwRv5 #birthcontrol #contraceptivecare #primarycare

Reasons people say “Thanks Birth Control!”: 🤰 Preventing pregnancy & STIs 🧴 Controlling acne 🩸 Easing period flow and cramps 💊 Treating a medical condition 💕 Having stress-free sex Birth control is health care. Removing barriers to contraception improves health outcomes, reduces inequities, and strengthens communities. Upstream USA is proud to celebrate Thanks Birth Control Day today, and every day! Learn more about Thanks Birth Control Day: https://lnkd.in/e2PYDT6 Learn more about reasons why people use contraception: https://lnkd.in/eE8TVHrA #ThxBirthControl #ThanksBirthControl #Contraception #ContraceptiveCare