Several federal
grants awarded under a recent Title
X funding opportunity illustrate the current administration's determination
to ensure that faith-based and pro-life clinics, hospitals, pregnancy centers
and sexual risk avoidance programs get a fair and legal chance to compete for
federal funding.
 |
| Drs. David and Janet Kim direct a faith-based health clinic recently awarded a $2-million Title X family planning grant. |
The Beacon Christian Community Health Center, directed by Christian Medical Association members Drs. David and Janet Kim, is one of 11 new grantees recently funded through the federal Title X family planning program. Beacon won a three-year, two-million-dollar Title X grant to address high rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease in north shore communities in Staten Island.
Beacon's grant application fit well into the newly reformed federal
Title X program, which now offers a broad range of voluntary family planning
methods and services that includes information and education related to family
planning, preconception care, contraception, natural family planning,
infertility services, sexual risk avoidance education and more...
The grant provides Beacon with $675,000 in funding the first year and $2,035,000 over three years. Beacon will partner with Young Lives, Bethany Services, and Gianna Center to focus on adolescents and young adults.
Beacon's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Janet Kim, wrote to me about their motivation for seeking the grant:
"Since 2006, Beacon Christian Community Health Center's mission is to honor God by caring for the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of our community. This has particularly played out by taking care of the neediest of our community members. We hope that this new grant award will allow us to expand our comprehensive Ob/Gyn services that includes providing education to our patients in meaningful family planning."The clinic plans to add a second nurse practitioner, a second nurse, and a social worker.
New policies open the Title X door to life-affirming healthcare
The Beacon grant offers a tangible illustration of the federal
government's recent revival of conscience protections in healthcare and the
administration's reform of federal programs. The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) appears determined to transform the long-abused Title X
family planning program from an exclusive feeding trough for abortion
businesses into a more life-honoring, holistic healthcare program designed to
yield better health outcomes for patients.
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| Conscience protections now enable faith-baesd and pro-life professionals and programs to participate. |
Example A: A nonprofit health organization provides a broad range
of contraceptive services (as required by Title X law) among other healthcare
services but does not participate in abortion in any way or provide potential
abortifacients. That organization now can serve as a Title X "prime
grantee," i.e., the organization that receives and is responsible for the
grant.
Example B: A faith-based health clinic does not provide any
contraceptives but does provide natural family planning education. That clinic now
might participate as a Title X "sub-grantee," serving as a partner under
a state health department or other prime grantee.
Example C: A federally qualified health center (FQHC) does not
participate in abortions in a state where Planned Parenthood historically has
won state-wide Title X grants. The FQHC could apply for a Title X grant by
offering to serve as a prime grantee for a limited area of the state or population that is not
already well covered by existing Title X clinics.
New Title X policies will benefit patients, taxpayers and health
professionals
 |
| A new Title X rule will benefit patients, taxpayers and health professionals. |
A new
rule proposed by HHS will complete the Title X program transformation, by preventing
the comingling of abortion and Title X activities, by emphasizing new and scientifically
proven approaches to family planning, and by broadening health services and eligible
organizations to provide a more comprehensive and holistic approach to patient
care.
Even before the proposed rule is finalized and fully
implemented (likely in early 2019), HHS meanwhile has reversed Obama-era policy
and restored federal conscience protections to health professionals who will
not participate in abortion, including through referrals.
Once implemented, the new Title X rule on federal family
planning funding promises to benefit:
·
Patients
seeking family planning services from health professionals and organizations
with life-affirming values.
·
Taxpayers
who do not want their tax dollars to fund the abortion industry.
·
Health professionals
and organizations who could use federal funding to help provide services for
family planning.
Highlights of the new rule include:
·
Conscience protections enforced.
·
No required abortion referral or counseling.
·
New funding partners sought.
·
Parents involved in decisions about children.
·
"Family planning" more broadly defined.
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| The Christian Medical Association's official comments noted that many clinics can take the place of abortion businesses that have long monopolized Title X funding. |
The Christian Medical Association and Freedom2Care submitted
an official
comment on the new rule; a few excerpts follow:
The new, law-conforming policy of no longer requiring
referrals is a key provision essential to breaking the abortion industry
monopoly and to opening the door to new and more effective and holistic health
partners. Without this change in policy, pro-life health professionals and
programs would remain on the sidelines, prevented by ethical commitments from
participating in abortion-promoting Title X programs.
One in twelve patients in the United States—including one in
three who live in poverty—currently rely on a federally funded health center.
HHS's HRSA notes that "Today there are nearly 1,400 health centers, which
operate approximately 10,400 delivery sites, across the country serving nearly
26 million people."
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) offer years of
experience as well as establishment and recognition within communities. They
already have successfully navigated the federal grants system and they have
systems in place to comply with federal requirements. Many FQHCs could quickly
partner with HHS on Title X programs.
Implementing the valuable and strong reforms in the proposed
rule related to Title X requirements is an important step in closing the door
to past abuses and opening the door to new and more effective Title X
partnerships. Turning this vision into reality also will require reevaluation
and reformation of the grants process, building bridges to communities
previously discriminated against, and providing technical training and
encouragement to help new partners engage with HHS to serve Americans in need.
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| Potential applicants should get started immediately by completing federal registration items. |
Organizations that are even just considering applying for a Title X
or any other federal grant should immediately
begin the process by doing the following:
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