Beyond X: Envisioning the Future of U.S. Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Care Infrastructure
By Lisa Stern and Julia Wilson
Programs like Title X, Medicaid, and the Community Health Center program have long supported SRH care but are at risk – and not for the first time. Ongoing and growing challenges have made the system unstable, leaving care inconsistent, inadequate, and inequitable.
This fragile safety net system is overdue for real change. As the SRH field works to bring back essential funding and protections, we also must ask, “what comes next?” We have a timely opportunity to boldly re-envision what SRH care should look like and what policies should be in place to support care at the federal and state level.
What will this project do?
Over the next three years, CECA will gather evidence and experts (including people with lived experience) to develop a vision for a system less vulnerable to political whims and better at providing person-centered care in all U.S. communities. Together with our partners, CECA will achieve three goals:
Identify a vision for future SRH care infrastructure and relevant policy levers
Propose an integrated strategy to achieve the vision
Initiate strategy implementation
Based on information gathering activities, we will develop a strategy describing the steps needed to fulfill the vision. One given in this work is that federal government interventions alone (i.e., administrative actions, legislation) cannot achieve the vision. The strategy will outline what needs to be done, who is responsible, and what resources are required to make it happen. By the end of the three-year period, we will have a shared vision, clear strategy, and the first steps of implementation underway.
What outputs will this project generate?
CECA will create and share a range of outputs within the SRH field and with external partners, including:
Environmental scan
Executive summary
Funder recommendations
Short, digestible one-pagers, talking points, and other resources
How will CECA engage stakeholders?
Beyond X builds on efforts conducted by CECA and partner organizations. CECA will continue to work with trusted expert organizations with a unique level of insight into SRH care infrastructure. Additional stakeholder organizations will also be engaged as technical experts and workgroup participants, including federal and state policy experts, health systems experts, reproductive justice and SRH advocacy organizations, providers and professional organizations, researchers and research organizations, and private sector partners. This work will require new partnerships, particularly with organizations and leaders working on broader healthcare transformation.
We look forward to working with many new and established partners to deliver a much-needed vision and plan for SRH care infrastructure in the coming years.