Letter to the Editor: Alabama Callous to Women's Health Care

Originally published in the Albany Times Union on June 4, 2019

The majority of Americans are outraged at the hatred sweeping across Republican-controlled states. Alabama is the most recent extreme example of denying women health care. The callousness of the legislators is stunning. Women's lives will be in jeopardy, but they don't care.

If these legislators truly cared about saving lives, they should be working to fix a worsening health care problem in their state, not dismantling what little access to health care Alabamians have left. Watching the 25 white, male state senators who voted, it is clear they just want to control women and not allow them to have control over their own bodies and lives. Their hypocrisy is incredible since there are no laws restricting men's access to any form of health care. Medical decisions for a patient should be made by the patient and her doctor, not politicians.

This is a concerted effort to ban abortions. It is an attack on all women and everyone who loves them. Nearly a dozen states have passed restrictions or bans on abortion so far this year. With President Donald Trump in the White House and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, state politicians are emboldened to try to fully ban safe, legal abortion. It is a scary time to be a woman.

People across the country want more health care, not less. They want representatives who will fight the unethical Title X gag rule and increase support for crucial public health programs like sexually transmitted infections testing/treatment, cancer screenings and other essential care furnished by quality providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Cathie Love

Join Planned Parenthood in HUDSON for #StopTheBans: National Day of Action on Tuesday, May 21st!

As you may have heard the BANS on abortion keep coming so we KEEP RALLYING! In an effort to include our Columbia and Greene County advocates and highlight our new center, our rally for the National Day of Action will be in Hudson.

Here are the details:

On May 21, activists in all 50 states will take to the streets with rallies and mobilizations happening at state capitols, town squares, courthouses and health centers to say #StoptheBans. If you are outraged by recent restrictions and limitations on abortion access join Planned Parenthood outside our new Hudson Health Center for a Honk and Wave event to show you STAND STRONG FOR ABORTION ACCESS. We will provide the PINK swag!

This is a terrifying time for women in America. Anti-women’s health politicians are pushing dangerous policies that will endanger women’s lives and the public’s health. Planned Parenthood will not sit by and watch as politicians take our rights and freedoms to women's health care away. We will fight in Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, and everywhere else politicians interfere with medical care, because women’s health care is health care and health care is a human right.

JOIN US! 

Location: 804 Columbia Street in Hudson (Planned Parenthood in Hudson)
Date: TUESDAY, May 21
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 pm

We will provide the PINK! PLEASE RSVP AND SHARE our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/917041565307584/

Letter: We Will Not Go Back!

I am a retired female OB/GYN.

Doctors and nurses in my field are fortunate to live in the great state of NY where women are respected and valued. Here a woman enjoys privacy and trust in her relationship with her medical care provider in the most intimate part of her life, deciding when she is capable of becoming a good mother.

I graduated from medical school the year NYS legalized abortion and then began my OB/GYN training. The difference legalization made was profound.

Before that wealthy women had access to legal abortions by traveling out of the country, and the rest of the women had to seek out illegal providers (including mafia) or try to do it by themselves. As gynecology residents, we took care of the results in the Emergency Room; bleeding, febrile victims often in extremis.

It is alarming that presently politicians (usually well-off white males) in many states are targeting the health care safety net of women and their families by criminalizing abortion as well as threatening Medicaid and Title X with the gag rule. The cruel result of this will of course be to disrupt families that have a tenuous grip on middle class life and to take away the hope of the poor. Medical care for all women will be degraded, and sisters, mothers and daughters will suffer and die unnecessarily.

I am grateful to live in NYS where medical professionals do not have to worry about going to jail for doing our job properly. Access to the life saving benefits of modern health care should not depend on one’s wealth and gender.

Margaret M. Craven, M.D.

Letter: Reproductive Health Act empowers women

Originally published in the Albany Times Union -- March 4, 2019

It is a power shift, empowering women. It is justice and aligning with the law of the land. It is one's right to self-determination. It is New York state's Reproductive Health Act, made law on Jan. 22.

It took nearly five decades of tenacity, advocacy and leadership, but finally the women of New York have been given the power that previously was denied them. Now, women coming from many backgrounds and holding different beliefs have this in common: the power of self-determination with respect to their own reproductive health. Each woman is now guaranteed the right to make her own personal health care decisions with her health care provider throughout the course of her pregnancy. Should complications arise later in pregnancy, medical professionals may now provide needed care.

In short, the women of New York are no longer subject to political ideologies that jeopardize their health, and they are now allowed to make their own compassionate decision with a health care professional that they trust.

The passage of the Reproductive Health Act is cause for celebration indeed. However, misinformation and fearmongering are the watchwords of many, and it is imperative that we who believe in access to safe, legal abortion and oppose restrictions on that access raise our voices in continued support of reproductive health for all women.

Dawn Jablonski

The Trump-Pence Gag Rule: The Facts

After months of waiting, the Trump Pence Administration finally released the text for the Title X changes that include the Gag Rule. The new rule does three things:

1. The rule prohibits Title X projects from referring patients for abortion—the so-called “gag rule”—and also removes the current requirement that patients must be given access to non-directive counseling on all of their options, including abortion unless the patient’s life it at risk.
2. The rule imposes cost-prohibitive and unnecessary “physical and financial” separation requirements on Title X recipients, which are aimed at excluding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from Title X.
3. The rule contains a host of other provisions that are designed to reduce access to quality family planning care in communities across the country

It’s infuriating that the Trump-Pence administration is once again trying to control women’s bodies and take away our rights. The Trump Gag Rule bans doctors from providing their patients with full information about their health care options, including abortion. It would also effectively dismantle the Title X program, which provides birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential reproductive health care to folks with low incomes.

Know this — Planned Parenthood will always be here for our patients and will continue to fight for everyone’s ability to get affordable, quality health care. We are still working toward a world in which everyone has the freedom and opportunity to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families, and our life’s path. Health care is a human right and we will not let this stand. The Trump-Pence administration may not think our patients deserve care, but we do.

This rule is opposed by the general public, the medical community, lawmakers, and public health experts. When the rule was announced, nearly 500,000 Americans submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services voicing their opposition.

Remember, this rule is so much bigger than Planned Parenthood. It prohibits ANY health care providers in Title X across the country — doctors, nurses, hospitals, and community health centers — from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion, and it removes the guarantee that patients are getting full and accurate information about their health care.

The ruling was just released Friday and already the Attorney General of Washington State has announced they have filed a lawsuit against it. UHPP is working with our statewide partners, the national office, our legislators and the Governor’s office to protect Title X funding in New York State. In addition, we will continue to raise funds for our Patient Access Fund in order to protect us from anything the federal government throws at us. This is going to be another long fight but we are confident we will prevail and we know that the work we do for our patients must continue. No matter what.

Katherine Bruno, CXO

Roe v Wade Anniversary Event and RHA!

Hey all, sorry it's been a while since we've had an update. Things, as you can imagine, have been a little nuts around here.

This Tuesday, Jan 22, is the anniversary of the passage of Roe v Wade, making access to safe, legal
abortion the law of the land. With the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court, we have been worried about the future of Roe v Wade. Therefore, we decided to have our annual Roe v Wade event on the actual anniversary this year.

The event begins at 5:30PM on 1/22/19 at the Renaissance Hotel in Albany. Tickets include beer, wine and soda, and hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. We will be honoring Eleanor's Legacy and the NYS Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, and our Keynote speaker for the evening will be NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.  We would love for you to join us, and you can purchase your ticket here.

The other amazing thing going on that day, is the long-awaited passage (we hope) of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA).  If you're not sure what that is, here are some cliff's notes.

• NYS legalized abortion three years before Roe v Wade, and is out of date. RHA will make it consistent with federal law.
• One of the ways it is inconsistent with federal law, is that it is listed in the NYS penal code, not the health code. We hope to remedy that with RHA.
• Our antiquated state law lacks a health exception, forcing individuals to leave our state for care later in pregnancy, in the rare and tragic cases when their health is at risk or a fetus is not viable.

This has been ten years in the making, so we will be gathering at the Capitol to rally and hopefully witness the passage of the bill on the Assembly and Senate floors. Please join us for this exciting and important moment. We will be gathering at three. The details are in the facebook event I linked to above, but it is important that you register if you plan to join us. This is a free event, but we need to have a tally of who will be joining us for security purposes.

This is a very exciting time to be a New Yorker, which is refreshing when juxtaposed with all the terrible nonsense happening in Washington. We hope you will join us!

WARNING: 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Are Not Legitimate Health Centers

It's no secret that with the current political climate, anti-choice and alt-right fanatics have been emboldened by rhetoric that enables and even encourages reckless behavior.  While this particular issue isn't exactly new, it is becoming more widespread in the face of this encouragement.

The Hendrick Hudson Buuilding
200 Broadway, Troy

The downtown Troy, NY Planned Parenthood is currently being plagued by one such anti-choice organization. They have purchased a van and are attempting to lure women away from the Troy Planned Parenthood office by offering them ultrasounds (in a van? Oh that's not creepy). This is made more confusing by the fact that the building that currently houses the Troy health center will not allow any outside branded signage, so sometimes patients aren't sure they are in the right place. We have heard reports of women being given bad directions to Planned Parenthood by the van's inhabitants, and made to wander around Troy, missing their appointments.

The van does not currently have a permit, and we don't know if there are even any legitimate trained medical professionals on board. Katherine Bruno, Chief Experience Officer for Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP), has this to say about the van:

This mobile ultrasound unit has been parked in cities across Upstate New York and is most often parked in the city of Troy very near the Planned Parenthood Health Center on Broadway.

UHPP has spoken with the Troy Mayor's Office and the City Clerk. The clerk confirms that in order for anyone to be on the streets of Troy offering services of any kind, they need a permit. This mobile unit does not have one, nor have they applied for one once it was made clear that it was required. The City Clerk has communicated this with the Deputy Mayor and the Chief of Police. All city officials are aware that the van cannot be on the street offering services of any kind without a permit.

When the van arrived on Broadway across from the UHPP Health Center entrance in July, the police were called and the police did nothing. UHPP has been reassured by city officials that this is not what is supposed to happen. Once again UHPP has voiced concern and has clarified that should the van reappear, Troy Police should ask them to leave until they acquire a permit.

These anti-choice organizations make it their mission to mislead young women. Patients reported not understanding the difference between Planned Parenthood and one of these other centers, and more and more of them are popping up around the country, a situation to which this post from Lifehacker can attest.  Apparently, one of them in West Virginia was so convincingly misleading, that they were vandalized by other anti-choice fanatics. This is the sign they put up addressing their vandals:

Kudos on the trickery, Women's Choice Pregnancy Center; it looks like it really paid off for you. In fact, the very name "Women's Choice Pregnancy Center" is a fallacy, because it implies that they actually care about women's choices.

Elizabeth Clark, Director of Media Health for Planned Parenthood, offers this advice for recognizing a phony health center:

“Crisis pregnancy centers often purposely use language, in their advertising or signs, that mimic legitimate, licensed health care providers. They use names that are similar to actual healthcare providers. Be really suspicious of what you’re reading. Crisis pregnancy centers are not required to be true medical facilities and are not required to provide accurate information about health care. Look to see if there are licensed medical staff. Are there licensed clinicians? What are the services they say they provide?”

When in doubt, call Planned Parenthood directly, at 1-800-230-PLAN, and they will help set up an appointment at your closest health center, or visit www.plannedparenthood.org and make your appointment online.  If you see something super shady, tell someone. And whatever you do, definitely don't get into some creepy van.

Letter to the Editor: President endangers women's health care

Originally posted in the Albany Times Union

On May 22, the Trump administration announced its proposed regulations that would prohibit Title X providers from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion. This proposed rule would also make it impossible for millions of patients, including myself, to receive birth control and other preventive care. In 14 states, Planned Parenthood serves more than 50 percent of the Title X patients in their states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, Utah and Vermont.

This is a domestic gag rule and it is not only an undisguised attempt to restrict women's basic rights but also a threat to this country's health, including my own. According to an esteemed health policy professor at George Washington University, Sara Rosenbaum, "Community health centers provide important services but aren't as equipped to provide the reproductive services that Planned Parenthood is known for."

Our country has come too far to have an option as dangerous and vile as this proposed gag rule to even be remotely considered in 2018. This rule is not just about abortion. This is about the prevention of millions of people from accessing STD/STI tests and treatment, birth control, health exams and cancer screenings. This is about risking the lives of American people in the name of being "pro-life."

As a community, we must take a stance. We should not let our country fall behind and allow this administration to blatantly attack women's rights.

Carissa Streckfuss
Albany

Letter to the Editor: Gag Rule is Unethical

Originally posted in the Hudson Register Star

To the editor:

I am writing to express my concern regarding the gag rule recently proposed by the Trump-Pence administration. This gag rule is medically unethical and a blatant attempt to infringe on women's basic rights.

Title X is a federal program which has for decades provided funding for reproductive healthcare, like preventative cancer screening and birth control, for women who could not otherwise afford this care.

Not only would this proposed gag rule make it illegal for health care providers in the Title X program to inform their patients on how to access safe, legal abortion; it would also implement other regulations designed to keep millions of women from accessing birth control and other preventative care, from providers like Planned Parenthood.

It is 2018. The fact that something like this is on the table is frightening and absurd.

Recent polling has shown an overwhelming opposition to Trump's gag rule as 73 percent of Americans - myself included - disapprove of these efforts to restrict women's rights and access to health care. More than 200 members of Congress, over 110 public health organizations, major medical associations such as the American Medical Association, and PlannedParenthood's 11 million supporters are coming out against this dangerous rule because it is just that: dangerous.

I urge your readers to stand against this proposed rule and see it for what it is: an assault on our basic rights.

Deborah Shakotko
Claverack

Letter to the Editor: Gag Rule is a Full Frontal Attack

Originally posted in the Catskill Daily News

To the editor:

I am a Registered Nurse writing to express my concern regarding President Trump's recently proposed gag rule. Frankly, it is a full frontal attack on women's basic rights. Not only would this rule prohibit health care providers under the Title X program from informing their patients on how to access safe, legal abortions; it would also implement other rules designed to keep millions from accessing birth control and preventative care, including cancer screenings from providers like PlannedParenthood. Fundamentally, it removes the guarantee that patients will receive complete and accurate information about their health care from their providers. I finds this absolutely frightening. No one should ever be denied basic information about their health care.

This proposed gag rule has already been met with opposition, especially from the medical community. The American Nurses Association has stated that this rule "violates basic ethics of the nursing profession." In addition, new polling shows 73 percent of Americans oppose administration actions like the domestic gag rule.

Planned Parenthood plays an enormous role in providing care and consistently outperforms other publicly funded providers. In New York, in 2015, Planned Parenthood served 144,640 or 52 percent of women in the Title X program. If Planned Parenthood were to be excluded from Title X, other Title X-funded sites would have to increase their caseloads by 111%. That is not only infeasible but morally wrong as this will result in a major blow to health care access for low-income people.

I urge your readers see this as what it is: an attack on our basic rights.

Christine Primomo, R.N.
Ravena

Political Courage and the Reproductive Health Act of 1970

By Dwight Smith
Ally for Reproductive Justice

Assemblymember
George Michaels

April 9, 1970 is a special day in New York State legislative history; Assemblyman George Michaels changed his vote from "No" to "Yes", thereby enabling the 1970 Reproductive Health Act to pass the Assembly (the state Senate had passed it previously; Governor Rockefeller signed it into law the following day).  The story of that day, and the history of illegal abortions in New York over the 150 years preceding it, are documented in "From Danger to Dignity: The Fight for Safe Abortion", produced by Concentric Media in association with KTEH-TV, San Jose, CA.  It is available on YouTube and is well worth watching.  Indeed, in today's political climate in which reproductive rights are under fierce attack its message may be more important than when it was released in 1995.

Yet even though significant in content and praiseworthy for its production values, the documentary glosses over two contributing elements of the 1970 story.  They concern Michaels himself, and the atmosphere in which that final vote took place.

First, a word about Michaels.  A native of Queens and a graduate of Cornell and Brooklyn Law School, he established a law practice in Auburn, New York, an upstate, largely conservative and Roman Catholic city.  A Democrat, he represented Auburn and Cayuga County in the legislature from 1961-1966, when through reapportionment his district was merged with its neighbor that encompassed Cortland County.  He declined to run in the new district until 1969, when he rejoined the Assembly.  At the time, he was noted primarily for his support of expanded state aid for rural school districts and (in 1970) for promoting the bluebird as the state's official bird.

He also favored a woman's right to choose to have an abortion on a personal basis, but how widely his position was then known is not clear.  He had twice complied with requests from his District's Democratic Committee to vote against reproductive rights, including legalized abortion.  April 9, however, was a different story.  As it is described in "From Danger to Dignity" Michaels' decision is clearly a significant event. But by incorporating only the final two sentences of his remarks that day it misses a tense, emotional drama.

That absence may reflect the fact that the documentary was prepared 25 years after the event by a team that had not been there to witness it.  My family and I were there, and we still recall it as an occasion that merits a more complete description.

That we were in the Assembly Gallery at all that afternoon was entirely happenstance.  We had gone to Albany City Hall that afternoon to apply for passports for a forthcoming trip abroad (in those days the process began by having your signature notarized by the town or city clerk).  The process took less time than we anticipated and as we walked back to our car parked by the State Capitol I sensed a teaching moment for our three young sons.  With no knowledge of what was up, I suggested: "let's go see what is going on in the legislature".  Since we were on the Assembly side of the building, we went up to its gallery just as Michaels was beginning to talk.

To set the stage: when a roll call vote is being taken in the Assembly, an electronic wall display shows each member's vote as well as a running total of all Yes and No votes.  Ultimately, the Speaker instructs the clerk to close the voting process and a final tally is announced and recorded.  Seventy-six Yes votes are required for passage of the matter at hand, and the Speaker votes only when his vote will make a difference.  On this occasion, the electronic display showed a tie vote, 74-74, so even if the Speaker had voted the measure would not pass.

While a roll call is in process members may address the Assembly to explain their votes, but this is not common.  When Michaels rose to speak no one knew what he was going to say, and given the voting deadlock, the atmosphere in the packed galleries was palpably tense.

I don't know how long he spoke; it seemed like ten minutes or more.  He rambled as he took us through his inner thoughts.  His intent became clearer when he told the Assembly of pressures from his family.  "One of my sons just called me a whore for the vote I (previously) cast against this"; a second son insisted: "Dad, for God's sake, don't let your vote be the vote that defeats the bill".  "I had hoped that this would never happen," Michaels said; "(my constituents will) condemn me for what I am about to do.  But what's the use of getting elected, or reelected, if you don't stand for something. … I realize, Mr. Speaker, that I am terminating my political career, but I cannot in good conscience sit here and allow my vote to be the one that defeats this bill."

He asked the Speaker, Perry Duryea, Jr., a Republican from Montauk, to change his vote to Yes.  The now- 75-73 vote required Duryea to vote: he voted Yes, declared the bill passed, and immediately adjourned the session.  A highly-charged incident ended in a collective sigh of relief and joy.

From my perspective, Michaels’ story deserves repeating in an era where #MeToo seems to be controlling the headlines. Despite current notorious examples of misogyny, there are men who have stood and continue to stand with women in the fight for equality. These are men who actively reject the premise that women are a subordinate class when it comes to managing their own lives. They don't do it for recognition and thanks but simply because they believe it is the right thing to do.  And some, like Michaels, have even been willing to accept the accompanying personal cost of standing up to established ways.

Watch the historic moment in this video:

The Federal Government Can't Halt Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

Justice Rice

The Federal government has been trying since the inauguration to strip away access to preventative care and topple Planned Parenthood health centers across the country.

This latest attempt by the administration to strip federal grant money from the TPPP is just another one in a long list of attacks. This one, in particular, specifically targeted Planned Parenthood, and the judge who blocked the attempt, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, called the attack arbitrary and capricious, which could allege that he found the defunding attempt to be spiteful, undemocratic, and perhaps even a little childish.

“The courts confirmed that the Trump-Pence administration’s attempt to impose its ideological agenda on young people is unlawful,” Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.1

The TPPP was created by President Obama in 2010, and helps provide preventative care to 1.5 million young people nationwide.  Instead of acting in the best interests of the young people who often have nowhere else to turn for birth control and education, our current administration would rather deliver a blow to Planned Parenthood for the sake of bragging rights and party agenda.

Planned Parenthood CEOs and other staff members were in DC for the National Conference when this news was announced, and the outcome was understandably well received by everyone.  Since the attacks are bound to keep coming, we can only hope that federal judges continue to do what’s right for the youth of our country. 

Poor Body Image May Result in Infrequent Breast Self-Exams

US News Reports:

"Our findings suggest that greater breast size dissatisfaction is significantly associated with less frequent breast self-examination, lower confidence in detecting breast change and greater delay in seeing a doctor following breast change," Prof Viren Swami said. 

"Promoting greater breast size satisfaction may be a means of empowering women to incorporate breast self-examinations and breast awareness into their health practice. And promoting greater breast awareness may be a useful means of helping women view their breasts in more functional terms, rather than purely aesthetic terms," he said.

While these reports may be discouraging, they're not terribly surprising.  We already know that people who are overweight may have difficulties and fears about getting a checkup, and the visits can leave patients feeling even more unhappy with themselves if they've been told things they don't want to hear by their doctor.

However, it's particularly sad to me that one can be so disappointed by their own physical appearance that they don't even want to touch themselves to ensure their own health and safety. It's easy to preach that we need to take care of ourselves; that we only get one body and we need to cherish it, but I know that it's easier said than done. 

Be kind to yourself. Remember, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime; that's more than 266,000 new cases expected in 2018 alone.  Early detection is of vital importance. Here is some more information on breast self-exams from the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Women need to perform them regularly not only for detection, but so that we can get to know the topography of our breasts so it's more apparent if something unusual appears. Personally, I have a card hanging in my shower to remind me, and I try to check at least once a week.  Don't forget!

Rep. Steve King Wants to use Welfare and Planned Parenthood funding to pay for Mexico Wall

Excerpt from CNN:

Congress should use money from its food stamp budget and Planned Parenthood funding to pay for a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico, Rep. Steve King said Wednesday.
"Are you comfortable, congressman, with providing $1.6 billion of taxpayer money, not from Mexico, to build that wall?" CNN's Alisyn Camerota asked on "New Day."
"Absolutely, yes and more," he replied. "And I'd throw another $5 billion on the pile and I would find half a billion of that from right out of Planned Parenthood's budget. And the rest of it could come out of food stamps and the entitlements that are being spread out for people who haven't worked in three generations."

He then went on to literally compare taking food stamps away from people to Michelle Obama's healthy school lunch initiative. What the what?!

It's chilling how out of touch some legislators are. Two-thirds of people on food stamps are elderly, children, or disabled. This is little better than gaslighting; perpetuating the myth that food stamps are an "entitlement for people who haven't worked for three generations," when in reality, it is estimated that fraud exists in only about 2.7% of all cases. In fact, the highest cases of fraud are connected to long-term disability payments, not food stamps and welfare. It's a campaign going back generations in an attempt to further dehumanize people struggling with poverty, mental illness, and disability. Don't listen to this nonsense. Take the time to educate yourselves on the facts.

Next, I would ask the good Congressman to take a solid look at what is happening in Texas, where a defund forced 80 Planned Parenthoods in the state to close. Unwanted pregnancies and STD rates have gone up. In some rural areas where women would have to drive 100 miles or more to receive preventative care, the abortion rate skyrocketed by 191% in three years. The point is, whether you like it or not, people need access to preventative care, including checkups, cancer testing, birth control, STD testing and treatment, and more. If you take that away, what is it that you honestly expect to happen?

As the wise poet Zac de la Rocha once said; wake up!

Capital Region Handmaids Take on DC!

Here is a link to some photos. Feel free to SHARE them but do credit Kate Canfield at Timeless Perspectives Photography. On Tuesday, UHPP, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts (PPESA), Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley and Planned Parenthood Central and Western NY joined together with staff, advocates and volunteers to travel to DC. And what a GREAT trip it was! Our volunteers were AMAZING and our Handmaids ROCKED Washington! And the proof was that Senate Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a setback and was forced to delay the vote to “defund” Planned Parenthood and repeal the ACA. This is clearly the result of all the tremendous pressure Planned Parenthood affiliates and partners are exerting online, on-the-ground, and through grasstops connections. We have to take a moment to celebrate every victory we have -- and this one is important. They are buckling under the immense pressure we are exerting. Simply put: this is because of the tireless work of Planned Parenthood staff, supporters, and volunteers over the last six months. Every call, tweet, rally -- IT MATTERS. And we can’t let up. They are going home over July recess -- and we will be there waiting to deliver the same message -- people will not stand for blocking women from Planned Parenthood. Thank you to the awesome volunteers and especially to the staff who came...Anne, Jonathan, Amy Wo., Nicole C., Chelly, Kate, Tracey! And HOLY did we get some attention! Our local advocates made a stir in DC and it was noticed by national and international media! In the US: Glamour,  Vogue, Elle, Cosmo UK, International Business Times, NBC, Time, Huffington Post, The Hill , Business Insider , USA Today ,  CNN , Huffington Post (2) , Reuters ,  Newsweek, People , Newsweek (2), Perez Hilton , Yahoo News, TV Guide, MSN, Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast, NY Magazine Instagram, Brietbart , Variety, Washington Post Live, Willingston Herald, Washington Examiner, New York Daily News, Federalist, Mediate In the UK: The Debrief, The Independent, The Times News in Picture Blogs: IndieWire, CollegeCandy, Parents.com, Alternet.com, Appsforpcdaily, Daily Dot, Hello Giggles, Mashable, ScaryMommy   Please feel free to share to your social media to help us spread the word! Katherine S. Bruno Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

Pink Out, June 2017

Last night, about 350 supporters came out to show legislators in Washington that we will not accept any shady health care bill that will defund Planned Parenthood and is not in the best interest of women all over the country.  As the sun set, we collectively lit up Capitol Park in pink, and blasted power anthems to tell our legislators in session that we will not give up the fight! Check out some powerful photos below, and the full album here.  If you'd like to get involved, please reach out to Nicole C at 518-434-5678 x 137, or nicolec@uhpp.org.

Letter to the Editor: Planned Parenthood defunding will be costly

Originally posted by the Albany Times Union

For a century, doctors, clinicians and staff at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country have opened their doors and cared for patients. They answer the questions that patients can't or don't want to ask anyone else, and they give accurate, unbiased information that is needed to make some of the most important decisions that will ever be made about their health and lives.

If politicians defund Planned Parenthood, they won't be striking a line from the federal budget. Far from it in fact, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that defunding Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers $130 million over 10 years.

Planned Parenthood, like every other doctor's office or hospital, is reimbursed for the care it provides to patients who rely on public health programs like Medicaid. That means the people who would be most hurt are those already struggling to get by and those who already face barriers to accessing health care, especially people of color, people with low incomes and people who live in rural areas. For many of these patients, there is nowhere else to go for care.

Patients don't go to Planned Parenthood to make a political statement. They go for compassionate, affordable, high-quality health care. Every person, no matter who they are or how much money they make, deserves that kind of care. We cannot allow politicians to take it away.

Carolyn M. Ehrlich

Albany

A Call to Action!

Dear Planned Parenthood Advocates,

We need your continued support and determination, now more then ever.

How can you help? Join us at events, rallies, write letters, be heard and wear PINK!


Top Actions:

Faso Watch: What we need? People to show up outside his office in Kinderhook and letters to the editors.

Voter Registration in NY19; What we need? Volunteers to canvass on Sunday, May 7.

See below for more details!

FASO WATCH!
As most of you know, Congressman Faso has stated publicly he would not vote to defund Planned Parenthood but then pledged to vote to repeal the ACA which included the defunding of Planned Planned Parenthood. He has stated that he understands the important services Planned Parenthood provides to our communities. We want to let him know we expect him to vote no on any legislation, including stand alone or ACA repeal, that includes language to defund Planned Parenthood. We need to demonstrate the depth of support Planned Parenthood has in Congressional District NY19.

Upcoming Actions!

Faso Friday rallies outside Congressman Faso's Office in Kinderhook

• Join Indivisible Chatham NY and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood together with other local activists to rally outside Congressman John Faso's office in the Village of Kinderhook at 2 Hudson Street every Friday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
• We will be there on April 27!
• RSVP and SHARE on Facebook!

Letters to the Editor

• If you are interested in submitting a letter to the editor on issues related to Planned Parenthood and specifically the repeal and replace of the ACA, please contact us. We can provide talking points or a written letter that you can customize.
• Need asap!
• Email Katherine Bruno at katherine@uhpp.org for more information!

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VOTER REGISTRATION! Sunday, May 7th: Get out the Vote! Join with #NY19Votes Join NY19Votes and help build on the momentum from Resistance Voter Registration by making our NY19 Votes Spring Canvass as powerful as possible. Let's continue to register and engage voters across the district, and in warmer weather! Site Canvassing: On May 7th along with knocking doors we'll be training and sending canvassers to bus stops, shopping plaza parking lots, parks and everywhere there is heavy foot traffic to talk to voters and folks who need to register to vote. Neighborhood Team Leaders— We're seeking dedicated volunteers and teams to adopt neighborhoods and canvass those neighborhoods throughout the entire election cycle.  Neighborhood Team Leaders will receive extensive training to listen to, learn from, then energize and activate their neighborhood electorate in November. Spring Canvass Webinar/CC: Wednesday, May 3rd, 8-9.30pm. Sign up for details here! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP!

Thank you for your support,


Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

MORE events at Planned Parenthood!

Upcoming Lobby Visits! As the stakes get higher UHPP is committed to meeting with local elected officials on behalf of women and families in the Capital Region and we want you with us. Now more than ever it is crucial that we make our voices heard and demand protection for Planned Parenthood healthcare services in New York State! Join us next week as we meet with local New York State Senators and voice our concerns. Do you live in the 46th Senate District? Join UHPP Monday, March 20th at 11:00am to visit with Senator George A. Amedore and remind him that women and families in New York are watching. Register for the visit HERE Do you live in the 44th Senate District? Join UHPP Tuesday, March 21st at 1:30pm to visit with Senator Neil Breslin to thank him for his continued support of Planned Parenthood. Register for the visit HERE PATIENT STORIES NEEDED! If you are a current or former patient of Planned Parenthood and would like to share your story that we can use in our media outreach please email Katherine at katherine@uhpp.org. Upcoming Events to Support Planned Parenthood!   Saturday, March 18th: I Stand with Planned Parenthood Rally in Hudson!  Join the Columbia County Democrats and Planned Parenthood at Public Square at the 7th Street Park in Hudson on Saturday, March 18th from 2 to 4 pm. The snow will not deter us! It is vital to show the community support for Planned Parenthood. Come out and show your support for unfettered access to women’s healthcare, LGBTQ healthcare and access to abortion services. Speakers will include Assemblymember Didi Barrett, Hudson Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton, Dr. Richard Collens, Vice President of Development at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Curran Streett, Pastor Kim Singletary from Overcomers Ministries International Church in Hudson, Amber Harris, former Youth Health Educator from Columbia County, Carol Peckham from the Columbia County ACA Taskforce and Cyndy Hall from the Columbia County Democrats. There is uncertainty ahead and Planned Parenthood is being attacked. But, one thing is for sure — we will never back down, and we will never stop fighting to make sure that patients are able to access the care they need. The days ahead will not be easy, but we will all work together to ensure that Planned Parenthood is here, caring for patients, for the next 100 years. RSVP on Facebook and SHARE. We need to have a big crowd! Monday, March 20: Petition Drop and Rally at Congressman Faso's Office in Kinderhook  Please join us at Congressman Faso's office on Monday, March 20 at 4:30 pm to 6 pm at 2 Hudson Street in Kinderhook as we deliver thousands of petitions from constituents who want him to know WE STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD. As most of you know, Congressman Faso has stated publicaly he would not vote to defund Planned Parenthood and that he understands the important services we provide to our communities. We want to let him know we appreciate his support and that we expect him to vote no on any legislation, including stand alone or ACA repeal, that includes language to defund Planned Parenthood. This will be a positive rally that demonstrates the depth of support Planned Parenthood has in Congressional District NY19. Why is it so important now? Tucked into the Affordable Care Act repeal bill is a dangerous provision blocking Medicaid patients from Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide. We need to show Congressman Faso that YOU ARE a part of the overwhelming majority that opposes defunding care at Planned Parenthood health centers. Let's show him we will be ready to fight to protect reproductive health and rights in his district. RSVP and SHARE on Facebook! Thursday, March 23: Comedy Show to Benefit Planned Parenthood in Albany Thursday, March 23rd from 7:30 to 9 pm. Erin Harkes expands her monthly Chick's Are Funny show to raise money for the UHPP! Erin Harkes headlines a night of comedy with other local ladies Jennifer McMullen, Dre Cerbin, Dee Watson and host Katherine Gaultier.  RSVP here! Sunday, April 2 Rise and Shine Breakfast at the Blue Plate in Chatham  Join Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood at the Blue Plate in Chatham located at 1 Kinderhook Street from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Sunday, April 2. This fundraiser will support our beautification project for the Hudson health center including the purchase of a new sign! Call Jonathan at 518.912.9031 for cost and to RSVP. Tuesday, April 4: Teach-in: Defunding Planned Parenthood and the Future of Rural Healthcare in Columbia County Event will be held at Hudson Library located at 51 N. 5th Street in Hudson from 6 to 8 pm.  Join Claire Parde, Executive Director of the Columbia County Community Healthcare Consortium and Chelly Hegan, President/CEO of Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood to talk about the future of healthcare in Columbia County. We will discuss increasing access to quality health care through collaboration, education, information and service delivery. You will learn what defunding would mean to our local Planned Parenthood affiliate, what it means to others affiliates in our state and nationwide. You will learn about the Hyde Amendment, Title X and how Medicaid funding works and how that all affects Planned Parenthood. The event is FREE and OPEN to the public. Please RSVP on Facebook and SHARE! If you have any questions or want to get involved, email Nicole at nicolec@uhpp.org or call 518.434.5678, ext. 137.