Based on the jurisdiction of the institution, student health services face very different challenges around the provision of reproductive health care. This may include expansion of services or restrictions of services; both have effects that will require additional training for staff. The ACHA 2022 Sexual Health Services Survey Report provides benchmarking data regarding the provision of reproductive health services.
All institutions should consider developing a task force to determine a campus response to the changing legal landscape and clarify expectations regarding policies, procedures, and communication of reproductive health care education and clinical care.
Create a multidisciplinary task force to clarify expectations regarding policies, procedures, and communication regarding reproductive health care, abortion education and clinical care with attention to support for students, staff, faculty, and health care providers.
Initial task force members may include:
- Communications
- Dean of students or equivalent
- Faculty engagement – instruction and research
- Human resources/benefits/recruitment, retention, and development
- Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) coordinator
- Legal counsel
- Office of disability and accessibility services
- Office of diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Residential life and housing
- Spiritual life
- Student health services (SHS)
- Student organizations
- Student well-being/office of health promotion (OHP)
- Title IX
- Women’s center/gender and women’s studies faculty
- Sexual Assault Prevention and Support Services
Areas for discussions:
- Clinic access and workflows
- Clinical training
- Communication/campus education and outreach
- Community outreach
- Data collection, assessment, monitoring, and research
- First Amendment
- Health education
- Human resources benefits
- Impact on birth center operations
- Student athletes
- Student health insurance plan (SHIP)
- Student records
- Support for student parents (Medicaid/WIC, childcare, financial aid)
- Travel for employees and students
Identify additional stakeholders and departments for smaller, specific working groups for ongoing implementation of action items. Here are some examples:
- Electronic health records (EHR)
- Facilities
- Legal
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Procurement
- Project manager
Perform a security and safety assessment (and associated staff training) especially for SHS providing medication abortion. Provide executive leadership with a report outlining results and recommendations, including costs of improvements.
Resources:
Safety Risk Assessment: The Center for Health Design Toolkit: Risk Components
Provider Security | National Abortion Federation
Engage with student organizations, especially those representing historically marginalized groups such as campus affinity groups and others, to understand their reproductive health care needs and feasibility of providing on campus reproductive health care:
- Black Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) student organizations
- LGBTQ+ student organizations
- Student government
- Student health care organizations, including peer educators
- Students in women and gender studies programs
- Multicultural student organizations
Resource: Strategies to Advance Racial Equity in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health | Child Trends
Develop staff training and lines of communication to ensure uniform dissemination of knowledge and legislative updates; information should be added to onboarding materials.
Resource: Professional Communication and Team Collaboration | National Library of Medicine
Provide a safe space for staff by ensuring value conflicts are managed proactively and with respect.
Resources:
Conflict Management | Leading Change in Health Systems: Strategies for RN-BSN Students
Dealing with Conflict | Canadian Medical Protective Association
Values Clarification Workshop | Reproductive Health Access Project
AAFP Shared Values Worksheet | Reproductive Health Access Project
