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In communities across the country, local health centers provide trusted health care to thou sands of individuals. Community health centers, such as Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area, often serve as an entry point for essential health care needs. Each year, Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area provides reproductive health care and education to more than 10,000 women, men and teens in the Mercer County area.
Today, one in four women who receives contraceptive care does so at a women's health center like Planned Parenthood. One in six who obtains a pap test or other critical cancer screening receives that care from a health care provider like Planned Parenthood. This basic health care is essential, particularly during difficult economic times, to give women the tools they need to take care of themselves and their families.
Protecting community health providers in any national health care reform is fundamental to solving provider access issues that will come with expanding coverage and ensuring Americans can access trusted providers wherever they live. Under health care reform, women must have access to reproductive health care and their women's health provider. And they certainly shouldn't be worse off after health care reform than before.
— XAN BLAKE, Trenton
The writer is president/CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area.
Copyright 2009 The Times of Trenton