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Dear ARHP Members, Friends, and Colleagues,
We are delighted to share new changes at ARHP that reflect over a year of thoughtful and hard work on behalf of our board members, staff, and advisors.
With an historic election just days away, now is a critical and urgent time for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) professionals and advocates to share, communicate, and collaborate.
Since the passage of the Patient Care and Affordable Care Act in 2010, there has been a shift in health care to emphasize primary care services and patient clinical homes. Yet despite a greater number of insured people and expanded coverage for preventive health services, millions still do not receive comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care. We strongly believe that health care is a social justice issue and should be accessible to everyone, everywhere.
In response, ARHP is launching a new long-term strategy to improve access to high quality, science-driven sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care for all people regardless of age, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, ability, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, socioeconomic status, HIV status, and immigration status.
Our approach is based on a strong commitment to support team-based care so all members can contribute to their fullest potential, including but not limited to: clinicians, researchers, educators, counselors, clinical staff, and advocates.
We proudly share with you our new mission statement and new organizational values that were informed by emerging issues in our field and will provide a roadmap for our future work. As part of our commitment to members, we have created a new membership structure that will save you money without compromising the quality of our resources. Finally, we will give you a glimpse of plans to improve our communications and outreach to our members and the public at large.
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1. A New Mission Statement
ARHP transforms and improves sexual and reproductive health care through professional training and advocacy
2. New Organizational Values
We are inherently: Driven by science
Person-centered
We believe: Health care is a right
Diversity and inclusion strengthens
We are committed to:
Disseminating evidence-based, open-access information
Inspiring, connecting, and collaborating
Promoting team-based health care
Applying imagination and innovation to our work
3. A new membership model with a flat structure and lower fees
You spoke and we listened. Based on your feedback, we are launching a new and equitable membership platform that respects the contributions of all SRH professionals. Fees have been reduced to a reasonable $95 per year for everyone – regardless of professional background or discipline. Students and retirees professionals will pay even less.
4. An unfaltering commitment to open-access resources and improved delivery of these resources
We believe the best health care happens when trusted information is freely available, easy to access, and evidence-based. We recognize the importance of leveraging technology to make sure our resources are available to as many people as possible, regardless of where they work or live. To do so, we plan to update and seamlessly integrate all our communication systems, including our website and social media platforms. This work will be challenging, but is necessary to promote far-reaching and meaningful knowledge and skills-transfer and dissemination.
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As your professional home, ARHP serves as a nexus for you to access continuing education, stay abreast of relevant legislation and policy, and network with others who share your commitment and passion to improving sexual and reproductive health.
This just the start—there is so much more work to be done and challenges ahead for us and for everyone in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Thank you for being part of a vital and evolving movement to ensure that every individual receives the best possible sexual and reproductive health care.
Please give us your impressions of ARHP’s new mission, values, and focus. And if you’re not already involved, please let us know how you could help. Contact arhp@arhp.org, or call 202-466-3825 any time with your comments, suggestions, and follow-up information about volunteering for ARHP.
Warmly,
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