FOCUS Fall 2024 - Planned Parenthood of Southern New England

FOCUS FALL 2024 We’ll Never Stop Fighting For Our Patients Finding a Path Forward Together There’s no easy way to say this: this one hurts. As we brace for a future with more federal attacks on reproductive freedom, our commitment to our mission has only grown stronger. Now and always, our top priority is the health and well-being of our communities. No matter what lies ahead, we will never stop caring for our patients.

While the presidential election results are not what we hoped for, voters in Connecticut and Rhode Island decisively elected state legislators who will protect reproductive health and rights. With increased federal threats looming, the role of our state governments in the fight for reproductive freedom is more critical than ever. Yet across the nation, 28 million women of reproductive age are living under abortion bans. People are dying because of these bans. We know their names, we know their stories, and we know they are only the first. This reality is terrifying for so many Americans, who overwhelmingly support reproductive rights and do not want politicians making their personal health care decisions.

Today, Planned Parenthood health centers in Connecticut and Rhode Island are still providing the essential sexual and reproductive health care our patients rely on, from birth control, cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted infection testing to gender-affirming care and abortion care.

The important and impactful work we are doing across our two states is powered by your support. In this newsletter, you’ll meet one of PPSNE’s extraordinary health care providers, who makes a positive difference in the lives of our patients every day. You’ll also get a glimpse into our Education & Training team’s recent work and learn more about our Spring Luncheon fundraiser featuring Stacey Abrams in Greenwich this April—we hope you can join us.

Thank you for your critical support of our work, our patients, and our communities.

The challenges ahead are great, but together we are greater. For over a century, we have stayed true to our vision of reproductive freedom and healthy futures.

That commitment has never changed, and it never will. Together, we’ll keep fighting to build a world where everyone can access the care they need, no matter what.

In this together,

Amanda Skinner, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England

"Beth is an outstanding provider, kind, empathetic, and genuine,” shared one patient. “She went above and beyond, providing essential health information and even following up afterward to make sure I picked up my medications and made the appointments she recommended. No provider has ever done that for me before.”

Beth Kaplan Going the extra mile for patients in Fairfield County Elizabeth “Beth” Kaplan, a bilingual family nurse practitioner at our Stamford health center, exemplifies person-centered, holistic care. Since joining PPSNE in 2021, Beth has become an indispensable team member, providing primary care integrated with medication abortion and the full range of reproductive health care.

Beth goes above and beyond, working closely with our patient navigation team, to ensure that barriers—whether language, financial, or immigration status—do not stand in the way of her patients achieving their best health.

Beth embodies PPSNE’s mission to serve all patients, no matter what. Many patients come in seeking care for a specific issue but leave with so much more. As a primary care provider, Beth emphasizes preventive care and empowers patients to gain control over chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure– leading causes of morbidity and mortality. She is a champion of Connecticut’s Early Detection Program, which provides free breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening to patients who can’t qualify for health insurance. Beth’s patients feel truly seen and understood, a priceless experience in today’s health care landscape.

Medical Director, Dr. Ayiti Maharaj-Best praises Beth’s commitment to her patients, noting that medicine is not a job but a calling for Beth. "Beth has personally stood in the gap to create a sense of belonging– a home– in the health care system for the patients who are so often overlooked and forgotten. It’s care like Beth’s that truly saves lives.”

The combination of Beth’s compassion and clinical expertise makes an incredible impact on not only her patients but her colleagues as well. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Nancy Stanwood describes Beth as having "a heart of not just gold, but platinum" and being the ultimate team player. “Beth is the person our staff choose for their own family’s care,” another clinician shared, highlighting the trust and admiration she’s earned amongst her peers.

As PPSNE continues to grow its primary care services, Beth is at the heart of this expansion. "We’re serving the community in ways that go beyond what people think of when they hear ‘Planned Parenthood,’ and I love being a part of that transformation," she concluded.

To read the full article and take a deeper dive into the amazing impact Beth has on her patients visit our blog at: lnk.bio/ppsne

PPSNE’s Education and Training Team, Helping the Community Get Real and Make Proud Choices This October, Youth Empowerment Services!

(YES!) invited PPSNE’s Education and Training team to facilitate curriculum trainings for 32 New Britain public school teachers. The trainings focused on two impactful programs that help young people make informed, healthy choices about their sexual health.

The Making Proud Choices! curriculum empowers adolescents and teens by increasing their awareness of personal vulnerability and emphasizing safe sexual practices through four main components: goals and dreams, knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Students learn essential information about sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and pregnancy prevention.

Engaging activities like role-playing and skill-building workshops provide opportunities to develop practical skills, such as correct condom use and negotiation.

Throughout the curriculum, young people are encouraged to make informed decisions that align with their values.

The Get Real program takes a broader approach, focusing on social and emotional learning (SEL) as a foundation for healthy relationships and responsible decisionmaking. This curriculum promotes abstinence as a healthy choice, yet also offers a comprehensive understanding of sexuality and protection methods. Get Real uses interactive lessons to help students gain skills in self-awareness, self-management, and relationship building. Uniquely, Get Real emphasizes the role of parents as primary sexuality educators, with take-home activities designed to foster dialogue between students and caring adults.

Professional development programs like these greatly expand the impact of PPSNE’s education and training program. As a result of this collaboration with YES!, nearly 1,500 New Britain students will now have the opportunity to learn about their bodies, safer sex, and healthy relationships from their local teachers. Your support makes it possible for PPSNE to partner with school districts and youth-serving community organizations so that more young people have access to the tools they need for safe and confident decision-making about sexual health, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and support that will guide them well into the future.

Do you have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and want to support PPSNE? This is what you need to know Beginning at age 70 ½ people with IRAs can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution from their retirement accounts annually. Once 72, these gifts can count towards the minimum distribution requirement. Distributions from IRAs are taxable income and if you don’t need the income and want to avoid the income tax, below are a few charitable giving options: Donate directly to PPSNE from your IRA.

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GET YOUR TICKETS NOW:

Make a one-time election to use your minimum distribution to establish a life income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity (CGA). A CGA is a giving arrangement that, in exchange for a minimum gift of $10,000, will provide you with fixed payments for life based on your age at the time of the gift.

Name PPSNE as the final beneficiary of your IRA accounts.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about other giving options, please reach out to Claire Phipps at Claire.phipps@ppsne.org or 401-479-5029.

SPRING LUNCHEON Featuring New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, producer, and voting rights activist:

STACEY ABRAMS Thursday, April 10, 2025 Hyatt Regency Greenwich

ppsne.org/luncheon