New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation

09/19/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2022 12:47

NYC Health + Hospitals’ Reproductive Health Leader Details Work to Expand Access to Abortion Care

NYC Health + Hospitals' Reproductive Health Leader Details Work To Expand Access to Abortion Care in Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Marisa Nadas, MD, MPH, is an attending physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx

Today NYC Health + Hospitals provides safe, legal, and accessible abortion care at its 11 acute care facilities; Patients are welcome regardless of their ability to pay, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status

Sep 19, 2022

NYC Health + Hospitals Reproductive Health Leader Marisa Nadas, MD, MPH, co-authored an article in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, detailing the municipal health system's work over the past several years to expand access to abortion care. Following New York State's passage of the Reproductive Health Act in 2019 - which decriminalized abortion, expanded the number of clinicians who can provide abortion care, and created protections to allow for abortion later in pregnancy - NYC Health + Hospitals assembled a systemwide group of reproductive health clinician-advocates who identified existing barriers to abortion care and created a plan to expand these services. The group focused on three areas: increasing communications with patients and providers, enhancing procedural skills for providers, and expanding accessibility for patients. Moving forward with support from the City and the state, and because of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, the health system will continue to increase access, add providers, and enhance the patient care experience. For more information about NYC Health + Hospitals' abortion care services, go here.

"In the context of the devastating loss of reproductive autonomy that our population is currently facing, the work we are doing to expand abortion access and care at NYC Health + Hospitals is critical for our current and future patients," said Dr. Nadas. "The comprehensive work that began several years ago across our facilities has prepared us - sadly - for the sudden reduction and elimination of reproductive health services elsewhere in the country. We're ready to support our patients for all their reproductive health needs."

The multi-pronged approach to expanding abortion care at NYC Health + Hospitals includes:

  • Increasing communication - Increasing awareness among patients and providers about the availability of abortion services at NYC Health + Hospitals. The systemwide communication on abortion later in pregnancy was also revised to align with the Reproductive Health Act, then circulated to physician and nursing leadership.
  • Enhancing procedural skills - There are two educational projects underway, both of which expand skills needed to provide abortion care later in pregnancy and allow for less reliance on other specialties.
  • Expanding access- NYC Health + Hospitals created a new referral system to reduce logistical barriers to abortion care. The health care system, through a newly appointed Patient Navigator, is also assisting patients with obtaining financial support if they cannot afford the care they need, and logistical support to help navigate the health care system.

NYC Health + Hospitals has expanded systemwide capacity to provide abortion care later in pregnancy, increased the number of clinicians who provide abortions, and created a systemwide Reproductive Health Working Group to create policies and provide support. Further systemwide goals include expansion of abortion services to include a greater capacity for induction termination and ability to meet needs at later gestations.

Dr. Nadas is an attending physician in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) and Director of Options Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx. She is also the reproductive health clinical lead for NYC Health + Hospitals, working on systemwide strategy to achieve reproductive health equity for New Yorkers. She completed her OB/GYN residency training at Boston Medical Center and completed a Global Women's Health Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is passionate about providing high-quality OB/GYN care to people around the world through a human rights lens.

Contact: 212-788-3339; [email protected]

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthandHospitals or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.