Contact: Molly Weedn | molly@weednpa.com
Sacramento, CA – The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District IX, representing thousands of OBGYNs across California, has announced opposition to the dangerous ballot measure that would decimate community health centers and result in millions of patients without essential prevention, prenatal and postnatal care.
ACOG District IX joins a broad coalition of thousands of community health centers, doctors, specialists, community organizations and patient advocates opposed to the measure.
“Community clinics and health centers are essential for providing routine preventive care, cancer screenings, prenatal and postnatal care, and contraception services, all of which could be jeopardized if this dangerous ballot measure were to pass,” said Dr. John McHugh, ACOG District IX Chair. “Early detection of breast and cervical cancers, critical prenatal appointments, and postnatal behavioral health services are only some of the resources that community health centers offer patients. Without that access, patients will be at risk of more advanced illnesses and more complicated pregnancies and deliveries, which is why ACOG is wholly opposed to this reckless measure.”
The poorly drafted measure contains arbitrary exclusions that threaten vital services that are essential to serving patients, like mammography, CT scans and x-rays, proven technologies that have led to early detection of life-threatening cancers.
The measure also excludes funding to expand and build new clinics, preventing community health centers from expanding access to care in communities most in need.
“Millions of patients will be harmed by this initiative,” said Dr. Suzanne Eidson-Ton, Chief Health Officer, One Community Health. “Reducing vital services and shutting clinic doors will cause irreparable harm to communities across California – especially those who rely on clinics for gynecological and obstetrics services. In rural communities, clinics are often the only place where patients can get the pre and postnatal care they need, and playing with lives for political power is shameful. “
An independent study from the Berkeley Research Group shows that the measure would divert billions of dollars away from patient care into new state bureaucracy, forcing health centers and clinics to drastically reduce patient services or in some cases, close altogether.
For more information and to see the broad coalition opposing the measure, visit: https://protectpatientsca.com/