Accomplishments

Public policy research involves more than just tracking facts and figures. WHFPT monitors Texas governmental agencies to ensure that their policies and regulations are in the best interests of providers and low-income clients. We maintain a good working relationship with the Commissioner and staff of the Texas Department of Health, which often results in the opportunity to work with the Department in establishing standards of care and regulations for family planning and reproductive health care providers. When issues pertinent to our membership arise in other state agencies, such as the Texas State Board of Pharmacy or the Texas State Board of Nurse Examiners, we represent the interests of family planning providers and clients. WHFPT also analyzes legislation and court decisions that affect family planning providers and communicates any findings to member organizations.

WHFPT has worked with the Texas Department of Health to develop and implement standards for family planning service delivery that protect the interests of clients and providers. We participated in the Texas Department of Health Task Force that rewrote the standards for abortion facilities. WHFPT was also instrumental in the development of Class D/Clinic Pharmacy regulations by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. If not for our intervention, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy would have required family planning providers to have a licensed pharmacist on site at all times during clinic hours, an unacceptable financial burden for providers of low-income health care. Another WHFPT victory was the adoption of rules by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners that allowed nurses to perform pelvic exams and dispense birth control without the presence of a physician – this early achievement has since been codified into law.

WHFPT focuses on statewide action, but we also work on a national level when family planning services or reproductive freedoms are in danger. We have successfully sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that Texas receives its fair share of federal Title X funds for family planning. We have led opposition to Supreme Court nominees who did not support reproductive freedom. And, we have fought national legislative action that would have violated a minor’s ability to receive confidential reproductive health care and contraception.

The Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas was founded as a way for family planning providers to help each other, and that’s what our professional education programs do. We plan special conferences to address current issues such as clinic violence or effective advocacy. We also produce and distribute newsletters, alerts, memos and other information on current reproductive health issues to our membership.

WHFPT holds an annual meeting each year to give all our members the opportunity to come together and share information and experiences. The annual meeting is held in a different region each year, to help defray travel costs for family planning providers.