Dear Friends,
In these unprecedented and uncertain times, I am thinking of all of you, your families, and our communities.
Upstream extends a thank you to all of the healthcare heroes on the frontline working diligently to prevent, help and heal. We are grateful for their service.
During this public health emergency, the number one priority for the entire country is slowing the spread and mitigating the effects of COVID-19. We are following the lead of public health leaders and our health center partners and supporting them however possible. We know that patients will still need contraceptive care, even during emergencies. We will continue working with our health center partners to ensure patients can access the contraceptive method of their choice on the day that they want it, while not burdening the healthcare system. For example, offering contraceptive services for patients presenting for routine services at the time of their visit can reduce the need for unnecessary return visits that could be made available to other patients.
Additionally, Upstream is taking the following steps to help provide continued services and coordination to our partners, while recognizing the health and unique needs of all of our employees:
- Launching a webpage for health centers with the latest information regarding contraceptive care during COVID-19. This includes guidelines on counseling, stocking, and leveraging telehealth for contraceptive care.
- Rolling out virtual training and quality improvement coaching to our health center partners over the next few weeks.
- Requiring all Upstream staff to operate remotely, in accordance with state and federal guidelines. This includes conducting health center meetings and trainings virtually. We have also postponed all travel and conference attendance.
- Enabling our own staff to care for dependents as needed during this time period, with flexible work schedules and paid-time-off policies.
Our work continues to ensure that contraceptive care is sustainable and responsive to the constantly shifting priorities of the healthcare system. Upstream will be there for our partners, ready to work through challenges and barriers—those seen and unforeseen— so that patients can continue to access best-in-class contraceptive care on their terms.
Sincerely,
Mark Edwards
CEO and Co-founder
Upstream USA
