A new program aims to improve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare through virtual appointments at organizations across Nebraska, including South Omaha’s OneWorld Community Health Centers. With In Control Nebraska, patients of all ages can now speak with their doctor on the phone or online to receive birth control, emergency contraception and pregnancy counseling.
Mariel Harding is the senior director of programs & initiatives at Nebraska Family Planning, which runs the new telehealth program. She believes the new virtual appointments will be a popular option for people who can’t get to their clinic because of a lack of transportation, childcare, or other barriers.
“(Patients) are able to access those services wherever they are, when they need them,” Harding said. “They could be in their car, they could be at home, right, they could take a break from work and hop on a telehealth call.”
Thirty-five locations of community health centers and healthcare organizations are a part of the In Control Network, according to the website. Douglas County residents can access services at OneWorld Community Health Centers as well as Planned Parenthood, and Charles Drew Community Health Center. There is no age limit on who can access help, and while most clinics have doctors who speak Spanish, all clinics have the ability to provide interpreters, according to Harding.
Patients can learn more and find their nearest provider here.
For many Nebraskans, accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare is a challenge. A 2020 report from the University of Nebraska Medical Center found that 90 percent of Nebraska’s counties face a shortage of physicians who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology.
At OneWorld, In Control Nebraska will extend the family planning services the clinic already provides to the community, according to Luis Vázquez, who works as the adolescent health outreach manager.
Patients of any age can visit the OneWorld Teen & Young Adult Health Center at 4310 S 24th St., call (402) 502-8880, or text the confidential hotline at (402) 913-8630 to learn more about the resources.
“This is just as confidential as if you were to go into the clinic.”
Mariel Harding, senior director of programs and initiatives at Nebraska Family Planning.
Luis said he understands that some feel fear or shame around asking questions about birth control, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and other sexual healthcare help. He and his team offer resources confidentially in Spanish and English.
“We provide a confidential texting line where young people can text us and they can ask questions,” Vázquez said. “We pay a lot of attention to younger patients because this might be the first time they’re going up to the clinic by themselves.”
Harding said while virtual healthcare has increased since the start of the pandemic, the experience is just as real as a normal visit to a doctor.
“This is just as confidential as if you were to go into the clinic,” Harding said. “You’re going to get the same quality of care in the same amount of time, or more potentially, with your provider that you would in the clinic.”
The In Control Nebraska program is funded through Nebraska’s Title X funds, which is federal money that ensures that everyone has access to a broad range of sexual and reproductive healthcare. That includes making clear a patient’s options for safe and legal healthcare like an abortion. Six Title X-supported clinics with several locations across Nebraska are participating in the program.
Abortion is currently legal for up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Nebraska, but a bill in the Nebraska Legislature could change that. Legislative Bill 626 would require doctors to perform an ultrasound and ban most abortions after embryonic cardiac activity is detected, or roughly six weeks gestational age, according to reporting from the Flatwater Free Press.
The high cost of care, inability to leave work or school for an appointment and lack of transportation keeps many Nebraskans from accessing the healthcare they need.
In Nebraska, where 12% of the population identifies as Latino, more than half of Latino residents report not having a personal physician. That’s more than triple the percentage of white residents, according to Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services.
For many, seeing a doctor is a financial choice rather than a medical one. According to DHHS, one in five Latinos in Nebraska report being unable to see a physician due to cost.
Knowing the challenges that keep some Latinos from accessing healthcare, Vázquez and his team will continue spreading the word about sexual and reproductive health resources available virtually.
“If it’s available, why not use it?” he said.