RESILIENCE
THROUGH
INNOVATION
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
Dear Friends,
As I reflect on the past year at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, I am astonished by how our staff have pushed to expand the boundaries of what is possible. As you read through this Impact Report, I know you also will be dazzled by not only the sheer volume of life-changing initiatives we have advanced, but also by how well we have done it.
Caring is core to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s identity. And caring through a pandemic and wildfires that have ravaged our communities has resulted in heartbreak. We have all experienced frustration and exhaustion as the pandemic drags on, having to adapt to new realities, and navigating ever changing rules meant to keep us all safe. Despite all of that, you’ll also see glimmers of silver linings in the work described in our Impact Report. I am truly honored to be leading such a resilient organization.
I’m particularly proud of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s development of a health equity and inclusion framework because it provides us with a foundation for decision making and planning that we are implementing right now. Importantly, this framework is not just words on paper. It represents the work our staff do every day to end health inequities and systems of exploitations.
The pandemic has shown, over and over again, that we really are all in this together. I couldn’t be more grateful to have you as a partner in this important work as we provide health care, education, and vital information to nearly 250,000 people.
With appreciation,
Stacy Cross
President & CEO
WE OPEN
THE
DOOR
COVID-19 Testing
Since the beginning of the pandemic, PPMM provided nearly 16,000 COVID-19 tests to our patients and community members through our health centers and innovative partnerships with three local public health departments, at the request of county officials.
COVID-19 vaccine and N95 fit-testing for staff
PPMM cares for our staff by providing the COVID-19 vaccine and by giving our care teams individual fit- testing for N95 respirators so they can wear these highly protective masks when providing direct patient care.
Telehealth
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte has been recognized as a community leader in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly providing public COVID-testing sites and launching telehealth appointments to keep our patients, staff, and communities safe. Our clinicians also sent video testimony to California policy makers about the benefits of telehealth.
“Patients really appreciate that telehealth is safer for them, more convenient, and that they can get these services without having to take off time from jobs that they simply can’t leave for an hour during the day. We see day laborers here or people at home with kids, because of the pandemic, who don’t have childcare. Having a phone appointment with us is their health care-access. Even before COVID, this health center was so important to people who live and work in this community. Now it’s even more crucial.”
-Raul Jimenez, Bakersfield health center manager
Expanded Abortion Access
During the pandemic, PPMM stepped up to meet the critical abortion care needs of our patients by enabling more clinicians to provide more in-health center abortion care – giving our patients greater flexibility and convenience. PPMM staff are determined to make this care more accessible to everyone who needs it.
Data-driven community health care
PPMM health care teams are now using a digital analytical tool that allows providers to view and assess many aspects of population health, targeted specifically for our patients. Providers can quickly collect crucial health data based on where patients live, their age, their most recent infection-screening, and other indicators that may put them in risk groups for threats to their health.
When we have this information, we can find out immediately how our patients are doing, we can do studies on health trends of patient groups, and we can close gaps in care, such as making sure we see patients whose breast cancer-screening is overdue.
313,696
Tests for sexually transmitted infections (STI)
336,309
Reproductive health care visits*
31,045
Breast and cervical cancer screenings
14,795
Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) visits
14,727
Family medicine visits**
1,764
Gender affirming care visits
20,090
Abortion procedures
(70% medication, 30% on-site)
1,397
Behavioral health visits
Patients may receive multiple services per visit
* Wellness, contraception, pregnancy, gender affirming care, STI testing/treatment and cancer-screening visits.
** Pediatric and adult primary care
Patient Experience
PPMM has a commitment to delivering a truly exceptional experience of care for every patient, every time. This is one of the ways we advance health equity across every community we serve.
In addition to staff trainings, PPMM uses patient feedback to drive efforts to enhance the care we provide. We use metrics based on patient surveys and post the results in health centers, motivating our dedicated staff to deliver a patient-centered model of care that aligns with our mission of improving health outcomes and health equity.
173,650 unique patients in FY2021
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
68%
live below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (2020 FPL annual income for one person is $12,760)
91%
live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
78%
used Medicaid/Medi-Cal/Family PACT/Medicare
WE TRY AND WE LEARN
Designing the next generation of sex ed
¡Con Confianza! (meaning, “With Trust and Confidence”) is the first-ever gamified mobile sex ed platform developed with and for Spanish-speaking students in grades six through twelve. Designed by students whose first language is Spanish, Confianza will ensure that middle and high school English Language Acquisition (ELA) students and their families no longer face a language barrier when it comes to accessing engaging, evidence-informed comprehensive sex education.
The pilot game will focus on how to create healthy, respect-based relationships. The final game will have 10 levels, each exploring relationships through stories and challenges, as well as other required sex ed topics including anatomy, communication, consent, and birth control. The game will be aligned with California and national standards for sex ed.
“When my parents attempted to have that first sex ed talk with me, it was very negative and not very thorough. In our community sex and sexuality can be very taboo, and it’s not something we talk about. With ¡Con Confianza!, we’re being positive, fact-based, and supportive.”
-Bianca, age 25, one of the designers of ¡Con Confianza!
68,919 individuals reached through all education and outreach programs, including:
86,416 hours of sex education, peer education, and youth development programming delivered directly to our communities.
22,990 youth and adults participated in core programs including: Digital Learning (sex ed); Teen Council and Promotorx (peer ed); Teen Parent Support Program and Teen Success (young parents); and YPAR and Y-LED (youth program researchers and designers).
10,838 middle and high school students received comprehensive sex ed including programs designed to meet the needs of special education and Spanish-speaking students.
241 young parents received more 2,000 hours of service including comprehensive case management, peer learning groups, coaching, resource navigation, and critical supplies for their families basic needs and to support their educational goals.
Our Students
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An average of 65% of students at public school sites served via PPMM school-based sex ed qualify for free/reduced lunch
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45% or more of middle and high school students participating in PPMM Sex Ed identify* as Latinx/e/a/o
*Demographics self-reported by participantsof PPMM Middle and High School Sex Ed andSafer Sex E-Course. Data only reflects thosewho completed the demographic surveywhich is a subset of the total participants.
Sex Ed Outcomes
71%
of middle and high school students who completed PPMM comprehensive sex ed were able to identify two ways of preventing pregnancy and STIs vs. only 35% before receiving PPMM sex ed.
92%
of respondents agree or strongly agree that the information they learned from PPMM Sex Ed will help them now or in the future.
75%
or more of middle and high school students who completed PPMM Sex Ed agreed that if they had questions about sexual health, gender identity, or being safe in relationships, they could trust Planned Parenthood to help them.
WE RESPECT AND HONOR ALL PEOPLE
Virtual advocacy
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, PPMM was proudly at the forefront as a health care leader. We rapidly rolled out telehealth services, screening patients who needed to be seen in-person, and launched a campaign to destigmatize those who had COVID-19.
To protect patients and staff, we have not convened in person. While this has added complexity to our community engagement, it has also forced creativity and innovation in new and unexpected ways, including transforming in-person events into a series of very popular and effective virtual gatherings.
And though our usual in-person meetings with legislators were not possible during the pandemic, our Public Affairs staff maintained strong relationships with elected officials, effectively engaging local constituents in virtual meetings to advocate for legislation that advances and supports the health care needs of the diverse communities we serve.
“Thank you Planned Parenthood for having an amazing system that helps each individual get help with their medical concerns without worrying about the financial aspect of it. Going to the doctor could be super expensive but you guys make everything possible.”
-Supporter in Silicon Valley
The pandemic was no match for the months-long effort Public Affairs staff made to urge people to complete the 2020 Census, especially in hard-to-count communities where many of PPMM’s patients live.
We contacted a record number of people through a series of remarkable virtual Census-outreach efforts, with more than two million impressions made on social media and hundreds of thousands of impressions on Spanish radio ads to more than 100 zip codes in PPMM’s region. Even though our staff didn’t conduct door-to-door neighborhood canvassing during the pandemic, well over 100,000 people were reached through PPMM’s Virtual Census campaign that included phone calls and texting.
Below is a partial list of bills passed in the California and Nevada legislatures that were championed by Planned Parenthood:
California
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SB 74 and the Budget Act of 2020: The 2021 Budget Bill continues the $100 million allocation of funding for Medi-Cal providers, including women’s health and family planning. Other highlights include restoring funding to implement the extension of pregnancy-only Medi-Cal coverage for patients diagnosed with a maternal mental health condition; maintaining funding for preventions of STIs, HIV, and Hep C; and maintaining funding for the Black Infant Health Program within the California Department of Public Health
Nevada
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SB190: Allows pharmacists to dispense certain kinds of hormonal birth control directly to patients.
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SB275: Modernizes Nevada’s HIV laws by replacing outdated criminalizing language and instead encourages HIV testing, treatment, and preventive care.
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AB224: Requires a percentage of Nevada public schools to provide menstrual hygiene products to students, at no cost to the student.
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AB321: Makes permanent the changes to vote-by-mail regulations that were first made during the pandemic, including expanding voting access to Native American communities in Nevada.
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AB280: Requires places of public accommodation, public buildings, and facilities owned by a public body to provide gender neutral restrooms.
WE JUMP IN
For over a year now, we’ve had hundreds of volunteers take action with us, virtually. They’ve participated in community organizing through texting during Virtual Volunteer Action Hours, reaching out to their personal networks. They lobbied during Capitol Week, engaged in fundraising with our Young Professionals Cohort (YPC), and made cloth face-coverings for our patients. PPMM volunteers also staffed PPMM’s in-person COVID-19 testing sites, served as virtual ambassadors to support actions like texting, phone banking, post card-writing, and provided project and research support for staff.
Though not being able to attend activities in person has its challenges, virtual volunteering has made it easier for many people to get involved, reducing barriers like finding transportation and childcare. Whether volunteers have an hour, a day, or the time to make an ongoing commitment, we have opportunities and virtual activities that keep them engaged with our communities.
“I feel like I am truly making a difference during this quarantine period. I’m thankful to have been allowed to be a volunteer for PPMM and I hope to stay an active volunteer to keep making a difference, whether that be through text or in person for future events.”
- Cynthia, Virtual Ambassador volunteer and Gen Action club member
WE TEND TO THE TEAM
PPMM’s staff are the backbone, heart, and soul of our organization. Without the incredibly dedicated, tireless staff devoted to empowering people to make decisions about their futures, PPMM wouldn’t have been able to impact the lives of nearly 250,000 patients in our health centers and participants who accessed PPMM Education programs.
Our health center staff at PPMM continue to provide compassionate, non-judgmental health care both in-person at PPMM’s 35 health sites and via telehealth.
The majority of PPMM’s staff who don’t provide direct patient care continue to work from home, supported by a plethora of benefits and tools. Among them, all PPMM managers have access to world-class coaching that intentionally focuses on their whole person, unlocking professional potential while also providing wellbeing support by strengthening nutrition, sleep, resilience, communication, and time management. PPMM’s Human Resources team is especially proud they’ve been able to be provide guidance to staff during the pandemic, proving they are a reliable and trustworthy resource and partner.
PPMM staff have also been working diligently to become a paper-free workplace where all records are kept digitally. Talent acquisition staff are especially proud that they are meeting future PPMM employees where they’re at in life, recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our realities.
Most importantly, we are proud that PPMM staff often convey that their colleagues are like family: caring, supportive, and always there for them – just like we are for our patients.
WE CARE
FOR
OUR BUSINESS
Virtual Fundraisers
This year we turned our disadvantages into opportunities. Not able to safely gather in person? No problem! We threw a virtual event series that 1,700 people from around the affiliate and across the country were able to join.
There were many more attendees than we would have ever been able to fit into a hotel meeting room, and guest speakers, from elected officials to high school students, spoke passionately about how PPMM impacts their communities. We were able to raise over $1.75 million to invest in communities by providing health care and education programs, and by expanding rights and access for all.
Young Professionals Cohort
The Young Professionals Cohort also went virtual this year. A dedicated group of young people from across our region, the YPC comes together to share a passion for PPMM and become first-time philanthropists by helping to engage new and existing donors. They are dedicated to PPMM’s mission and use their time, talent, and resources to invigorate our established supporters while inspiring new ones to join our work.
WE GIVE BACK
As the largest Planned Parenthood in the federation, PPMM is proud to lift up and support other affiliates who heroically provide care to patients in increasingly hostile political environments where local and state officials target Planned Parenthood and attempt to stop our life- changing work and end safe, legal abortion.
During FY21, PPMM was able to:
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Support Planned Parenthood North Central States in keeping open the only health center that provides abortion care in all of South Dakota.
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Provide substantial support toward get out the vote efforts in Georgia during the special election of two historic Senators.
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Fight back against politicians in Texas who are trying to perpetrate one of the most extreme and dangerous abortion bans ever while providing financial support to three Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates to continue providing essential health care to patients.
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Support the Lubbock Coalition for Health Care Access in opposing an unconstitutional city ordinance in Lubbock, TX that bans abortion in city limits by creating a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
“Thank you for doing such important work. Women everywhere count on you and benefit from your graciousness and tenacity. I know it has personally benefitted myself and my family, and utilizing PP services helped shape the trajectory of my life forever after that. It wouldn't have happened without people like you.”
-Supporter in Northern Central Valley