A day before the new budget period for Title X, a federal reproductive healthcare grant, Missouri’s sole grantee received notice from the federal government that the state’s cash would be withheld.
Missouri Family Health Council leaders (MFHC) said in a press release Tuesday that they were notified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that MFHC would not receive an $8.5 million dollar grant.
MFHC Executive Director Michelle Trupiano said her team was told the decision was due to potential compliance issues with the current administration’s guidelines. Particularly, those surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
“We're feeling pretty devastated right now because we know the severe impact that this will have on thousands of Missourians who rely on our health centers for these critical services,” Trupiano said.
MFHC works with a network of 52 clinic sites across the state, often including county health departments. Title X helps fund services including cancer screenings, birth control, and sexually transmitted disease care. The grant cannot be used to fund abortion procedures.
“Disruptions in funding cause confusion for patients and providers alike,” Dent County Health Center administrator Zachary Moser said in the Council’s press release. “Patients face confusion about where and how to access care, while providers struggle to maintain services, staffing, and continuity, ultimately putting essential healthcare at risk.”
Trupiano said it’s smaller communities, such as in Dent County, that will feel the biggest impact from funding withdrawal. Past KBIA reporting showed multiple Title X recipients have expressed that the grant has been underfunded for decades.
“Therefore health centers were already doing everything they could just to keep their doors open,” Trupiano said. “Without this critical funding, the impact within several weeks will most likely be devastating and we will most likely see clinics that are going to have to shut down their family planning services which again will have a cascading impact across communities.”
MFHC is among 16 organizations that have received notice of a pause in funding. Trupiano said the organization will remain in communication with HHS to regain Title X funding.
“There has been very little guidance given to us from HHS at this time,” Trupiano said. “We are going to respond to our notification to provide additional information about our services and the way that we provide them. We hope that there is a swift response from HHS in order to restore this critical funding.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mentioned MFHC executive director Michelle Trupiano only by her first name on first reference. The copy has been updated to include her full name.
