Amplifying the Provider Voice: April’s Must-Reads
New York Times: Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-and-Death Crisis
Dr. Sanithia Williams talked to the New York Times for a story about the racial disparities in health affecting Black mothers and infants.
Glamour: Dr. Willie Parker: The South is ‘Ground Zero’ in the Abortion Access Fight
Board Chair Dr. Willie Parker wrote in Glamour about how Mississippi’s new 15-week abortion ban highlights the urgency of the fight for abortion access in the South.
Rewire: Only God Can Judge: Why My Religion Supports—and Doesn’t Hinder—My Ability to Provide Health Care
In Rewire, Dr. Terez Yonan discussed how her faith drives her commitment to providing sexual and reproductive health care services, including contraception, LGBTQ care, and referrals for abortion care, with compassion.
On Wednesdays, We Call Congress!
Since the 2016 election, our providers have been calling their members of Congress each Wednesday to advocate for important issues. Now you can join their efforts each week! We provide everything you need: visit our Call Congress page every Wednesday for the latest topic and sample call scripts.
This Needs Your Attention:
Black Maternal Health Week
Physicians was proud to participate in the inaugural national Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) campaign, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. BMHW took place April 11–17 and was a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to increase attention to issues of Black maternal health in the U.S. and to propose policy and medical solutions.
In addition to Physicians staff participating in Twitter chat events throughout BMHW, our physician-advocates spoke out about the critical need to address institutional racism and what the medical profession can do to address this public health crisis:
- Romper: These Facts About Black Maternal Health Are Horrifying, & Entirely Preventable
Romper’s story detailing the facts about Black Maternal Health Week featured a quote from Dr. Aisha Wagner on health disparities. - WURD Radio: Reality Check with Charles Ellison featuring Dr. Jamila Perritt
Dr. Jamila Perritt was interviewed on Philadelphia’s WURD Radio about Black Maternal Health Week and the high rates of Black maternal and infant mortality in the U.S. - BBC – The Inquiry: What’s Killing Black American Babies?
Dr. Sanithia Williams was interviewed about Black infant mortality in the U.S. on BBC radio’s podcast The Inquiry.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Meet Our Advocates: Dr. Sanithia Williams
For our ongoing Meet Our Advocates series, we interviewed Dr. Sanithia Williams, an ob/gyn from the Midwest. In her interview, she talks about social determinants of health, why patients need doctors to be listeners, the history of Black women’s leadership in women’s rights activism, and more.
This Is Life: Illustrating Your Repro Health Stories
The Voices of Courage storytelling campaign is excited to present This Is Life, a new illustrated series by artist Magnolia Porter bringing your stories about reproductive health care to life. In our first story, Dr. Aisha describes how the Hyde Amendment creates unnecessary roadblocks for a military patient in a medical crisis.
Submit your story for a chance to be illustrated
2018 Voices of Courage Benefit:
Tickets and Journal Ads on Sale Now!
Join us on June 11 in New York City as we celebrate the bravery of our providers and supporters. There are many ways you can support this one-of-a-kind event: reserve your tickets, buy a journal ad, or make a tax-deductible donation. Your involvement will directly amplify the brave voices advocating for evidence-based medicine and compassionate care.
Staff Spotlight: Barbara LaPlaca
Barbara is Physicians’ Vice President, Voice and Engagement; she provides strategic vision and leadership for implementing our overall communications strategy. Most recently, she worked at the Floating Hospital, a non-profit providing health care to low-income and homeless families.
At the Floating Hospital, Barbara served as Vice President, Philanthropy and Outreach, and helped modernize perceptions of the 150-year-old organization among fundraising and patient communities.
Previously, Barbara spent 26 years in senior marketing roles in the media industry, first at Hachette Filipacchi, then nine years at Readers Digest building an in-house marketing agency. After Rolling Stone and Rosie O’Donnell’s media properties, she became Associate Publisher of More at Meredith. There, she positioned and created marketing programs for the brand. This led Barbara to Rodale, where, as Executive Director of Marketing, she restructured marketing to support an integrated sales strategy. Subsequently, at PGOA she created a digital strategy for its various media properties.
She has also provided marketing and communication services for Country Living, Edible Queens, Forbes, Gatehouse Media, Gilda’s Club, People, Ralph Lauren, Sesame Workshop, South China Morning Post, SmartMoney.com and Women’s Day.