QARE for Teens aims to improve access, care, and the capacity of community health centers to deliver high-quality sexual and reproductive health services to adolescent patients.
For over two decades, there have been many efforts to improve access to and the quality of adolescent sexual and reproductive health care. However, missed opportunities continue to present barriers to young people seeking care.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are trusted safety-net providers that serve almost 10 percent of adolescents across the United States. Yet many health centers lack the support and structures to provide quality adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. To address these gaps, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Reproductive Health has initiated the Quality & Access for Reproductive Health Equity (QARE) for Teens Project.
The initiative
The Quality for Teens (Q4T) quality improvement package was produced by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in collaboration with CAI. It compiles strategies, tips, tools, and informational materials to promote health equity and optimal sexual reproductive health focused on the needs of adolescents in community health care settings.
The Q4T package was co-designed by health centers for health centers through an iterative multi-year process that included:
- Conducting a thorough environmental scan
- Piloting the package and conducting feasibility testing in three health centers and one health department and revising in response to feedback
- Reviewing the quality improvement package to ensure alignment with national standards
The impact
There are numerous change strategies and related tools and resources available to support adoption of quality adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. Successful implementation requires motivating and inspiring healthcare leaders and providers to prioritize the delivery of high-quality care to young patients.
Health centers are Integrating this package into comprehensive quality assurance activities that can help them improve their capacity to reduce disparities, improve health outcomes, and provide the most effective sexual and reproductive health services to the young people they serve.
Project funders
- National Association of Community Health Centers
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Reproductive Health
Leadership and contact
Mikayla Bobrow: qare.contact@caiglobal.org.