Tampa Family Health Services Drop Title X Services

TAMPA, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County has been notified that, as of Sept. 30, Tampa Family Health Centers will no longer offer Title X services to its patients.

Following the notification, DOH-Hillsborough has been working on a plan to reduce the impact to the approximately 2,700 patients who will be displaced.

"Suncoast Community Health Centers has agreed to accept all the displaced patients, which I certainly applaud," said Douglas Holt, DOH-Hillsborough health director. "This will help reduce the impact on the patients who receive help through the important program."

The federal grant program allows low-income women to receive contraception, cancer and other critical health-screening services, along with abortion referrals.

But a rule change by the Trump Administration now prohibits Title X funding to go to clinics that refer women for abortions.

Four million women in the United States benefit from Title X, including nearly 5,000 women in Hillsborough County.

"Without the program, there would likely be an increase in unplanned pregnancies and STDs," Holt said.

Tampa Family Health Centers, however, denied that the Trump rule change was a factor in the decision to drop Title X recipients. The health centers said Title X funding was limiting its ability to expand.

The organization issued the following statement:

Tampa Family made the decision not to continue our subcontract with the Hillsborough County Department of Health for Title X funding for Family Planning effective September 30, 2019 and has been working with the staff at the County Health Department to assure proper execution through the termination process.

In light of this, we are excited to announce that effective October 1, 2019 we are expanding access to Family Planning services from the current seven locations we were limited to under the Title X contract to each of our 14 locations. Expanding access points for these services will further the mission of our Federally Qualified Health Center to provide quality, caring, accessible health care to a culturally diverse community. Many of those we serve struggle to get to a center due to transportation barriers, limited appointments and schedule issues as well as costs. For these reasons, Tampa Family is committed to providing greater access to quality health care to every patient who visits one of our centers regardless of them having health insurance or their ability to pay our low-cost sliding fee scale. No patients will be denied services or displaced as all of our patients will continue to have access to all of the same services including access to wellness exams/cancer screenings, STD tests, pregnancy tests, prescriptions for contraception, counseling services, etc.

DOH-Hillsborough partners with local Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide Title X services, which offer no-cost and low-cost family planning visits and no-cost medications. Suncoast Community Health Centers and Tampa Family Health Centers have been providing Title X services in Hillsborough County since 2012.

Holt said a letter has been sent by DOH-Hillsborough to the displaced patients, encouraging them to call 813-653-6100 to make an appointment with Suncoast Community Health Centers.

Suncoast Community Health Centers locations that offer Title X services are:

Brandon Community Health Center
Palm River Community Health Center
Plant City Family Care
Ruskin Health Center
Tom Lee Community Health Center in Dover

Patients who have questions about the change in services should call the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County at 813-307-8066.