Key points
The Quality and Access for Reproductive Health Equity (QARE, pronounced 'care') for Teens project aims to: 1) facilitate quality improvement of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in community health centers and 2) increase access to those services. This project is led by the National Association of Community Health Centers with support from the CDC Division of Reproductive Health.
More About QARE for Teens
Quality adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services, including contraceptive and sexually transmitted infections services, are essential to supporting teen health. Providing access to these services improves outcomes and promotes health equity.
The QARE for Teens project was developed with the goal of improving the quality of care and access to health care services that support adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), with assistance from Cicatelli Associates, Inc., launched the initiative in September 2020. QARE for Teens builds on a foundation of previous work to support adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
A key part of this project is Q4T (Quality for Teens): A Quality Improvement Package for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Care. The package contains change strategies, tips, and resources for supporting adolescent sexual and reproductive health quality improvement initiatives in community health centers. Community health centers are critical settings to improve health, especially in areas where economic, social, or other barriers limit access to affordable, high-quality health care.
Although Q4T is designed for use in health centers, it may also be useful in other clinical settings serving teens.
NACHC also worked in partnership with a set of community health centers to develop several other resources to support increased adolescent access to these services.