Advocacy Grand Rounds: Paths to Protection – FDA’s Possible Role in Safeguarding Access to Reproductive Care

Register now for the August 2022 installment of Doctors for America’s Advocacy Grand Rounds, Paths to Protection: Ways to Safeguard Access to Reproductive Care, on August 11, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

The recent Supreme Court ruling on access to abortion left many wondering what next steps can be taken to protect access to critical reproductive healthcare. DFA’s August Advocacy Grand Rounds will explore the current landscape for care, as well as meaningful paths to protecting access, particularly the role that the FDA can take. 

Session takeaways:

• Learn about the current landscape of reproductive care in the wake of the Dobbs decision 
• Explore courses of action that can be taken to protect access to care
• Highlight the role the FDA can take in protecting reproductive care

Speakers:

Ameet Sarpatwari

Ameet Sarpatwari is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, an Associate Epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Assistant Director of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) within the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics. His research draws upon his interdisciplinary training as an epidemiologist and lawyer and focuses on the effects of laws and regulations on therapeutic development, approval, use, and related public health outcomes. He teaches an annual course on public health law at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he also serves as Faculty Director of the JD-MPH program

Deborah Bartz, MD, MPH

Deborah Bartz, MD, MPH is an obstetrician-gynecologist fellowship trained in Complex Family
Planning at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). As such she serves as the Ryan Program
Director for Harvard Medical School where she has a robust program of teaching both residents
and medical students in the form of daily lectures, work on the wards, and both classroom
teaching and hands-on training in abortion. She serves as a faculty expert in complex D&E
techniques, medical abortion, and contraception care in the medically complicated patient. Her
clinical practice acts as a bridge between the medically complex patients encountered at an
academic center and the high-volume ambulatory care provided at Planned Parenthood. This
varied practice offers many teaching opportunities as well. Dr. Bartz’s research has examined
best practices in reproductive health medical education. Given the dearth of access to
comprehensive reproductive services in the United States, she is particularly proud of her role
as an educator to a new generation of women’s health providers.

She serves as the Associate Clerkship Director for the OB/GYN medical student
rotation, as the Medical Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Title X
Program, and as the Director of Education for the Connors Center for Women’s Health and
Gender Biology at BWH. Through her educational activities, Dr. Bartz has been innovative in
expanding primary care specialist, resident, and medical student training to include evidence-
based, complex abortion care through simulation and through graduated models of training.
She has received multiple teaching awards. Dr. Bartz’ commitment to mentorship has been
rewarded with entrance into the competitive BWH Faculty Mentorship Leadership Program,
entrance into the APGO Scholars and Leaders Program, and membership on the Board of
Directors for Medical Students for Choice. Dr. Bartz’ current research program focuses on the
development, assessment, and propagation of best educational practices of abortion and
reproductive justice.