Day to Day Data in Funding Abortions, by Natalie Pruitt
For the past three months, I have managed the complex and confidential patient information and clinic reimbursements for the New Orleans Abortion Fund. During our first meeting, I asked my supervisor how the New Orleans Abortion Fund adapts to the increasing restrictions on abortion such as the approval of Louisiana Amendment 1. She replied that this organization exists because the status of abortion access is already so dire. NOAF works on the individual and community level of funding the medical and practical support needs of Louisiana’s people. This organization works on the micro level, rather than attempting to adapt to the macro-level policies and ever-changing attitudes towards reproductive healthcare.
My work this summer followed this model. I tracked individual clients’ funding and managed invoice reimbursements, packaged and mailed client aftercare kits to those who requested it, and calculated any practical support needs a client might request such as transportation and lodging costs. Each client and case is different. My supervisor also told me on my first day that NOAF will not turn clients away. No matter their gestation timeline, reason for seeking an abortion, financial situation, or background, NOAF recognizes abortion is healthcare, and I support this.
As a student who is studying both Economics and Gender and Sexuality Studies, this opportunity seemed like the perfect blend of my new spreadsheet skills and passion for reproductive justice. This past semester, I worked on an economic research proposal on the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on medicated abortion access. Through my work at the New Orleans Abortion Fund, I was encouraged to explore this topic further by comparing the 2020/2021 fiscal year report to the 2019/2020 report. This worked out perfectly, because NOAF’s fiscal year ends on June 30.
I am excited to watch this organization grow as I continue my work in Client Services and Data with the New Orleans Abortion Fund in the fall.