The nonprofit group that administers federal family planning money in Mississippi had its funding restored Wednesday, one month after it was forced to lay off half its staff and three months after its funding was withheld by the federal government.
Title X, a federal program that has been providing money for family planning services to states for over 50 years, flows through Converge to 91 clinics around the state. On March 31, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told Converge it was withholding $4.5 million intended for Mississippi’s Title X program indefinitely during an investigation into the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
“We are relieved to have received our Notice of Award for Title X funding today, which enables us to return to the essential work of supporting our clinical network, maintaining operations, and meeting the needs of our communities across Mississippi and Tennessee,” Jamie Bardwell, co-executive director of Converge, said in a statement.
The nonprofit will be rehiring some of the 10 staff it laid off, but is not currently able to rehire all due to “continued instability of federal funds,” Audrey Sandusky, vice president of communications and marketing at Converge, told Mississippi Today.
The team received a letter from HHS on June 25 that the investigation found Converge to be compliant with the law and that funding would be restored.
“OASH (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health) reminds you of your ongoing obligation to comply with all terms of the award, including by not engaging in any unlawful diversity, equity or inclusion-related discrimination in violation of such laws,” the letter read.
That same day, Sen. Bradford Blackmon, D-Canton, wrote a letter urging Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to push HHS to restore Converge’s funding. Blackmon wrote that the money supported services delivered through federally qualified health centers, which he called “lifelines in both rural and urban areas of our state.”
“The stakes for our communities could not be higher,” Blackmon wrote. “In 2024 alone, over 16,800 Mississippians, the majority of whom are uninsured and living at or below the federal poverty level, relied on Title X-supported services provided by Converge’s network.”
A spokesperson for Reeves did not immediately respond to Mississippi Today’s questions Wednesday about whether the governor advocated for the return of federal funding to Converge.
Blackmon has been a supporter of reproductive health care. Last session, he introduced a protest bill called the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act,” which would have made it unlawful for men to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.
Converge leaders still do not know what prompted the HHS investigation, though the initial allegation referenced a 2020 statement the nonprofit made committing to diversity in health care during the wake of the George Floyd protests.
The team is proceeding with caution, but eager to resume a range of services related to helping people get pregnant, preventing pregnancy through birth control like long-acting contraception, cancer screening, pregnancy testing and STI testing and treatment.
“This marks a critical step forward for communities that have gone without essential family planning funding for three months and have worked tirelessly to provide care with limited resources,” Bardwell said. “We look forward to resuming services, reconnecting patients with trusted providers, and continuing the vital work of ensuring access to high-quality, compassionate care across the South.”
