Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is facing significant financial challenges, leading to the closure of four health centers and changes in services.
PPGNY announced plans to close facilities in Goshen, Amsterdam, Cobleskill, and Staten Island by fall 2024, pending approval from the New York State Department of Health.
The organization cited “compounding financial and political challenges” as the reason for these closures.
In addition to the facility closures, PPGNY is making changes to its Manhattan location. Starting September 3, the center will temporarily pause deep sedation services, which are typically used for late-term abortions. This means the Manhattan clinic will no longer be able to provide abortions beyond 20 weeks gestation.
Wendy Stark, President and CEO of PPGNY, explained the situation: “As a leading health care provider in an abortion and gender-affirming care access state, PPGNY is striving to meet the demands of today, tomorrow, and the future.”
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The organization plans to shift from outsourced anesthesiology services to in-house physicians and nurses for pain management at its Manhattan facility. Patients will still have access to local anesthesia and moderate sedation for procedures like in-clinic abortions and IUD insertions or removals.
PPGNY’s press release stated, “Our physicians and nurses are committed to ensuring high-quality, patient-centered care using safe and effective minimal and moderate pain management options.”
These changes are part of a larger “strategic reconfiguring” that PPGNY began in spring 2024. The organization points to several factors contributing to its financial difficulties:
- Rising operating expenses
- Unreliable insurance reimbursements
- Ongoing pandemic recovery
- A challenging political landscape
- Insufficient state budget support for sexual and reproductive health care providers
Stark framed these challenges as “part of the overarching health care crisis in the United States.” She emphasized the organization’s commitment to long-term sustainability, saying, “We will continue to make long-term investments in our future and for reproductive freedom by advocating for higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid and private insurers.”
NOW: A pop up van is set up by Planned Parenthood, about a mile away from DNC, offering medical abortions, vacectomy and care packages. Planned Parenthood van is not associated with the DNC, however it is in Chicago during the convention. pic.twitter.com/8uJsf6Unls
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 20, 2024
The impact of these changes on patients, particularly those seeking later-term abortions, is significant. PPGNY acknowledged this in their announcement: “Patients who need abortion later in pregnancy are among the most vulnerable among the communities we serve. We know many cannot afford the cost of procedural abortion, and we are heartbroken that PPGNY is unable at this time to absorb the cost of their sedation when provided by an outside anesthesia service.”
For patients requiring later-term abortions or deep sedation, PPGNY plans to refer them to medical partners. The organization expressed its commitment to resuming these services in the future.
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These developments have drawn attention from both sides of the abortion debate. Emily Erin Davis, VP of communications at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, commented on the closures, stating, “Even in one of the most pro-abortion states in the country, when they aren’t making enough money from abortions they close up shop.”