Planned Parenthood to close eight facilities across Iowa, Minnesota

Planned Parenthood has announced it will shutter eight more of its abortion facilities — four in Iowa and four in Minnesota — in the next few weeks as it faces funding cuts.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States announced the closings of eight abortion facilities in a statement. They are expected to close by July 1.

• Planned Parenthood cites a threat to its funding as the reason for the closings, as well as shifting patient needs.

• After the closures, two Planned Parenthood facilities will remain in Iowa and four in Minnesota.

THE DETAILS: 

The CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), Ruth Richardson, announced in a statement on Friday that it will be shutting down eight of its facilities over the next few weeks, with the affected clinics expected to close by July 1.

“I write to you today with news that weighs heavily on my heart,” wrote Richardson. “We’ve been fighting to hold together our current structure as the landscape shifts around us and we face down an almost-daily onslaught of attacks. … It is necessary for PPNCS to adapt its model to meet the moment.”

She continued, “We are restructuring our footprint to build a strong network of health centers that consistently deliver expert sexual and reproductive health care, to meet patients where they are by providing online, virtual, and onsite care while expanding services to address critical gaps in our community’s care.”

Richardson said the “decision does not come lightly,” and noted that “patient needs and preferences have changed” and “millions in PPNCS funds have been frozen” with “millions more … being targeted.”

The Planned Parenthood facilities included in the widespread closures are Ames Health Center in Iowa; Alexandria Health Center in Minnesota; Apple Valley Health Center in Minnesota; Bemidji Health Center in Minnesota; Cedar Rapids Health Center in Iowa; Richfield Health Center in Minnesota; Sioux City Health Center in Iowa; and Urbandale Health Center in Iowa.

PPNCS runs facilities in five states — Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. A total of 15 Planned Parenthoods will remain open across the PPNCS region following the closures, including six that will commit abortions — five of them in Minnesota, according to NBC News, and one in Omaha, Nebraska.

THE BACKSTORY:

In 2017, Iowa blocked public funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses. Immediately after this decision, four abortion facilities were shut down in the state in Bettendorf, Burlington, Keokuk, and Sioux City. In 2023, Planned Parenthood shut down additional facilities in Des Moines, Cedar Falls, and Council Bluffs.

In April, the Trump administration temporarily froze Title X funding to Planned Parenthood, potentially stripping the abortion giant of 20 million in federal taxpayer dollars. According to NBC, $2.8 million was stripped from Minnesota locations. While that funding could not be used to directly pay for abortions, money is fungible, and Planned Parenthood was able to redirect other funding towards abortion.

PPNCS also said proposed Medicaid cuts also played a role in its decision to shutter locations. And earlier this month, the U.S. House advanced a reconciliation bill that includes a provision that would defund Planned Parenthood.

In addition, in June of 2024, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the state’s pro-life law protecting preborn children from abortion once their heartbeats are detectable at about six weeks of pregnancy, except for in medical emergencies. Most preborn children are currently protected from abortion in the state.