Latest news with #MargotRiphagen
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood Great Rivers resumes abortions
ST. LOUIS – Planned Parenthood Great Rivers (PPGR)—a reproductive health clinic in St. Louis—said that it will be resuming procedural abortion care at its health center. The clinic announced its decision Friday, saying that its first procedures were performed this week. Ever since Nov. 5, Missourians voted for reproductive rights, approving Amendment 3 for Reproductive Freedom. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Our medical and patient services teams have been working diligently to prepare to provide this essential health care,' said Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers. 'We stand ready to welcome more patients to ensure they can get the care they need, when they need it.' Dr. Margaret Baum, interim Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, says that the clinic has served patients from about 30 states. PPGR says that it will continue its advocacy for Amendment 3's full implementation in courts, ensuring that individuals have equitable access to reproductive resources. The clinic urges patients who are seeking cancer screenings, birth control or other reproductive resources to make an appointment or call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
15-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Judge strikes down license requirement for abortion providers in Missouri
In a massive victory for abortion rights supporters, a Missouri judge on Friday blocked a licensing requirement for abortion clinics that providers said prevented them from offering the procedure. Planned Parenthood announced shortly after the judge's ruling that its clinics would once again perform abortions in Missouri. 'Abortion services are resuming in Missouri!' Planned Parenthood Great Plains, an affiliate that operates in Missouri, announced on Facebook. 'We are excited to soon offer care at select Missouri health centers, ensuring safe, compassionate and essential reproductive healthcare for those who need it.' Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, another Missouri affiliate, added in a statement: 'Our health center staff are quickly readying to restart this critical care in the coming days.' Abortions have been virtually banned in Missouri since 2022, when the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade and permitted much of the nation's south and midwest regions to outlaw the procedure. But in November, Missouri residents voted to pass a ballot measure adding abortion rights to the state constitution. The ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers then sued Missouri to strike down a bevy of anti-abortion laws. Jackson county circuit court judge Jerri Zhang agreed to halt a number of those laws in December. But Zhang left in place a requirement that abortion clinics be licensed by the Missouri department of health and senior services – a policy that Planned Parenthood said in court papers was 'medically unnecessary'. While that requirement was in place, the reproductive healthcare giant said its clinics could not perform abortions in Missouri. 'It was so weaponized when we had to get licensure from the state. The state would delay,' Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, told the Guardian in December. 'They would force us to litigate to get a license.' Planned Parenthood asked Zhang to reconsider the ruling. In her Friday order, Zhang declared that the licensing requirement was 'discriminatory'. 'It does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated healthcare, including miscarriage care,' Zhang wrote. The Missouri attorney general is likely to appeal Zhang's ruling.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Abortions to resume in Missouri after a judge temporarily blocks restrictions
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Abortions are set to resume in Missouri after a judge temporarily blocked regulations on Friday that providers said had kept them from offering the procedure. The ruling came after a Kansas City judge ruled last year that abortions were now legal in the state but kept certain regulations on the books while a lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates played out. One regulation required abortion facilities to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood said most of its facilities could not comply with some of the licensing rules, including 'medically irrelevant' size requirements for hallways, rooms and doors. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Voters approved a measure adding abortion rights to the constitution in November. That amendment did not legalize abortion in the state outright but instead required judges to reconsider laws that had almost completely banned the procedure. Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the group is working quickly to start providing the procedure again in the coming days. 'Today's decision affirms what we've already long known — the state's abortion facility licensing requirements were not about patient safety, but rather another politically motivated barrier to prevent patients seeking abortion from getting the care they need,' she said in a statement. There was no immediate response to a voice message seeking comment from a spokesperson for Missouri's attorney general, who is defending the state's abortion restrictions in court. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said clinic partners are ready to start providing abortions as soon as next week. 'With this change the landscape for Missourians and the entire Midwest region will be transformed, as patients will have greater access to abortion care than they have had in years,' she said in a statement. Missouri is one of five states where voters approved ballot measures in 2024 to enshrining abortion rights in their constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment but will need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another measure banning discrimination on the basis of 'pregnancy outcomes' prevailed in New York.
The Independent
15-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Abortions to resume in Missouri after a judge temporarily blocks restrictions
Abortions are set to resume in Missouri after a judge temporarily blocked regulations on Friday that providers said had kept them from offering the procedure. The ruling came after a Kansas City judge ruled last year that abortions were now legal in the state but kept certain regulations on the books while a lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates played out. One regulation required abortion facilities to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood said most of its facilities could not comply with some of the licensing rules, including 'medically irrelevant' size requirements for hallways, rooms and doors. Voters approved a measure adding abortion rights to the constitution in November. That amendment did not legalize abortion in the state outright but instead required judges to reconsider laws that had almost completely banned the procedure. Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the group is working quickly to start providing the procedure again in the coming days. 'Today's decision affirms what we've already long known — the state's abortion facility licensing requirements were not about patient safety, but rather another politically motivated barrier to prevent patients seeking abortion from getting the care they need,' she said in a statement. There was no immediate response to a voice message seeking comment from a spokesperson for Missouri's attorney general, who is defending the state's abortion restrictions in court. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said clinic partners are ready to start providing abortions as soon as next week. 'With this change the landscape for Missourians and the entire Midwest region will be transformed, as patients will have greater access to abortion care than they have had in years,' she said in a statement. Missouri is one of five states where voters approved ballot measures in 2024 to enshrining abortion rights in their constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment but will need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another measure banning discrimination on the basis of 'pregnancy outcomes' prevailed in New York.
