Latest news with #PaulaThorntonGreear
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan Planned Parenthood impacted by Trump federal cuts, closing 3 centers
The Brief Planned Parenthood of Michigan is losing 3 centers due to federal cuts by the Trump Administration. Although abortion rights are enshrined in the state constitution, affordability and accessibility could become harder. Ten brick and mortar Planned Parenthood centers remain with one virtual, as well. FOX 2 - It was 2022 when Michigan voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, passing it overwhelmingly. Planned Parenthood of Michigan was a driving force in that effort - but three years later they say they are being forced to restructure after funding cuts from the Trump Administration. Local perspective "The ballot measure protects the rights, but not necessarily the affordability or the accessibility," said Paula Thornton Greear, Planned Parenthood of Michigan. Greear, the president and CEO, announced the consolidation of the two Ann Arbor health centers and the closure of three others - in Jackson, Petoskey and Marquette. That leaves 10 brick and mortar centers statewide plus a virtual one. "A lot of people have reached out to me, and they are angry and they are hurt," she said. "And you know what - we are too." Thornton Greear says the clinic closures are a result of the Trump Administration defunding organizations from Title 10 - threats to Medicaid and the Comstock Act. "They are trying to do everything to defund Planned Parenthood and take away people's bodily autonomy," she said. Planned Parenthood says it is fighting back - expanding Telehealth services to seven days a week - expanding their hours and patient navigators - because nearly 60,000 patients a year depend on it. "Planned Parenthood will never back down," Thornton Greear said. "We will always fight and find a way to make sure that people have access to the healthcare that they need." The Source Information for this report came from an interview with the Planned Parenthood of Michigan president and CEO.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood to close 3 Michigan clinics, citing Trump administration funding freeze
Planned Parenthood of Michigan announced Thursday it would shutter three clinics, including its lone location in the state's Upper Peninsula. The move, organization leaders say, is to ensure financial flexibility and sustainability as the Trump administration freezes federal Title X funding for family planning. Planned Parenthood of Michigan operates 14 health centers in the state. Effective April 30, the organization will close its clinics in Jackson, Petoskey and Marquette, it said in a news release Thursday. The Marquette location is the organization's only clinic in the Upper Peninsula. The organization's two Ann Arbor locations will also combine into a single location by May 5, the organization said. Planned Parenthood of Michigan will work "over the next few months" to expand its virtual telehealth services to seven days a week, the organization said in a news release. The move will see Planned Parenthood of Michigan reduce its staff by 10%, cutting positions on clinical, programming and administrative teams. Despite the cuts, Planned Parenthood of Michigan officials said the organization "remains committed to providing critical health care services in impacted communities." More: Trump pardons 4 convicted activists who blockaded Sterling Heights abortion clinic More: Abortion access in Michigan ahead of Trump second term: Here's what to know Planned Parenthood provides reproductive health care to patients, including medication and in-clinic abortions. According to Planned Parenthood of Michigan's website, the locations in Jackson, Petoskey and Marquette did not offer in-clinic abortions to patients, but did offer medication abortions, which involve ingesting medication to end a pregnancy. The national Planned Parenthood organization said Tuesday the Trump Administration was withholding federal funds through the Title X program, Reuters reported. In a statement, Planned Parenthood of Michigan President and CEO Paula Thornton Greear said the organization has been planning for financial scenarios for months. 'The Trump administration and its anti-abortion allies have made clear their intention to defund Planned Parenthood and attack access to sexual and reproductive health care nationwide – so while these attacks are devastating, they are not a surprise,' Thornton Greear said. "While implementing difficult decisions is never easy, they are essential to protect our long-term capacity to fulfill our mission and serve Michigan communities for generations to come." Title X is a federal grant program designed to broaden access to reproductive health care and family planning services. The program has been in place since 1970. In a statement provided to Reuters, the federal Department of Health and Human Services said it was withholding Title X payments to 16 organizations while it evaluates possible violations of their grant terms. In a separate move, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel signed onto a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the federal department from cutting public health funding to states, including nearly $380 million in grant funding to Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has paused outgoing grants to local health departments and agencies due to the federal funding cuts, according to an MDHHS spokesperson. The affected funds are intended to combat infectious diseases as well as help with pandemic preparedness and recovery. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Planned Parenthood announces 3 Michigan clinics will close
CBS News
03-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Planned Parenthood of Michigan closing 3 clinics, reducing 10% of its workforce
Planned Parenthood of Michigan will permanently close three health centers and reduce staffing. The three impacted clinics are slated to close at the end of the month. Citing financial challenges, and claiming the Trump administration is moving to freeze Title X family planning funds, the organization said it would work to consolidate its "physical footprint" at the same time as it works to bolster virtual alternatives. Administrators said they hope the moves will increase appointment availability statewide. The group says it's reducing its staffing by 10%. Those cuts will impact clinical, programmatic and administrative teams. The head of the organization said the moves were necessary "to adapt quickly in a challenging political landscape." "The Trump administration and its anti-abortion allies have made clear their intention to defund Planned Parenthood and attack access to sexual and reproductive health care nationwide — so while these attacks are devastating, they are not a surprise," Paula Thornton Greear, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said. Planned Parenthood will also consolidate two of its health centers in Ann Arbor by May 5, and will expand its Virtual Health Center to offer telehealth appointments seven days per week. The organization's chief medical operating officer, Dr. Sarah Wallett, said Planned Parenthood of Michigan remains committed "to provide care, no matter what," but noted that reproductive health care providers have "faced wave after wave of challenges, from the first Trump administration to the historic overturn of Roe v. Wade." Among the challenges Wallett alluded to, earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over South Carolina's attempt to boot Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program . The court, currently under a 6-3 conservative majority, appeared divided over whether Medicaid recipients can sue under a federal civil rights law to enforce the provision. Michigan is not the only state that has seen Planned Parenthood clinic closures in recent months. Earlier this year, the Illinois branch announced the closure of four clinics , including one in Chicago. CBS Detroit has reached out to the White House for comment.
