All-trimester abortion clinic prepares to open in Maryland
An ob-gyn and nurse-midwife are gearing up to open an all-trimester abortion clinic near Washington, D.C. They aim to provide abortions later in pregnancy and serve women from states with bans. When it opens sometime after Labor Day, Partners in Abortion Care will be one of only a handful of clinics in the United States that offer abortions into the third trimester — in this case, up to 34 weeks' gestation.
Expanding Access in a Post-Roe Era
The clinic expects to treat an influx of patients coming north from states with abortion bans enacted after the Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade. All-trimester abortion care "is a really politicized topic," says Dr. Diane Horvath, an obstetrician-gynecologist and co-owner of the clinic, "and it shouldn't be. Every time we draw a line and we say 'no more abortions after this point,' someone's going to fall on the other side of that line, and they're going to be harmed."
The following table summarizes the key features of the upcoming facility:
| Clinic Name | Partners in Abortion Care |
| Location | College Park, Md., outside Washington, D.C. |
| Maximum Gestation | Up to 34 weeks |
| Key Personnel | Dr. Diane Horvath and Morgan Nuzzo (certified nurse-midwife) |
Rehomed Equipment from Georgia
The Maryland clinic bought all of its equipment second-hand from a clinic in Savannah, Ga., that shut down in June after 40 years providing abortions. It was one of many facilities that either shut down or stopped offering abortion services in states with bans. Georgia now bans most abortions after about six weeks. "I was thinking about how Georgia lost access to abortion, like, this week," Horvath says. "And we're getting this equipment from them. So — it feels very heavy." Morgan Nuzzo adds, "We're going to take good care of the equipment. We keep talking about it as 'rehoming.'"
Legal Landscape in Maryland
By contrast, Maryland has liberal abortion laws, and in July a law took effect that further expands abortion access. Now, along with physicians, qualified health providers including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and midwives are allowed to perform abortions. The facility features three procedure rooms and is preparing to specialize in all-trimester abortion care to meet the growing national demand.