New Kansas Planned Parenthood Clinic Expands Abortion Access for Oklahomans
A new Planned Parenthood clinic opening Monday in southeast Kansas will be the closest abortion access point for many people in the South and expects to have patients from six states in its first five days — Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. Kansas saw a 369% increase in abortions in 2023, with 69% of patients coming from out of state, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Regional Access Trends and Challenges
For the Trust Women Clinic in Wichita, which was previously the closest city for abortion access for Southern states, 81% of patients were from out of state, with Texas the most common home state, followed by Oklahoma. Texas and Oklahoma have total abortion bans, with few exceptions. On average, pregnant people know they are pregnant after 5.2 weeks for intendent pregnancies and 7.2 weeks for unintended pregnancies, the National Library of Medicine found.
Abortion providers are trying to open new clinics as close as possible to states with bans. Providers hope the new clinics can help serve the surge of patients now expected to travel for abortions. The pattern reflects a growing reality: About a dozen states will soon be tasked with providing the majority of the nation’s abortions, per an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute.
The Pittsburg, Kansas Clinic
The Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic was set to open Aug. 19. The Pittsburg clinic will offer medication abortions for up to 11 weeks of pregnancy, and surgical abortions for 14-15 weeks of pregnancy. "We are doing everything we can to meet the need," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. She noted that a key factor in the Pittsburg location was access to Southern states, as Pittsburg is about five miles from the Missouri border.
Restructuring and Closures in Missouri
While Kansas expands, three Planned Parenthood clinics in eastern and southern Missouri will shut their doors next month, though the organization’s leaders insist the moves will ultimately expand access to reproductive health care. The moves come as the state has successfully implemented legislation cutting Planned Parenthood clinics off from Medicaid funding. No staff members are being laid off as part of the restructuring, Planned Parenthood said in a press release.
Planned Parenthood Clinic Status Overview
| Location | Status and Schedule |
| Pittsburg, Kansas | New clinic opening August 19 |
| Florissant, North St. Louis County | Closing November 1 |
| South Grand, St. Louis | Closing November 1 |
| Joplin, Missouri | Closing January 1 |
Expansion of Telehealth and Alternative Care
As part of the consolidation effort, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers will be expanding telehealth services and hours at its remaining St. Louis clinics. Richard Muniz, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said patient care can be transferred to other Planned Parenthood locations. For Joplin patients, transportation will be provided to the Springfield clinic 75 miles away for those who need it. Planned Parenthood will also refer patients to the Pittsburg, Kansas, clinic about 30 miles away that opened earlier this year.
The main catalysts for these changes were shifts to the health care system because of COVID, and increased requests from patients to access care from home via telehealth options. Two of the remaining St. Louis area clinics — the West County location in Manchester and the St. Peters location — will expand services beginning Nov. 1 to include a Title X family planning program for those who are uninsured or underinsured.