Health

Planned Parenthood of Illinois Closing 4 Health Centers, Including Englewood Location, Amid Financial Shortfall

Planned Parenthood of Illinois will be closing four health centers, including one in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, due to a financial shortfall and an “uncertain patient care landscape” under the Donald Trump administration, the reproductive health care provider announced Wednesday.

In addition to Englewood in Chicago, Planned Parenthood health centers in Ottawa, Decatur and Bloomington in central Illinois will also be closing.

Appointments at the four health centers will end in March 2025. None of the health centers provide procedural abortion care, according to a news release.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois has seen a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and an “unprecedented” number of out-of-state patients since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, according to a news release.

“We made plans for the patient surge however rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers is jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability,” Interim President and CEO Tonya Tucker said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this is the reality many other Planned Parenthood affiliates are facing in the rapidly evolving health care environment.”

In an effort to minimize patient disruptions, Planned Parenthood of Illinois leaders said they plan to expand patient care as needed at locations in Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Waukegan and in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois will also offer medication abortion through the PPDirect app starting in February. Currently, patients can receive birth control, UTI treatment, at-home STI testing and emergency contraception through PPDirect.

Patients using PPDirect fill out a questionnaire that is reviewed by a medical professional, according to a news release. Planned Parenthood of Illinois will either mail the medication abortion pills to the qualified patients or work with them to schedule an appointment at a health center.

Illinois has seen the highest volume of abortion patients coming from other states since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

Out-of-state patients traveling from more than 40 states make up nearly 25% of the organization’s overall abortion patients compared to 3-5% before the Dobbs decision, according to a news release.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois said it would be downsizing its administrative staff to match the changes in its health centers and, where possible, staff being displaced by the closures will be offered comparable positions at other locations or transitioned to telehealth.

Former President and CEO Jennifer Welch announced earlier this month she would be stepping down after leading Planned Parenthood of Illinois for more than seven years. Chief Financial Officer Tonya Tucker was chosen to serve as interim CEO.

“We are making the difficult decisions today so we can continue providing care tomorrow and well into the future,” Tucker said in a statement.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]

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