Planned Parenthood Great Plains Prepares for Northwest Arkansas Relocation
For Immediate Release: July 9, 2019
Northwest Arkansas health center will reopen in coming months
Lawsuit challenging Arkansas abortion restriction moves ahead
Contact: Emily Miller, [email protected]
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ Fayetteville Health Center (3729 N. Crossover Rd. Suite 107) will close at the end of July as we get ready to relocate. The health center — one of two Planned Parenthood locations in Arkansas — has provided a range of sexual and reproductive health services, including birth control, STI tests and treatment, transgender care, primary care, and medication abortion.
“Planned Parenthood Great Plains will be reopening our Northwest Arkansas Health Center in a new location in the coming months,” said Dr. Brandon J. Hill, Planned Parenthood Great Plains President and CEO. “We chose to leave our current location following challenges that posed concerns for the safety of our patients and staff. We are no strangers to pressure from politicians and individuals who want to stand in the way of our ability to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care. Ultimately, in this instance, we had reached an impasse. We chose to seek an alternative location that would meet our high standards for safety and ensure we can continue to provide the comprehensive care our patients need and deserve. Make no mistake: We remain committed to providing care in Northwest Arkansas, and we are working swiftly to ensure we reopen our doors as soon as possible.”
Our expert, compassionate staff provide care to nearly 2,000 patients in Northwest Arkansas each year and are proud to maintain an inclusive, welcoming environment for patients of all ages and genders.
Last month, Planned Parenthood Great Plains filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging an abortion restriction that will severely restrict abortion access in Arkansas. ACLU and Planned Parenthood sought to block three laws scheduled to take effect on July 24. Given the relocation of the Northwest Arkansas Health Center and temporary closure, Planned Parenthood informed the court that we are withdrawing our request for emergency relief from Act 700.
“Unfortunately, our decision to move our Fayetteville location impacts our ability to move ahead with this phase of our case,” Hill said. “It’s clear that Arkansas politicians are trying to ban abortion one law at a time. Preventing qualified physicians from providing safe, legal abortion services goes against medical evidence and sound practice to push abortion out of reach for people across Arkansas. Politicians keep trying to interfere with our patients’ rights, but we remain committed to fighting on their behalf. The lawsuit will move forward, and we will notify the court when we are able to resume abortion services in Northwest Arkansas.”
The last day patients will be seen at our current Fayetteville location will be July 25, 2019. We are working to notify patients and ensure they can access care from alternative providers while we are closed. Planned Parenthood Great Plains staff are working diligently to relocate our health center and reopen as quickly as possible so we can resume the full range of services our patients depend on us for.
For more information about Planned Parenthood Great Plains, or to schedule an appointment at a different location, please visit ppgreatplains.org.
About Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP)
Planned Parenthood Great Plains has been a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care for nearly 85 years, serving women, men, and families in communities across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Each year, we provide care to nearly 30,000 people in our 11 health centers and reach nearly 5,500 people through our comprehensive sex education programming. We believe that every person deserves to have access to the resources and information they need in order to make decisions about their own health.