Press Release 05-29-13: Statement from Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Delaware

Ensuring high-quality care and maintaining the valued trust of our community is of the utmost importance. Patients are our top priority, and we insist on the highest professional standards of care.

Over the past year, various scheduled and unscheduled internal and external reviews were completed at our health centers and have helped ensure that we are meeting our rigorous standards.  Like all high-quality health care providers, if we become aware of any deviation from these standards, we take swift corrective action.

Current Delaware law ensures that abortion providers adhere to the same strict regulations as do all health care facilities that provide similar invasive outpatient procedures. Any time there is a concern, agencies are able to inspect and investigate our health centers to ensure the state’s high standards are met.

In recent days, the Delaware Division of Public Health has stated that they have concluded their recent survey of our health centers and that we have complied in areas that were noted in their last unannounced visit.  The findings of the recent survey were immediately rectified.  While it is important to adhere to every medical regulation, the Division of Public Health findings do not in any way support the allegations of former employees who are now working with organizations whose mission is to oppose our services.

For those of you who may have heard speculation and falsehoods about our services in recent months, I want to provide clear information.  Our doors have always remained open, we are providing our full range of services, and all of our staff are highly trained and meeting our promise of quality care. 

For more than 80 years, the mission of Planned Parenthood of Delaware has been to ensure the right of all individuals to access the appropriate information and services necessary to make and act on personal decisions related to their own reproduction, sexuality, and health.  We work hard every day to live up to that mission. More than 90 percent of what we do is preventive care.  Each year, we provide confidential, compassionate care that includes breast cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment of STDs, Pap tests, sexual health education, abortion, and health counseling to more than 11,000 women, men, and teens.

UPDATE: On June 3, the Delaware Division of Public Health conducted another unannounced survey of our health centers and confirmed that we’re meeting all standards for high-quality care.

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The mission of Planned Parenthood of Delaware is to ensure the right of all individuals to access the appropriate information and the services necessary to make and act on personal decisions related to their own reproduction, sexuality and health. Planned Parenthood provides family planning, gynecological services, abortion, cancer screening, STD testing and treatment, health education, and more. The agency serves all three counties, has operated in Delaware for more than 80 years, and serves 11,000 clients a year. For further information, check out www.ppdel.org.

Source

Planned Parenthood of Delaware

Contact

Amelia Auner
302.655.7297 (office)
302.507.4694 (cell)

Published

May 29, 2013

Updated

June 04, 2013