Planned Parenthood health centers in western Washington have been working hard to accommodate increased patient demand in some areas. Some of the extra strain is due to the closure of three Washington Planned Parenthood health centers this year.
Area Services Director Susanne Mauney noted that Olympia, Centralia and Federal Way have all seen patients transfer care from the now-closed Shelton and Kent health centers.
“We are still seeing all of our patients, even with a small team,” said Federal Way Health Center Manager Debra McKinney.
McKinney noted that some patients travel by bus for two and a half hours from Kent to their Federal Way appointments. Mauney also pointed out that Shelton is an hour’s drive from Olympia, with far fewer public transportation options.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure we’re giving our patients the best care, especially when they have to overcome the difficulty of travelling further to get care,” said McKinney.
Ryl Sherrett, Centralia Health Center Manager, added that there has been a great deal of community support for Planned Parenthood in the wake of the other health center closures.
“They often express appreciation that we are still open,” McKinney agreed.
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Tags: Washington, Access to Health Care