In 1980, Planned Parenthood of Linn County (PPLC) was formed as an affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. One year later, a generous grant of $100,000 from the Hall Foundation enabled PPLC to open a clinic in Cedar Rapids. A cadre of local physicians served the initial patients, and 292 women were provided with contraceptive services in the first year.
In 1983, PPLC welcomed a full-time nurse practitioner. This initiated a period of significant growth, requiring extensive remodeling three times over a seven-year period. By 1990, PPLC had tripled in size, and with the addition of four counties, was renamed Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa (PPECI). Additional expansion since 1994 has included healthcare services for the Community Corrections Center in Cedar Rapids. In 1997, PPECI completed a security upgrade and clinic redesign, thanks to support from the Hall-Perrine Foundation, the Quarton Donor-Advised Fund, the General Mills Foundation and the Albright Donor-Advised Fund.
Cancer prevention has been a Planned Parenthood priority for more than two decades. In 1998, a grant from the Wellmark Foundation of Blue Cross/Blue Shield enabled PPECI to provide free cervical cancer screening to uninsured and under-insured women.
In addition to clinical services, many Cedar Rapids organizations value the sexuality education provided by the PPECI staff. A significant grant from the Hall Foundation helped PPLC establish an Educational Resources Program in 1984. That program continues at PPECI today, providing comprehensive sexuality education annually to more than 5,000 youth and adults in our service area. The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has provided support for educating high-risk teens, while the Quarton Donor-Advised Fund and the McLeod Foundation have sponsored a peer education program for high school youth, entitled S.T.A.R.T. (Sex Talk Among Responsible Teens).
In 2008, PPECI saw nearly 4,000 family planning patients in our clinic, administered more than 1,000 Emergency Contraception prescriptions, prescribed more than 15,000 contraceptive medications, tested and counseled more than 200 people for HIV, and distributed more than 11,000 condoms. PPECI holds an annual Free Pap Day that gives cervical cancer screens to women in need. Overall, PPECI subsidizes healthcare for almost 90% of our patients.
PPECI relocated its clinic and administrative offices in August 2005 to a state-of-the-art medical facility at 3425 First Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids. This Health Center enables PPECI to continue to grow and provide services for even more underserved patients throughout Cedar Rapids and in the surrounding communities. In March of 2008, PPECI expanded operations to Monticello, Iowa, following a University of Iowa study that showed Jones County in great need of reproductive healthcare. As a result of a large grant from an anonymous donor, PPECI was given the opportunity to open its third health center in Dubuque Iowa.
In 30 years, PPECI has grown from a staff of two to more than 20 professionals. We continue to serve as the area’s leading authority in reproductive healthcare and sexuality education.
