Planned Parenthood to Close Eight Clinics Across Iowa and Minnesota as Part of Reorganization Efforts

Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa and Minnesota are set to close as their Midwestern affiliate announced on Friday that four facilities in each state will shut down over the next year. The closures are attributed to a freeze in federal funding, proposed budget cuts in Congress, and state-level restrictions on abortion. In Iowa, the closures will include the only Planned Parenthood clinic offering abortion services in Ames, which is located near Iowa State University. The other affected locations include clinics in Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines.

Similarly, in Minnesota, two clinics in the Minneapolis area—Apple Valley and Richfield—are slated for closure, along with additional locations in Alexandria and Bemidji. Notably, the Richfield clinic also provides abortion services. As a result of these closures, the affiliate plans to lay off 66 employees and reassign 37 others to different clinics. Despite these challenges, Planned Parenthood North Central States aims to continue investing in telemedicine services, which currently serve approximately 20,000 patients annually in a virtual capacity.

The organization operates across five states— Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of the affiliate, expressed the organization’s struggle to maintain an increasingly unsustainable infrastructure amidst growing legislative challenges. Of the remaining 15 clinics, only six will continue to provide abortion services, concentrated primarily in Minnesota and one in Omaha, Nebraska. The affiliate noted that federal funding for various health services, including birth control and cancer screenings, was impacted by a $2.8 million freeze under the Trump administration.

Additionally, Republican-led Iowa’s recent abortion restrictions have led to a significant decrease in local procedures, prompting more patients to seek services in neighboring states. After the planned closures, the affiliate will operate 10 clinics in Minnesota, two in Iowa, two in Nebraska, and one in South Dakota, with no locations in North Dakota.