Planned Parenthood opened a new clinic in Kansas as surrounding states ban abortion
Planned Parenthood quietly opened a new abortion clinic in Kansas this summer amid a contentious political climate that saw voters resoundingly reject a proposal to strip abortion rights from the state constitution.
Wyandotte Health Center, at 6013 Leavenworth Rd. in Kansas City, Kan., brings the total number of abortion clinics in the state to five. Three of those are operated by Planned Parenthood.
Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, noted the clinic while discussing regional abortion access during a Wednesday conference call.
"We also recently opened a health center in Kansas City, Kansas," Wales said. "That had been long in the works, and we're thrilled to be serving the Wyandotte County community.
"We provide the full scope of comprehensive care there, and we also provide abortion services as part of that work.
The fact that that gives us one more location in Kansas to see patients to support them is really critical at this moment because we're realistic that this region cannot support the number of patients who need care. So we're doing all we can to meet that need."
Wyandotte Health Center is about a mile west of Wyandotte Pregnancy Center, a crisis pregnancy center on Catholic diocese property adjacent to the Christ the King Parish.
More: Crisis pregnancy centers' influence will grow in Kansas during abortion debate. Just what are they?
Missouri residents are 44% of Kansas abortions
The clinic is the third on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area, which has none on the Missouri side. Abortion is banned in Missouri after a trigger law went into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
In 2021, Missouri residents accounted for about 44% of the 7,849 abortions reported by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The rejection of the so-called Value Them Both amendment means that abortion remains legal in Kansas as a constitutionally protected right.
The new clinic in Kansas City is the closest to the Topeka area.
Planned Parenthood also has facilities in Overland Park and Wichita. Trust Women operates a Wichita clinic, while Overland Park also has the Center for Women's Health.
"We were excited to open our new center in the Kansas City, Kansas, community this summer and had shared publicly that we would be providing comprehensive care there," Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokesperson Anamarie Rebori Simmons said in an email.
"Because of renovation delays during the pandemic, our start was later than planned, but we’re very happy to be open now and providing care," the email said.
"We recognized the need for additional reproductive and primary care providers in the area long before the overturning of Roe, but this new health center will continue to serve as a critical access point for many patients," Rebori Simmons said.
In April, the Wyandotte Daily reported that abortion opponents urged the Unified Government to block the proposed clinic. Planned Parenthood lobbyist Rachel Sweet had told lawmakers in 2019 that the organization was looking to expand services in Wyandotte County, the Sunflower State Journal reported at the time.
At least some anti-abortion officials had heard of the clinic prior to Tuesday's constitutional amendment vote.
"Did you hear any mention of prior to COVID there were four abortion clinics; post COVID, now we have five," Sen. Molly Baumgardner, R-Louisburg, told reporters after an election night watch party for the Value Them Both Coalition. "And that's going to be a quote 'economic growth of the state.' No, you didn't see that covered."
Baumgardner said she didn't know who operated the clinic, but that she was "pretty sure" it was in Wyandotte County.
More: Driven by abortion politics, Kansas primary election voters turned out in high numbers
Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas now has 5 abortion clinics with new KCK Planned Parenthood
