Nevada Week | Dobbs Decision on Regional Planned Parenthoods | Season 5 | Episode 52 | PBS

It’s been one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The ruling known as Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health Organization gave states the power to make their own abortion laws.

Because abortion within 24 weeks of pregnancy was already part of Nevada state law, some pro-choice advocates warn the state would see an influx of patients from states that had implemented bans or restrictions.

Among those advocates was Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains which oversees Las Vegas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Its CEO, Adrienne Mansanares, joins us now.

Adrienne, tell us what has this last year been like for Planned Parenthoods in Las Vegas that provide abortions?

(Adrienne Mansanares) Well, last year, the Dobbs Decision stripped tens of millions of people of their right to access abortion care in their home state.

So here, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada with the support of our communities, our partners on the ground, we’ve been able to continue providing care for patients not only locally from Las Vegas, but those traveling very long distances from their home states.

-Now, according to statistics provided by your organization, out-of-state abortion appointments at Las Vegas Planned Parenthoods have more than doubled in the year after the Dobbs Decision.

What kind of strain, if any, has this put on local Planned Parenthoods?

-Oh, it’s a tremendous strain.

We’ve had to extend our health center hours.

We’ve expanded our patient navigation efforts, helping patients figure out if they’re going to ride the bus, if they’re going to get on an airplane, what they’re going to do with their kiddos at home if they need childcare support while they’re accessing this care, and we’ve also expanded our telehealth footprint to make sure folks can get the care they need quickly and not have to worry about wait times.

-How does the telehealth aspect work?

-Patients come into our health centers and they’re greeted of course, checked in, and then they log onto a computer and they can see a physician.

-Okay.

-And then, depending on their care, they can access the medication right there in the health center.

-So they still have to physically come in person?

-Yes, uh-huh.

-Okay.

All right, so that has helped alleviate some of the burden, I guess, in staffing perhaps?

Is that accurate?

-Yes.

So the physician can access the patient via telehealth and not have to be at one health center.

So they can see multiple patients at both the health centers.

-Now, in a phone conversation that you and I had prior to this show, you said this is not sustainable.

How so?

-Well, it’s a tremendous burden across the country when the state of Texas bans abortion care.

There’s millions of people that live in Texas.

It’s a heavily populated state.

And if you think about Nevada, for example, we’re a pretty rural state.

We’ve got the hubs of Reno and Las Vegas, of course, but there’s only so many health centers that could be expected to see that number of people.

-Then what do you do?

Are you planning on opening more Planned Parenthood centers?

-Yes.

My colleague who operates Planned Parenthoods in Northern Nevada has opened a new health center in Reno, and we would be delighted to be able to think about the financial needs to be able to open another health center in Las Vegas.

-So that would require, I’m guessing, donations, private funding?

-Yes.

It’s because of philanthropic support that we’re able to see so many patients in Las Vegas.

-Now, according to the data that you provided as well, the majority of the out-of-state patients are from Texas, then Arizona, and then Utah.

I understand Arizona and Utah, because they border Nevada, so coming here would be easier.

But for the Texas patients, why aren’t they going to Colorado or New Mexico which are closer?

-When patients are seeking care from Texas, we work with them to find the closest place that they can go to, but the wait times in our health centers in New Mexico and in Colorado may be prohibitive.

So we want to get them into a health center as soon as possible.

Oftentimes, that may be Las Vegas.

-What do you mean by “prohibitive”?

-Meaning that the wait times may be longer than their pregnancy.

As you imagine, the abortion care is very timely.

We want to get folks in as soon as we can.

-And will you explain that aspect in relation to the medicine versus the surgical abortion?

How many of the abortions you’re providing are via medicine?

-Mm-hmm.

Yeah, you bet.

So in Las Vegas, 100% of the abortions that we provide at Planned Parenthood are through medication.

It’s very convenient.

Patients prefer it.

But they have to get in at 11 weeks, so within that short time period.

-And if they do not, then what happens?

-Then we work with a pool of abortion care providers in Southern Nevada, and we’ll refer those patients to them.

-Okay.

So the patients that are coming from out of state to Planned Parenthoods in Las Vegas, they’re flying here simply for medicine?

-That’s exactly right.

When you look at the numbers, it’s a tremendous increase of patients traveling for care to get to Las Vegas, Nevada.

And right now we are able to meet the need, which is great, because of the various ways we’ve expanded access and care.

But I do worry that the continued pressure of patients traveling from out of state may become too burdensome for our local health centers.

And of course, we’re also looking at other states across the country that may continue to ban abortion care.

I’m nervous about Florida, for example.

Again, a very heavily populated state.

And right now my colleagues that are running Planned Parenthoods in Florida are able to take on more patients from across that area.

If Florida goes dark, all those patients will be looking for care out here West.

-At the moment, how are patients seeking care outside of abortion?

Are they being impacted when they visit a local Planned Parenthood because of this influx?

-At this moment, no.

We’re able to see all forms of family planning services, mostly due to telehealth care, but also our ability to see walk-ins if people need birth control, cancer screening, sexually transmitted testing or treatment.

But I do worry about if there continue to be a pressure on those wait times.

-Adrienne Mansanares, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, thank you for your time.

-You bet, Amber.

Thank you so much.