New Abortion Clinics Are Opening Near Borders and Airports to Stretch Access as Far as It Will Go – By Jamie Ducharme (TIME) / June 9, 2022
After more than five years working together in reproductive health clinics in the Washington, D.C., area, nurse-midwife Morgan Nuzzo and ob-gyn Dr. Diane Horvath realized they could do it better. They started fantasizing about a clinic of their own, where clinicians of different backgrounds would provide compassionate, high-quality care; employees would be fairly compensated and patients met with respect; and abortion would be treated as essential medical care that everyone should be able to access.
Partners in Abortion Care, their all-trimester clinic, is set to open this fall in College Park, Md., a location they hope will be convenient not only for themselves as D.C.-area residents, but also for patients in Maryland and beyond. After the leak of a draft decision suggesting that the Supreme Court could soon overturn Roe v. Wade, which would likely result in the ban or significant restriction of abortion in 26 states, that location became more crucial than ever.
College Park is within 40 miles of three major airports and close to several highways, making it a relatively easy destination for travelers. And if nearby states like West Virginia and Ohio crack down on abortion as expected, Maryland could become a magnet for people who need to travel for care—even more so if neighboring Virginia enacts stricter policies in the future, as some advocates fear will happen. Unlike those states, Maryland is expanding abortion access. It allows abortions up to the point of fetal viability (around 24 weeks of pregnancy) and permits later procedures if the parent’s health is at risk or the fetus is diagnosed with a serious health issue. Plus, starting July 1, nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants—in addition to doctors—can perform abortions there, which will expand the pool of potential providers and may therefore increase the number of patients clinics can serve.
CONTINUE > https://time.com/6185519/abortion-clinics-travel-state-borders/
