Elkhart and St. Joseph County Planned Parenthood facilities may see an increase in patients from Northeast Indiana after the Fort Wayne office closed its doors yesterday, amid allegations of harassment from pro-life groups in the area.
A notice on the main entrance of the Fort Wayne Planned Parenthood office, set to be vacant on July 31st, directs visitors to Elkhart and Mishawaka facilities.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky President and CEO Christie Gillespie says she thinks the impact of closing the facility in Fort Wayne is lost to the public.
“It just creates an environment that is unfortunate," Gillespie said, "This closing in Fort Wayne isn’t going to shut Planned Parenthood down statewide, but it’s all about the patient.”
Gillespie said one of the main reasons Planned Parenthood spoke out about why the Fort Wayne facility would close, was to make the alleged harassment and intimidation Planned Parenthood facilities sometimes face known.
She said Elkhart offices have been notified about a potential wave of new patients, and other Planned Parenthood locations can be found online as well.
