Florida abortion clinics are operating longer hours, opening on the weekends and training new doctors as they treat double the number of patients now that nearby states have made abortions illegal.
“This is a dangerous and scary time for women but also for the doctors who are trying to provide care and do what’s best for their patients,” said Christina Noce, communications director for Planned Parenthood of Southeast and North Florida, which operates 10 health centers across the state.
With the new U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, states are now able to set their own abortion policies and the procedure is now banned in at least 10 states. More bans are expected in the coming weeks and months. Women already have begun traveling to nearby states for procedures. On July 1, a Florida law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks went into effect, which is still considered less restrictive than most states in the South.
Noce, who spoke at a West Palm Beach news conference sponsored by Congresswoman Lois Frankel, said to accommodate the demand for abortion care, her 10 centers are staying open late.
“Last week alone, we had 40 patients that were from out of state,” she said. Some of the states where women are coming from include Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. “Right now there is an abortion desert across the South. They are all coming to Florida for care.”
Noce said one of her centers just treated a woman who came from Texas without an appointment. “She was just hoping to be seen.”
Noce said the centers also are treating more Florida women who are getting close to 15 weeks of gestation. To accommodate the demand, the Planned Parenthood clinics are hiring nine more doctors, which includes some from other states that no longer permit legal abortions.
They also are expanding their Patient Navigator Program with staff who answer questions, try to find patients appointments and arrange transportation and hotel stays for women who need to travel.
Because of Florida’s 24-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and an abortion required as of April, clinics already had become busier. Women who travel to Florida now need to stay longer and make two visits to a clinic.
Frankel said Monday she wants to ensure access remains available. She is sponsoring the Women’s Health Protection Act, federal legislation that creates legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care. She said the legislation likely will be approved in the House. But she recognizes it may not to be approved by the Senate.
Frankel said last year there were 80,000 abortions performed in Florida. “Think about the potential of 80,000 forced pregnancies in this state. This is a fight and this is a struggle, and everyone needs to understand what’s about to happen in this state, especially if abortion is banned.”
Frankel said she held the news conference so women would know more about President Joe Biden’s executive order on abortion signed Friday. She explained the executive order will protect women who want to cross state lines to access legal abortion, guarantee legal access to abortion pills up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, ensure contraception is easily available and protect healthcare providers’ safety.
Opponents of abortion rights criticized the president’s order Friday, accusing Biden of trying to find ways to increase access to abortions despite the court’s ruling.
In Florida, Frankel worries about the potential for legislation that would restrict abortions further, particularly with so many women traveling to the state for care. The outlook, she says, is not good: “We have so many patients that are going to be coming into this state for abortions. It is not only going to be difficult here for women to get abortions, but the burden on our health care system is going to be phenomenal and not in a good way phenomenal.”
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