Swedish Does Totally Awesome Thing, Underwrites New Planned Parenthood
Image by Rob Ketcherside
Yesterday, Swedish announced that they would no longer be performing elective abortions, due to the organization's potential alliance Providence Health & Services, a Catholic health system. This decision drew great ire from many, particularly in light of other blows to the pro-choice camp yesterday, including the House's passage of HR 358. However, today, the Seattle Times reports, Swedish is doing women and their right to choose a solid--by offering financial backing to a new Planned Parenthood branch, located on their First Hill campus.
Currently, the City of Seattle has just two branches of Planned Parenthood: one in the Central District, and one in the University District. There is also one in White Center and one in Northeast Bellevue. The First Hill campus would be more convenient for many men and women who live in Seattle's most dense neighborhoods, and would be serviced by more bus lines, due to the proximity to the hospital.
Planned Parenthood, which provides much more than just perform the abortions that Swedish will not (they also perform breast and cervical cancer exams, provide pregnancy counseling, offer free or inexpensive birth control to both women and men, and, for many without health care, offer the only no-charge physical than some people receive all year), and will be hugely beneficial for many in the community, and would not be possible without Swedish's financial backing. In a tense economic climate, Planned Parenthood has been in the crossfire of moral and financial battles, and been put at risk of being defunded, making the crucial organization reliant upon private backers and charitable donations.
The merger with Providence is causing some concern about whether or not the organization's religious roots will impact Swedish's ability to offer the services granted under the Death with Dignity act, as well as other services with may conflict with the Catholic system's beliefs. Still, the decision to fund a Planned Parenthood to provide additional family planning and sexual health services is a favorable one for the non-profit health giant.
The new clinic, which will be located in the Nordstrom Tower, expects to be opened in 2012.
