Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast will shutter two Houston-area clinics at the end of September as part of a major organizational restructure. Operations of the remaining clinics will be transferred to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.
Two clinics in the Houston area operated by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast are set to close permanently on September 30. This decision is part of a larger restructuring initiative that will transfer the operations of the remaining health centers in the region to a new operator.
The Prevention Park and Southwest Houston clinics are set to shut down, while Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas will take over four additional local Planned Parenthood clinics on October 1.
The Gulf Coast affiliate, which operates two clinics in Louisiana, cited increasing expenses, a shortage of available workforce, and ongoing political pressures as key factors influencing their decision.
Melaney Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, described the closures as “heartbreaking and infuriating,” linking them to organized attempts to weaken access to reproductive and sexual healthcare throughout Texas.
Texas affiliates continue to be excluded from the Medicaid program due to a decision made in 2021, despite a recent federal court ruling that safeguards payments to Planned Parenthood affiliates in various states.
The recent closures come after a prolonged period of legal and legislative challenges to reproductive health services in Texas, highlighted by the state's abortion ban enacted in 2022.
Despite the closure of two clinics at the end of September, Planned Parenthood assures that services will persist at the other locations within the Greater Texas network. Available services encompass STI testing and treatment, birth control options, cancer screenings, HPV vaccinations, and gender-affirming care.
The transition will affect the majority of staff at the Gulf Coast clinics. Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, which runs 18 additional clinics across the state, is focusing on providing new opportunities for impacted Gulf Coast employees via an internal application process.
Officials stated that the change aims to enhance efficiency and maintain long-term access to healthcare. Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is set to remain open for patients until the end of September.
