As abortion clinics continue to close at alarming rates across the country, many community-based medical providers are stepping in to expand access to care. After a Planned Parenthood clinic in Marquette, Michigan shut its doors, the Marquette Medical Urgent Care, under the direction of Dr. Shawn Brown, began offering medication abortion. As Dr. Brown explained to NPR, urgent care clinics were always intended to “fill gaps in the system” and accommodate walk-in patients who may not have established providers. While Michigan has taken legislative steps to protect abortion rights, rural communities like Marquette have still experienced widespread clinic closures, leaving patients with few options.
This initiative did not come without challenges. Marquette Medical Urgent Care initially struggled to secure medical malpractice insurance. After presenting data demonstrating that medication abortion did not increase liability, and with community donations for ultrasound machines and staffing, the clinic was able to expand its services. This collaboration and dedication have now allowed the practice to care for patients who travel into the states from as far as Louisiana. Reportedly, the clinic is now on track to meet the patient volume that the Planned Parenthood once provided for essential care.
The shift toward urgent care settings also comes amid mounting attacks on telehealth abortion access. In Michigan, Planned Parenthood and other telehealth service providers were offering abortion medication online for patients up to 11 weeks pregnant. But as anti-abortion opposition has begun targeting the abortion-pill-by mail approach through state and federal legislation, litigation, and in some cases, criminal indictment, in-person care has become a more stable option. Providing medication abortion in a clinical setting allows providers to operate within FDA guidelines governing the distribution of these medications, while also offering patients direct support and a space to navigate their care with a trusted provider.
As the nation’s anti-abortion legislators continue to target abortion care and reproductive health access, it becomes critical reaffirm a basic truth: abortion is health care. The work being done in Marquette demonstrates what is possible when providers step up to meet community needs. Now, other urgent care clinics should consider whether they can do the same. The need is urgent, and elected officials can no longer afford to ignore it.
