In January of 2016, I wrote an op-ed acknowledging things were about to change in Washington DC. I also promised nothing was going to change at Jefferson Healthcare. In the piece, I laid out our values, our mission to serve the community, and what we stood for. I keep a copy of the op-ed handy and refer to it often.

In 2015, the ACLU asked why Jefferson Healthcare did not provide abortions. We did not have a good answer so we sought input from our community and other stakeholders and consulted with local and regional medical experts about how abortions could be safely provided in a rural community. 

After several months of planning, we determined we could and should provide abortions and partnered with UW Medical Center for program development and care team training. In addition, we worked closely with Jefferson County Public Health to make sure every person in our community had access to safe, compassionate reproductive services. We’ve done this quietly over the last six years out of respect for the personal and sensitive nature of this type of care. Our job has been to be there when you need us, listen carefully, and explain all care options so we can provide the care you feel is best for you. This may explain what we do, but it does not capture why we do it.

Jefferson Healthcare provides comprehensive reproductive services because we believe people in this community deserve and are entitled to nothing less. We also believe reproductive care is healthcare, and reproductive treatment options are the business of patient and provider and no one else.

In light of the recent SCOTUS decision, we felt it was important to reaffirm our commitment to providing whole person care, including comprehensive reproductive services.

Mike Glenn
Jefferson Healthcare
PORT TOWNSEND