Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Planned Parenthood Chief's Ouster Raises Question: In This Landscape, Can Group Really Steer Away From Abortion Wars?
The New York Times: A Messy Exit Leaves Planned Parenthood At A Philosophical Crossroads
Leana Wen had already made a name for herself as Baltimore’s health commissioner when Planned Parenthood hired her as its new president last fall. Dr. Wen, a 36-year-old physician, had used innovative policies to combat the opioid epidemic and delivered a widely watched TED Talk. She regularly appeared on lists of the most influential health care leaders and government officials. But Dr. Wen’s tenure at Planned Parenthood was rocky and short, ending after eight months on Tuesday when the board of directors ousted her following several weeks of tense and sometimes acrimonious negotiations. (Kliff and Goldmacher, 7/17)
The Baltimore Sun: Planned Parenthood Has Run Off Leana Wen, But Baltimore Backers Hope She’ll Stay Right Here
When Dr. Leana Wen became Baltimore’s health commissioner at the beginning of 2015, she said she saw health through a lens that included education, poverty, safety and race. ...The same approach did not serve her well in her next job, on a national stage, as CEO of Planned Parenthood, which ousted her Tuesday after only eight months. Some reports cited her management style, but Wen said she had “philosophical differences” with the board that wanted to focus on abortion rights advocacy. She still calls Baltimore home. As she decides what to do next, some believe her broad approach could open doors here or elsewhere. (Cohn, 7/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Antiabortion Movement Begins To Crack, After Decades Of Unity
Close to five decades after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling enshrined a woman’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, the unity of the antiabortion movement is cracking. For years, those opposed to abortion have largely hewed to a legal strategy to pass laws adding incremental limitations to the historic 1973 ruling. Now, an ascendant, activist wing is pressing for legislation that doesn’t just limit the procedure, but outlaws it. Emboldened by President Trump’s Supreme Court picks, the activists have grown impatient with what they see as small developments, and instead are actively seeking a legal fight with the goal of overturning Roe. (Gershman and Campo-Flores, 7/17)
The New York Times: Where Roe V. Wade Matters Most
Tammi Kromenaker runs the Red River Women’s Clinic, the only clinic that provides abortions in North Dakota. Without Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, the state would ban her clinic, or any other within state lines, from performing the procedure. “Roe is the only thing keeping abortion legal in North Dakota,” Ms. Kromenaker said. In neighboring Minnesota, though, abortion would remain legal, even without the protection of Roe. There, the right to abortion is protected in the state constitution. (Bui, Miller and Sanger-Katz, 7/18)
Columbus Dispatch: Planned Parenthood Taps National Emergency Funds To Preserve Abortion Referrals
Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio will draw on emergency funds from its national umbrella organization rather than comply with a Trump administration directive that bans federally funded clinics from making abortion referrals. Trump’s directive is the latest blow to an organization that already has lost about $1.5 million in grant funding this year in Ohio, where courts have upheld state legislation to cut off taxpayer money for organizations that offer abortion services or refer women to clinics that perform abortions. (Rouan, 7/17)
Arizona Republic: Planned Parenthood Arizona Receives $10K Grant To Help Prevent HIV
Planned Parenthood Arizona has received a $10,000 grant from Phoenix Pride to help more patients prevent HIV diseases at no cost. The grant is specifically providing services for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which reduces the risk of getting HIV, Planned Parenthood Arizona spokeswoman Tayler Tucker said. (Carpenter, 7/16)
