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Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest 

Description

A leader in reproductive health care, we serve women, men and teens in rural/urban areas in western Washington, Alaska, and Idaho. Most of our 88,657 patients are low income, underserved, & uninsured; 30% don't qualify for Medicaid yet cannot afford insurance. We want to increase access to reproductive health care in order to decrease unintended pregnancies, help people pursue their dreams and have children if and when they are ready, and by doing so create healthier communities.

Mission Statement
To provide access to high quality, low cost reproductive health care for all women, men and teens; provide comprehensive, medically accurate sex education for youth and families; and advocacy around issues such as keeping birth control & abortion accessible & legal.
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Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest
2001 E Madison St 
Seattle 
WA
98122-2959 
(206) 328-7734 

Christine R. Charbonneau 
President/CEO 

Programs

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest Programs

HEALTH CENTERS:
In our 29 health centers across 3 states we offer cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, STI testing, birth control, vasectomies, emergency contraception, & abortion services. In WA (where we have 20 health centers) we served 74,703 unduplicated patients in 2012; nearly 26,000 of those patients reported incomes that were at 100% of the Federal Poverty Level or below. 32.17% of all WA patients had no insurance & another 37.41% qualified for Medicaid/Take Charge. Our Someone You Know Fund pays for preventative care and our Abortion Access Fund for services for those without insurance.

EDUCATION:
Our goals are to reduce teen pregnancy, keep teens in school, and increase graduation rates through our evidenced-based Teen Outreach Program, increase parent/youth communication around sexual health through our Family Programs, and increase self esteem and healthy behaviors in teens through our peer education Teen Council program. We offer various sex education sessions via our Community Educators. In King County we serve roughly 5,000 youth and families with sex ed each year.

ADVOCACY
We've been actively working the front lines on health care reform to ensure that people have full, confidential access to providers of their choice, that low income women will continue to have access to abortion under health reform & to require health insurance plans to offer an adequate network of providers & cover a full range of reproductive services.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

A patient shares this: "I was 21 when I felt a large mass in my left breast. As a college student with no health insurance, I took advantage of the services that PPGNW provided, which included a free breast exam. The woman who screened me was pleasant and supportive, but she believed that something was definitely wrong with the lump in my breast. She kindly referred me to a nearby women's clinic for follow up, but after trying to schedule an appointment for weeks, I found out the clinic had been shut down due to lack of funding. Freaking out, I turned back to PPGNW, who worked with local providers to get me seen immediately. As it turned out the mass in my breast was a fast growing tumor. Fortunately, we caught it in time, and were able to use radiation treatment and a lumpectomy to remove it completely. I am now cancer free, and still have my health and my breasts thanks to Planned Parenthood."

Examples of what gifts of various amounts make possible:
  • $25: the cost of one month of birth control pills. A third of American women report having interrupted their use of the pill because of a brief time they couldn't afford it.
  • $100: a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test.
  • $250: a colposcopy, a potentially life-saving diagnostic test that can help prevent cervical cancer.
  • $800: a vasectomy

Evaluation

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest (PPGNW) provides reproductive health services and women’s health care at 27 clinics located in three states. In King County PPGNW operates 9 clinics in Seattle, West Seattle, Kenmore, Kent, Bellevue, Issaquah, Federal Way and in the Roosevelt and University Districts.

Proven Success
Most of their clients are low-income, underserved and at-risk populations. Their work helps address the health disparities facing those populations. By providing family planning, prevention education for teens and reproductive health services, PPGNW reduces preventable disease as well as the incidence of unintended and unwanted pregnancies. The past several years PPGNW has seen a steady reduction in reimbursement for the care of indigent and low income women.
They are working to keep several federal & state programs from being cut in order to ensure access to health care. They do not want to be vulnerable to public funding cuts and are working towards a business model where they rely more on private funding and are less vulnerable to changes in government funding.

Their new First Hill Health Center, underwritten by Swedish Hospital, opened in May, 2012. Planned Parenthood remains committed to being a place for women to access reproductive health care services. In the current health care climate, the root of poor reproductive health is often financial.

Collaboration
They are working with coalition partners on the Washington Women Win: Fair Access Under Health Care Reform. Contraception is a part of health care under the Affordable Care Act; contraception with no co-pay will be added to existing insurance plans in August of 2012, people who are currently uninsured will be added in 2014. The project seeks to mobilize low-income women and underrepresented communities of color about the importance of reproductive health care services being included under health care reform.

Sustainability
During the prior twelve months they closed three of their health centers in Washington (Oak Harbor, Silverdale, and Forks) as part of a general restructuring and reduction of the organization. Additionally they downsized their Sitka, AK health clinic and moved it to a smaller location. Their larger health centers used to be able to subsidize some of their smaller locations, but with the economic downturn, the gradual reduction of state and federal funding, and increased patient eligibility requirements, fewer have been able to access services. They have been borrowing from reserves in order to meet their budget. Their focus is on finding a middle ground between what they can provide for free and what they need to charge in order to sustain the organization.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
12/10/2012 $15,000.00provide general operating support.
12/10/2011 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/15/2011 $15,000.00support the Patient In Need Fund in Clallam County.
12/10/2010 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
10/1/2008 $25,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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