SEATTLE — Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho said threats and harassment have made it difficult to find local staff. They are addressing staffing shortages while working to keep up with the increased demand for care.
Dr. Sarah Prager is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UW Medicine.
"We are seeing in the state about a 25 or so percent increase in the numbers of abortions overall that are being done,” Prager said.
The increases are happening after the Dobbs decision a year and a half ago when the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Now 21 states have abortion bans or firm restrictions.
Senator Maria Cantwell’s office said Washington providers perform 201 more abortions per month on average. The number of out-of-state abortion patients is up 46%, according to Cantwell's office.
"Our staff face unique threats and harassment given our close proximity to Idaho, which has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country," said Karl Eastlund, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.
Eastlund said some providers are no longer comfortable practicing in the community where they live. Planned Parenthood currently pays to fly six nurse practitioners from other regions into eastern Washington to meet the demand.
Prager said doctors are legally afraid too because of the way laws are written, which potentially creates legal liability.
"Many clinicians are afraid to even counsel about abortion and are afraid to have a more formal referral process for patients who need an abortion,” Prager said. "My concern is that people are dying. Pregnant people are dying because they do not have access to this care."