How Tennessee’s Planned Parenthood providers are preparing for the end of abortion access

Planned Parenthood says it will continue providing abortion services to patients at their Tennessee clinics through next week — pending a federal court’s ruling on the state’s proposed 6-week ban.

Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, told reporters on Friday that they are booked with patients through July 1, and are trying to see people as quickly as they can.

“We are trying to see if we can open tomorrow [Saturday],” she said of their Nashville location. “But we are definitely open on Monday. And we had planned to provide abortion services on Monday — in Nashville and Memphis. And we’ll see what happens over the weekend before we can determine whether that will be possible or not from the 6th Circuit.”

Attorney General Herbert Slatery filed a motion with the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier in the day asking to lift an injunction against the state’s proposed ban on pregnancies after six weeks, before many know they are expecting. The court has given Planned Parenthood and the other plaintiffs until Monday to respond.

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Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and Mississippi, speaks to reporters following the Supreme Court ruling striking down Roe v. Wade.

Coffield said that ruling could limit their options sooner than 30 days, when Tennessee’s trigger law goes into effect. The trigger law will mean they have to cease providing abortion services in the state altogether.

She said now their focus is shifting to helping patients find abortion access elsewhere.

“We have patient navigators who are helping patients with the logistics of getting outside of Tennessee for an abortion, and with the financial and logistical barriers that they face. We are offering that today to patients.”

For people in Middle and West Tennessee, Illinois will be their best option. For people in East Tennessee, Planned Parenthood is partnering with providers in North Carolina, Virginia and Florida to take on new patients.  

Coffield says they’ve also stepped up security at all their locations in preparation for the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“We will never stop fighting like hell to regain and protect our patients’ right to an abortion in Tennessee,” she said.