Planned Parenthood cuts jobs, closing six health centers

Scott Olson, The IBJ

solson@ibj.com

Planned Parenthood of Indiana has cut 25 jobs and will close six health centers around the state as part of a restructuring it attributed to a decline in federal funding.

The Indianapolis-based not-for-profit announced late Wednesday afternoon that it will close within the six months its center near Michigan Road and West 86th Street, as well as others in Anderson, Franklin, Kokomo, Marion and Shelbyville.

Planned Parenthood CEO Becky Cockrum said its share of annual federal funding has been cut by more than half-from $3 million to $1.4 million-due to changes in the way Title XX funds are administered. Title XX funding serves low-income individuals and families.

Cockrum said the cutbacks can't come at a worse time for the organization.

"This is especially troubling right now because we have more and more people who are uninsured or are becoming uninsured," she said. "So the need for this kind of service is growing at the same time it's becoming more difficult to accommodate that."

The job cuts came from within every level of Planned Parenthood's four departments: patient services, education and public policy, finance and administration, and communications/marketing and development.

As a result, some of the remaining 175 employees will have their workweeks extended from 35 hours to 40 hours, Cockrum said.

Following the closures, Planned Parenthood will operate 28 health centers statewide, including five in Indianapolis.

Cockrum said the organization will continue to offer its regular services for women at the remaining locations and will refer patients affected by the closures to other providers in the area.

"What's important is that they're able to find affordable, reproductive health care somewhere," she said.
 
Planned Parenthood's fiscal 2010 budget is $15 million, down from $16.9 million the previous year.