Planned Parenthood laying off in Iowa, closing clinics in secret; Quietly abandons surgical abortions in Bettendorf and Sioux City

Iowa Right to Life has discovered that Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has quietly laid off all but one employee (a center manager) at their Creston and Red Oak, Iowa locations.  In addition, Iowa's largest abortion provider has halted surgical abortions at its Bettendorf and Sioux City abortion centers.

This is not the first time PPH has tried to keep closings and layoffs quiet.  Last November, IRTL alerted the media that PPH was closing centers in Ankeny, Fort Dodge, Mount Pleasant and Washington, after hearing of massive layoffs at those locations on Veteran's Day (11/11/13), as well as cuts in key staff at PPH's headquarters in Des Moines.  IRTL also forced PPH to come clean in December, when it discovered the hours at the Creston and Red Oak centers were reduced to zero.

Iowa Life to Right Executive Director, Jenifer Bowen, says PPH's covert changes and layoffs should surprise no one.  "Planned Parenthood does not want the public to know they are closing clinics," said Bowen, "so they can continue to collect millions from donors and Iowa taxpayers, while providing zero services."

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's most recent Annual Report for Fiscal year ending in June 2013 shows the organization made a profit of $740,241 last year, before their Veterans Day layoffs.  In addition:

* PPH's Taxpayer-funded Grants were up to $3,303,171 in 2013 from $2,673,281 in 2012.

* PPH's Investments Income jumped to $969,721 in 2013 from $264,068 in 2012.

* PPH's Patient Services Revenue leaped to $17,219,377 in 2013 from $13,890,520 in 2012 (PPH talks about serving the poor, while collecting millions from patients.)

* PPH's Public Donations jumped to $10,784,476 in 2013 from $6,974,442 in 2012.

* PPH also received $214,427 from the Department of Health and Human Services in August 2013 to hire and train Navigators to sign people up for Obamacare.

PPH sent out an email soliciting donations on 1/8/14 with no mention of the layoffs in Creston and Red Oak or that they were abandoning surgical abortions in Bettendorf and Sioux City.  Both Bettendorf and Sioux City still perform the more dangerous medication abortions, which are more profitable for PPH.

Where did the money go?

PPH's downward spiral since 2012 is curious, as PPH President Jill June had just announced in April 2011 that the abortion giant would open new locations in Carter Lake, Clinton, Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine and Ottumwa and that $7 million had already been raised in PPH's $11.5 million capital campaign toward that goal.  None of those locations ever materialized.

When PPH officially announces the closing of its Creston and Red Oak locations, that will mean six of PPH's controversial medication abortions by webcam locations will have closed and six more "abortion referral" will have closed sites since 2012.

"The next question is, 'What happened to all the webcam equipment and the high-tech ultrasound machines from the closed webcam abortion facilities?'" said Bowen.  "The IRS should be investigating Planned Parenthood of the Heartland instead of bullying grassroots pro-lifers."

The closings and layoffs did not seem to hurt PPH's abortion business.  PPH's Annual Report showed their abortions up to 6,367 in 2013 vs. 5,832 in 2012.  (Now an average of 17.4 abortions every day.)  Without Creston and Red Oak, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland will still have 15 locations in Iowa, including its headquarters in Des Moines.  12 of those locations perform abortions.