Update, May 23: This story has been updated with a press release from Trust Women.
Abortion services have been suspended for an entire week at the Trust Women's Clinic in Wichita, Kansas, after doctors began withholding labor due to an unexpected leadership shakeup and the appointment of a new medical director they deemed unqualified. At least nine doctors have now resigned from the hospital.
“The clinic has been operating without medical supervision for the past month,” a source said.
Rewire News Group We confirmed the details of the situation through several sources within the hospital, all of whom requested anonymity for fear of being blacklisted and unable to get jobs at other hospitals.
Trust Women is a vital local hub for abortion access. It is one of six brick-and-mortar abortion clinics in Kansas and one of only four that offer procedural abortion care. Abortion is legal in Kansas up to 22 weeks of pregnancy, making it a key point of access to clinics for people from nearby states such as Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, where abortion is completely prohibited. Telemedicine abortions are also legal in Kansas.
There is no indication when or if Trust Women will reopen for abortion care.
A Trust Women spokesperson said: mission local By 2023, the clinic is expected to typically see 650 to 750 patients per month.
The problems reportedly began in mid-April. That's when Trust Women's board unexpectedly fired the organization's co-executive directors, Rebecca Tong and Schaunta James-Boyd, and appointed board secretary Shukeyla Harrison as interim CEO. One source said the only justification they heard for the decision was “compliance issues”. Another source said she had never received official communication about the leadership change.
Sources said Harrison fired the hospital's medical director, Dr. Christina Vaughn. It has not been revealed why Bourne was fired, according to multiple sources inside the hospital. They added that in recent weeks many employees had been asked to sign new non-disclosure agreements.
The clinic's new medical director was announced on Monday: erectile dysfunction treatment, “medical weight loss” and Botox injections, CoolSculpting, and facial fillers. According to the clinic's website, Griffith's training is in emergency medicine, but he has no apparent prior experience in abortion or other reproductive health care.
Job listings for Medical Director positions remain active on Glassdoor and Indeed at the time of posting. “Experience in women’s health and/or abortion care is preferred,” the listing reads. It also notes that medical directors must “ensure compliance with regulatory standards and guidance.” Kansas has some difficult regulations that abortion providers must follow, including licensing and reporting requirements that do not apply to other types of health care facilities.
There is no indication when or if Trust Women will reopen for abortion care.
“Our last communication with the Trust was in the fall of 2023,” the Missouri Abortion Fund said in a statement. Rewire News Group.
Trust Women was founded in memory of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered in 2009. (The anniversary of his death comes up next week). After a major fundraising campaign, Trust Women reopened in Tiller's former clinic space in 2013. The organization also operates a clinic in Oklahoma, but no longer provides abortion care due to the state's blanket ban.
Founder Julie Burkhart, who worked for Tiller, left Trust Women in 2021 and is now president of Wellspring Health Access, which opened an abortion clinic in Casper, Wyoming, and co-owner of Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City, Illinois. Tong and James-Boyd assumed leadership of Trust Women following Burkhart's departure.
Multiple sources said that in their experience, Tong, James-Boyd and Bourne were all excellent at their jobs. Everyone said they were shocked by the shooting.
Rewire News Group We've reached out to nearby abortion providers and abortion funds for comment and will update this story with new information. random We also contacted Trust Women prior to publication and received the following statement shortly after publication: