They may also have read news of various abortion clinic openings and closings in their local papers. From other sources people may have heard something about the merger of various Planned Parenthood regional affiliates.

Today and tomorrow we will take a broader look at these developments. We will show that all these are not merely isolated events, but part of a broader evolution in the way PPFA promotes its pro-abortion agenda and conducts its business.

As we shall discuss in more detail tomorrow, what all this means is that, while it is supposed to be a service-oriented non-profit organization, in fact Planned Parenthood is engaging in very aggressive corporate restructuring to prune non-performing clinics and affiliates, reduce expensive middle management, and maximize the most profitable aspects of its business. In the parlance of business, especially applicable in this case, Planned Parenthood is making itself "leaner and meaner."

From Mega-Clinic to Merger

Recent news from the Chicago area affiliate that opened the Aurora clinic begins to put some of these moves in perspective. Chicago was one of the affiliates to establish what Planned Parenthood likes to call "express clinics"-- small store front operations that offer contraceptives, STD testing, etc.

While these “express clinics” would not do surgical abortions, they would be able to funnel abortion clients to the larger Planned Parenthood medical clinics. (It is conceivable that some of these smaller clinics were offering clients RU486, the abortion pill.)

In January, the Chicago affiliate announced that it was closing its Naperville, Illinois, express clinic "Due to the opening of our greatly expanded Aurora Health Center" (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/centerDetails.asp?id=8 accessed 2/12/08).

News of that clinic closing was closely followed by the revelation that Illinois’ five Planned Parenthood affiliates would be merging on March 1, 2008, into one statewide affiliate, headed by the man who ran the Chicago affiliate. According to the Lincoln Courier, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Springfield, Decatur, Champaign, Peoria, and Chicago were merging "to cope with rising costs" (2/8/08).

The newspaper reported that Planned Parenthood’s Lincoln clinic had already closed, due to "Funding problems," and said that "Most signs indicate that other Planned Parenthood agencies also may close over the course of the merger."

Joyce Harant, president and CEO of Heart of Illinois Planned Parenthood, told The Courier that flat funding and a changing health care environment were the main reasons behind the consolidation. The Courier reported "The merger will aid in the rising cost of birth control and salaries, and it will allow local affiliates the start-up money to convert to electronic medical record keeping."

Judith Barringer, CEO of the Springfield affiliate, told the State Journal-Register that "Our clients won’t know the difference" (2/8/08). "We will be there for the clients. Instead of money going for all of the infrastructure, eventually we will be able to put more money into the care of the patients."

CEO positions at the four non-Chicago affiliates will be eliminated, along with local boards of directors. Barringer, one of those resigning, had been receiving a $66,000 annual salary, the Journal-Register reported.

Stephen Trombley, head of the Chicago affiliate who pushed through the Aurora mega-clinic, remains on as the CEO of the new state side affiliate--Planned Parenthood of Illinois. His new salary is not disclosed, but the group’s tax return shows that he was paid $260,414 in the fiscal year ending in June 2006 as head of the Chicago organization (SJR, 2/8/08).

Merger Mania

Mergers of Planned Parenthood affiliates have been quite common in recent years. In May of 2007, Planned Parenthood affiliates from Tucson and Phoenix agreed to a merger that took place in October.

A key reason given for the merger, according to the Arizona Daily Star report, was "to condense operations and increase fundraising to expand Planned Parenthood services in Southern Arizona and across the state" (5/26/07) Bryan Howard, who was to head the new merged group, told the Daily Star that it was Planned Parenthood’s goal to increase the number of clinics from 20 to 24 or 28.

Affiliates from Roanoke, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina announced an interstate merger May of 2007 that was to be finalized on June 30, 2007. Walter Klausmeier, head of the Raleigh affiliate, told the Roanoke Times that the merger would improve efficiency, but said he expected "no or minimal downsizing" at the Roanoke affiliate (5/14/07).

Five Ohio affiliates merged to form Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio in July of 2007 in what the Cleveland Plain Dealer termed "an effort to strengthen its influence in the region" 7/17/07). The paper called the merger "the largest Planned Parenthood consolidation in the country," including 17 "health centers" with another that was supposed to open in the fall.

Tara Broderick, CEO of the new organization, told the paper that one of the goals of the consolidation was to eliminate duplication of efforts and reduce administrative costs.

Planned Parenthood affiliates of Northern Michigan and West Michigan merged on September 30, 2007, to form Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan after "unprecedented cuts in government funding forced the closure of five of its health centers by the end of 2007" (www.ppwnm.org, accessed 2/12/08). "As a larger organization," PPWNM said, the affiliate would be "better positioned to weather the challenges that all health care providers face as community needs continue to grow at the same time that government funding decreases, regulations increase and healthcare costs soar."

Planned Parenthood of the Bluegrass and Planned Parenthood of Louisville, both established in the 1930s, merged on January 1, 2008, to form Planned Parenthood of Kentucky. The aim of the merger, according to the group’s website, was "to provide more comprehensive and consistent services to individuals throughout the state."

PPKY says the future of the new group is "bright" and says it looks forward to "expanded healthcare services, advocacy, education, and community outreach" www.plannedparenthood.org/kentucky/history.htm, accessed 2/14/08).