Bauer comments on the closure of South Bend Whole Woman’s Health Clinic

Earlier this week, Whole Woman’s Health Clinic, a comprehensive women’s health clinic in the South Bend area, announced its impending closure as reported by WSBT. State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) stated that the closure is a direct result of the passage of a near-total abortion ban last year by the Indiana General Assembly. The bill was designed to deliver a direct blow to women’s already limited access to healthcare in the state of Indiana. She released the following statement in response to the closure:

“Across the state, women have struggled to find quality reproductive healthcare and compassionate service. The closure of the Whole Woman’s Health Alliance clinic in South Bend further drives the existing divide in our ability to provide individual access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare in Indiana. Given Indiana’s sprawling maternity and child care deserts, and abysmal maternal mortality rankings, reproductive healthcare access will be further curtailed for women in the greater South Bend area, especially those of low-income who do not have the means to travel for care.

The closure follows a Marion Superior Court judge’s decision to certify a class action lawsuit against Indiana’s abortion ban on the basis of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Healthcare providers in Indiana have voiced their frustration with the overreach of the Indiana General Assembly, stating that it makes it difficult to continue operations without fear. Ultimately, if this legislation is upheld, it will further erode the right to access safe reproductive care in our state, the effects of which we have already begun to see.

“I will continue to fight for your reproductive freedoms, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to find solutions that will best serve the health and well-being of all individuals in our community.”