Ohio Policy Evaluation Network

Rigorous, innovative research on reproductive health care in Ohio and the region.

Abortion Clinic Closures and Care Churn

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This project evaluates the impact of state policies and practices on abortion clinics and health care providers, as well as which policies, laws, and regulations contribute to clinic closures and changes in abortion service delivery in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. We aim to assess the impact of closures and fluctuations in abortion care on abortion access and community health outcomes.

What we’re doing:

  • conducting in-depth interviews with staff of abortion clinics in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia that were closed between 2011-2019 to illustrate the circumstances of clinic closures
  • developing an interactive mapping tool to visualize the impact of abortion clinic closures on regions within Ohio
  • crafting case studies of clinics that are currently facing or have previously faced litigation to remain open
  • reading legislative histories, court documents, media coverage, and interviewing attorneys, advocates, clinic representatives, and would-be patients to study the impact of state-level abortion restrictions on clinics facing potential closure and disruptions in service delivery
  • conducting focus groups and interviews with reproductive healthcare providers and genetic counselors who do not work in free-standing abortion clinics to study the ripple effects of abortion regulations beyond clinic doors

Findings

Team Members

Michelle McGowan

Professor of Biomedical Ethics

Mayo Clinic

Cynthia Beavin

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Danielle Bessett, Co-Principal Investigator of OPEN

Professor

Department of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Affiliate

University of Cincinnati

Molly Broscoe

Ph.D. Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Payal Chakraborty, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Danielle Czarnecki, Case Western Reserve University

Meredith P. Field, Alfred University

Hillary Gyuras

Senior Research Associate

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Anne Heuerman

Orlaith (Orla) Heymann, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Jessie Hill

Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law

School of Law

Case Western Reserve University

Elaina Johns-Wolfe, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Kelsey Mello

Meredith Pensak

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Cincinnati

Mikaela Smith

Research Scientist

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Sara Zandvakili, University of Cincinnati

Research Participation

  • Trouble getting abortion care in Ohio, Kentucky, or West Virginia?

    Navigate back to research participation Researchers with Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN) are interviewing folks in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia who have had trouble getting an abortion since June 2022. Through the interviews, we hope to better understand the experiences of people seeking abortion in our region after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Why […]