By Ann McCreary
Room One in Twisp has seen an increase in the number of people seeking family planning services after Okanogan Family Planning closed its doors about four months ago.
Okanogan Family Planning, a private nonprofit organization, closed in November after 40 years, leaving a gap in family planning services in the Okanogan Valley and neighboring communities.
“I’ve seen people who are traveling far, because it’s hard to find services on a sliding scale,” said Laura Brumfield, a nurse at Room One’s Family Planning Clinic.
Brumfield said people seeking family planning services are coming to Twisp from as far away as Bridgeport and Tonasket, because Room One is now the closest clinic offering an income-based sliding scale that goes all the way to free care.
The Okanogan clinic frequently served people who don’t quality for Medicaid or similar benefits because of their documentation status, and many of the clients have limited English language abilities, said Elana Mainer, Room One executive director.
Okanogan Family Planning was forced to close because of ongoing cuts in federal funding, said Sara Smith, former board president. The Affordable Care Act also impacted the clinic, enabling former clients to obtain affordable insurance and go to clinics that provided other services as well as family planning.
Room One’s Family Planning Clinic, open one day a week, is administered by Family Planning of North Central Washington in Wenatchee. It provides birth control, STD testing and treatment for men and women, emergency contraception, pregnancy options counseling and well-woman reproductive care.
A new family planning clinic that will offer income-based services is expected to open in Okanogan this spring.
It will be operated by Family Planning of North Central Washington in space donated by Family Health Centers, said Anita Tuason, executive director of Family Planning of North Central Washington.
Family planning is a critical need in this region, Tuason said, since Okanogan County has one of the highest teen birth rates in the state.
Before it closed, Okanogan Family Planning saw many adolescents each year, said Lauri Jones, community health director of the Okanogan County Health District.
“A lot of teens went to family planning, because they could get services on a sliding scale with confidentiality,” Jones said.
A house on Second Avenue in Okanogan that was formerly used for the Women, Infants and Children program has been renovated and equipped to serve as a new family planning clinic, Tuason said.
“We’re in the process of hiring staff,” she said. “We’re hoping to be open two days a week.”
