These days, half of what was the first nonprofit clinic in the nation to house a birthing center and provide abortions is empty. The clinic is CHOICES—Memphis Center for Reproductive Health and it opened in 1974, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.
But now its abortion patient clinical rooms and recovery area are used for storage. The call center room is going unused. Many staff have been let go, and others have had to navigate a new career path.
More than two and a half years after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, that decision has had a powerful impact. It's been daunting for reproductive health professionals.
Health workers struggle to determine what is permissible under state law , worrying about medical education and job security in an ever-changing landscape. The complexities have caused some to avoid a career in reproductive health . Lily Picard is among those who have had to navigate a new career path since Dobbs.
Picard was originally hired three years ago as an abortion doula to support patients during and after procedures at CHOICES. Since the ban took effect, she's moved to a different department. Now she helps patients with appointments.
CHOICES still has a birthing center and administers birth control. Those who need abortion care are referred to a branch of the clinic in Carbondale, Ill. "I still have a hard time and I miss it so much all the .