New Women's Health & Abortion Clinic Opens In South OKC

Staff at the Trust Women South Wind Women's Center gave tours Saturday of the newly opened clinic. Cameras were allowed in because there weren't any patients inside.

With six doctors on staff, the clinic will provide a range of women's health services, hormone therapy, OBGYN care and abortions up to 21.6 weeks. So far, Trust Women's CEO Julie Burkhart says they've been welcomed by their new neighbors.

“By and large people are I think appreciative, they think our clinic is going to serve the community well,” Burkhart said.

Burkhart said they began planning the $1 million clinic in Oklahoma City two years ago. Originally Trust Women had planned to open the clinic in the early summer, but plans were held up. According to a release from the clinic, Trust Women estimates 1500 to 2000 patients will be seen in the Clinic’s first year.

A trust women spokesperson said she couldn’t estimate how many abortions that would mean, but said the clinic in Wichita, KA, which is more than double the size of the Oklahoma clinic, performs roughly 2000 abortions a year.

Oklahoma is one of 18 states considered extremely hostile to abortion, according to the Pro-choice Guttmacher Institute. Gov. Mary Fallin passing 20 different anti-abortion laws since taking office. Just this year Fallin vetoed a bill that would effectively have made abortions illegal. Protestors took to the street corner on Saturday out front to voice their concerns.

“I'm standing on the corner because I think so many people don't know that they're here and what they're doing,” Janice James said while protesting Saturday.

Burkhart is no stranger protestors. The Group's Wichita clinic has protestors outside five days a week where protestors keep track of when staff comes and goes. But Oklahoma City Police said this week they're not worried about violence.

Burkhart said things aren't as bad in Oklahoma City, at least not bad enough to make her stop.

“People are lacking access to healthcare and our specialty is women's healthcare and we're here to serve the women of Oklahoma,” she said.

The Trust Women facility is the third clinic to provide abortions in Oklahoma, There’s one in Norman and another in Tulsa.