An Idaho Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against a neighboring pro-life women’s healthcare group last week, claiming the group is misusing the common area for its mobile medical unit and pro-lifers affiliated with the group are intimidating its patients.
Stanton Healthcare is located in the same business complex as Planned Parenthood in Idaho, and provides life-affirming comprehensive health care services. Founder and Director Brandi Swindell said she began the healthcare group as a life-affirming replacement to Planned Parenthood.
RedState reports the abortion chain’s lawsuit alleges that Stanton misuses the common area of the business complex by parking and using its mobile unit to conduct ultrasounds and consultations in the parking lot. The abortion group claims Stanton is violating the rules for use of the common area.
It also claims the healthcare group encourages people to protest Planned Parenthood, directs its patients toward Stanton’s mobile unit and “intimidate[s]” its patients and staff.
“They’re saying that we’re inviting other groups to our property and they’re blaming us for any nuisances brought by groups,” Swindell said. “We have very strict policies of code of conduct. Our brand is getting bigger and bigger and women are responding.”
The pro-life healthcare facility says Planned Parenthood is the only group in the business complex that ever has complained.
“Planned Parenthood is always fighting for access issues; they’re always accusing the pro-life community of trying to block access and here they are trying to block access!” Swindell added.
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Here’s more from Red State:
Swindell maintains that Stanton’s only goal is to provide quality care for women in need. She wants Stanton to directly compete with PP as an alternative that affirms life instead of takes lives. Stanton’s only tactics are to be visible and accessible. Nothing more.
“Whether people are pro-life or prochoice they need to know that Planned Parenthood thinks they have the authority to prevent us from helping women. They’re trying to prevent us from doing good. That’s disgusting.”
On a GoFundMe page set up to help with legal expenses, Stanton leaders said they park the mobile unit on their own property. They said mobile unit provides free baby care supplies, assistance to refugees and medical exams.
“This is targeting a life-affirming women’s medical clinic that is providing access to women to receive quality healthcare at no charge and alternatives to abortion,” they said.
“We cannot allow Planned Parenthood to bully us,” Swindell added. “Planned Parenthood should be ashamed of themselves, that they would ever restrict or try to prevent a non-profit women’s center from providing quality healthcare and hope to women in need.”
Stanton Healthcare is a life-affirming medical clinic that assists women experiencing unexpected pregnancies. Stanton began about 10 years ago in Boise, Idaho as a life-affirming alternative to Planned Parenthood, and since has become an international organization.
Swindell is planning to open a Meridian, Idaho clinic in 2017 next to a large Planned Parenthood abortion facility. Swindell said the clinic will offer ultrasounds, pregnancy confirmation, uterine and ovarian diagnostics, STI testing and treatment, prenatal care and postnatal follow-ups and possibly mammograms.
Swindell also has other centers in Idaho, North Carolina, Alabama and Ireland; and another one is planned for Detroit, Michigan.
Cosmopolitan magazine reported more about the project this summer:
Based on their plans for growth, Swindell expects to have 30 Stanton affiliates operating within 18 months of the Meridian flagship’s opening, and add 15 to 20 new clinics per year afterward. While some of the Stanton clinics opening their doors will be the full-fledged medical models like the Meridian and Boise sites, others will be able to identify as a Stanton clinic on a smaller scale, either with more limited medical services, by launching mobile centers in remote areas, or even as a doctor taking referrals and using his or her own office as a part-time clinic so patients can access care.
