Planned Parenthood closes Tyler, Texas, location, turns to ‘telehealth’ approach in area

Planned Parenthood has closed its Tyler, Texas, facility, as of July 17, and will be turning to offering “telehealth” services in the region. 

A sign on the door at the building on 601 Turtle Creek Drive and an update on the organization’s website confirmed the closure, according to a July 22 report from the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas had operated in the state for 90 years. The Tyler facility previously provided contraception and “birth control education;” pregnancy tests and consulting; screenings for sexually transmitted infections; “gender-affirming care”; and the abortifacient “morning-after pill” often referred to as “emergency contraception,” according to local reports. A spokesperson told KLTV 7, an ABC affiliate, that the facility never performed abortions, which are prohibited under Texas law. 

In the weeks leading up to the closure, the center had already limited its functions to medication refills only, according to the Telegraph.

Local Christian pro-life advocate Joy Patterson told KLTV that the closure “is a big victory.”

“Even though that particular office was not providing abortions in this area, it is our desire to see the organization itself not be a part of society in the U.S,” she added. Her church, CrossPointe, held a pro-life march in June that traced a route close to the Tyler Planned Parenthood. 

Despite the closure, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas said it will continue offering services in the region through virtual appointments.

“We made the strategic decision to transition healthcare services in the Tyler area to telehealth via the Greater Texas Virtual Health Center and close our health center on Turtle Creek Drive for in-person appointments,” the group said in a statement cited by the Telegraph. “Patients were notified of this update this month.”

The organization has not publicly offered further explanation for its decision to close. 

The timing follows the passage of federal legislation targeting Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. In response to the legislation, the Greater Texas branch had warned in a July 3 Facebook post that “one in three” of its locations could be forced to close and called the measure a “blatant political attack.”

At the same time, the organization stressed that its facilities in Greater Texas were “NOT closing,” citing the 2021 state defunding effort as a moment when it had “adapted, persisted, and continued to provide care for patients counting on us.”

This closure comes after years of persistent campaigning by pro-life advocates. Shawn Carney, CEO of 40 Days for Life, celebrated the closure on social media, writing, “So proud of my hometown of Tyler, TX closing their Planned Parenthood after years of @40daysforlife campaigns! Well done T‑town!!!”

Pro-life leader Mark Lee Dickson, known for his work in the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative, responded to the facility’s closure with “good riddance,” according to the Telegraph. 

State Rep. Daniel Alders, a Republican, shared, “God is good.”

>> Pro-life leader says ‘desperation is showing’ as Planned Parenthood sues over funding cuts <<

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