After almost 40 years of serving citizens of central Iowa, Central Iowa Family Planning Services is closing its doors. CIFP currently has clinics in Grinnell and Marshalltown with services reaching greater central Iowa, including Jasper County.
Serving as a pathway for those looking to receive family planning services, CIFP provided a full range of reproductive health services including pregnancy testing and counseling, female and male exams, contraceptive care and STD testing and treatment.
“They provided family planning services to the clients in Jasper County,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said. “It was way more than birth control, too. I feel like our options are being limited now.”
In a message from CIFP Board Chair Deb Tharp, the company cites reduced insurance reimbursements and the rapidly changing health care environment as reasons for the closure.
“The board regrets having to make this difficult decision, because it has such a negative impact on our clients, our employees and on the communities we serve, but after spending the past year implementing numerous cost reduction measures, including reduced service hours and closing the Toledo clinic, we have run out of options,” Tharp said. “Our small agency simply cannot remain financially viable while dealing with the increased costs of federally mandated electronic health records and much lower reimbursements from the new Managed Care Organizations that replaced traditional Medicaid in Iowa.”
Along with serving citizens of Jasper County, CIFP has been a part of the Maternal Child Health Task Force and was also exploring options of providing on-site services in Newton.
Pryor said CIFP previously had an office in Newton, but from her understanding, it closed because of lack of funding. At this time, Jasper County Public Health will not be taking on any of the services lost by CIFP.
“You need to have restrooms, exam rooms and we just aren’t set up for it in the existing space we are in,” Pryor said.
CIFP is currently assisting its clients with record transfers as it prepares for the closures of its clinics in Grinnell on Monday and Marshalltown on Nov. 14.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com