All 24 of Planned Parenthood’s health centers in Wisconsin stayed open from the onset of the pandemic last March.
“We made a mission-decision to serve as many people as we (could) as long as we were safe,” said Tanya Atkinson, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s president and chief executive officer.
Lockdowns led to an initial decline in foot traffic, meaning that the organization had to find new ways to reach patients who come to health centers for a wide variety of services, including STD testing and cervical cancer screenings.
In April, 2020, Planned Parenthood launched a telehealth option for patients seeking family planning services. That same month, the Planned Parenthood Direct app debuted in Wisconsin. The app allows patients to request birth control and get treatment for urinary tract infections. The organization also saw an increase in the number of patients who received Quarterly Contraceptive Kits. Delivered by mail, QCKs include a patients’ preferred