BOISE -- Two different organizations in Boise both say they just want to provide options, education, and support to women with unexpected pregnancies. But even though their locations are very close, if you ask them about each other, they couldn't be more different.
Stanton Healthcare just opened a new clinic in Boise. Stanton is a non-profit founded by Brandi Swindell, a local Christian activist, almost five years ago.
But Swindell says this new, more advanced building will provide better free services to women who experience unexpected pregnancies, offering pregnancy care, parenting classes, baby care supplies, and adoption assistance.
We're focusing on helping women, said Swindell. That's what we want to do. If women want to walk in our doors, we're here to help them. It's up to them, but we just want to be available.
But it's the location of the Stanton Healthcare Clinic that's so significant. It's literally right next door to Planned Parenthood's Boise clinic.
Hannah Brass is the legislative director with Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest. She says help for women with unexpected pregnancies is just part of what they do. But she says they do provide healthcare, counseling, and a number of options to women in that situation, which includes abortion.
There isn't one option on the table that I think you could say we don't provide, said Brass. What we do want to provide for our patients in compassionate and confidential care, and give them any option in any situation they find themselves in. Then just do what's right for them. It's their decision.
Stanton does not provide abortion assistance. Swindell thinks this new location gives women more help for mothers and a better option for unexpected pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood sells one option, says Swindell. We're not agenda driven. Really, we provide a lot more options that Planned Parenthood does.
Brass says women will not get the comprehensive healthcare at Stanton they can get with Planned Parenthood. But both organizations say they're not in competition.
We don't want to compete with them, said Swindell. We don't want to get in a debate with them, that's not what we're about. We, right now, at Stanton Healthcare in this building, we're focusing on the clients that walk through our doors.
Will it hurt what we do? No, said Brass. We will continue to offer the compassionate and confidential, comprehensive care that we provide every single day.
All Planned Parenthood patient's privacy is protected by HIPPA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Swindell says her clinic voluntarily adheres to those laws.
All of Stanton Healthcare's services are free. Planned Parenthood says many of its patients get free services, but it depends on need.
