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Free health services offered
at new Health Resource Center
The Advocate
A Health Resources Center has been established on campus as part of a partnership between Planned Parenthood and MHCC and will give students and faculty the opportunity to have basic health care resources on campus such as yearly exams to help prevent cervical cancer.
David Sussman, manager of College Center student services and grant-funded programs, said part of Planned Parenthood's mission is education and outreach and referrals.
"They were willing to completely staff a health and wellness center here that focuses on preventive health and reproductive health at no-cost to the college," said Sussman.
"Last summer (the college) cut the health and wellness center due to budget cuts, Sussman said. "We were left with no health and wellness resources on campus, and it was becoming obvious more and more students needed that, but didn't have resources for how to find out information about health."
News of the health and wellness center, which opened its doors April 6, has prompted a protest of the clinic Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Main Mall. In a press release sent this week, Liberty Pike, an MHCC graduate and speaker of Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, said, "Abortion services are promoted by this clinic every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We, concerned students and community members, protest the promotions of abortion, the unjust and immoral deprivation of individuals' right to life.
"There are 340 abortions performed per one adoption referral in PP-affiliated clinics. Planned Parenthood's focus is providing abortions. The facts show this, no matter what their public relations director says," said Pike.
In response to the announcement of the protest, Liz Delapoer, director of marketing and communications for Planned Parenthood‑Columbia Willamette, said, "We've had experience with rallies before, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We have had a great response from faculty and students and they are excited about having this resource available on the MHCC campus."
Larry Collins-Morgan, Associated Student Government president, said, "This is not directly dedicated to abortion. It's dedicated to anything that's dealing with reproductive help; talking about care and options and things like that. It was not designed to be an abortion machine. That is not the intent."
Delapoer said, "We will not be providing abortion services on campus. More than 95 percent of the services Planned Parenthood provides is preventive health care; less than 5 percent of what we do is abortion services throughout Oregon and Washington."
Sussman encourages the MHCC community to take advantage of the resources provided by the free clinic.
"I would encourage anyone — if they have any types of questions or concerns related to their personal health no matter what type of health issue it may be — to come in and take advantage of the fact that it's here and it's free," said Sussman.
The Health Resources Center is located in the College Center in Room 1051 by the stairs and is open every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Planned Parenthood staff will meet with people with an MHCC ID on a walk-in basis; no appointments will be taken.
The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.