Planned Parenthood opens South Hill ‘express clinic’

With the goal of preventing more unwanted pregnancies, Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest opened an “express clinic” on the South Hill this week.

The clinic, near 30th and Regal, is staffed by a nurse who can dispense birth control pills without an appointment or a pelvic exam. The clinic also offers limited testing for sexually transmitted diseases, but will not do abortions or vasectomies.

The clinic will dispense the so-called morning-after pill, which can prevent pregnancy if taken soon after unprotected sex.

The agency spent about $15,000 remodeling the space for the clinic, said Planned Parenthood CEO C.J. Gribble.

“It’s really about expanding access,” Gribble said. “No waiting, no appointment. We have Saturday hours and evening hours.”

Cheney got the first express clinic earlier this year, and the agency plans to open more of them. An analysis of client ZIP codes helped the agency determine where to put the clinics, which are a trend among Planned Parenthood agencies nationwide.

The South Hill was the next logical site, Gribble said. Of the more than 175,000 services delivered at the Spokane agency’s East Indiana and Spokane Valley clinics last year, 17 percent of the clients came from the South Hill.

A grand opening event will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The event will be open to the public.

Regular hours for the clinic, in leased space at 2802 E. 30th St., Suite B, are Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The nonprofit agency’s six health centers serve clients in the nine northern counties of Idaho and the eight eastern counties of Washington.