Stating the Case

By:  Erika F. Werner, MD, MS 

As we await the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that is expected to dramatically change access to medical care in the U.S., I am grateful to serve at an institution that has publicly voiced its support for and commitment to health equity and access to evidence-based reproductive health care.  

As Lisa Harris, MD noted in a recent New England Journal of Medicine commentary, the highly politicized nature of abortion care in this country can make it difficult for institutions to thoughtfully remark upon and plan for policy decisions that impact patient care.  

More than ever, it is important for physicians and other leaders to encourage institutions, departments, and professional organizations to clearly state their values and intentions regarding the provision of, support for, and teaching of abortion care in this changing landscape. If we do not advocate now, the expected state-by-state patchwork of abortion restrictions will only become harder to navigate, most concerningly for patients, but also for practitioners and learners. 

This is a time when talk is not cheap and words really do matter. Institutions publicly stating their unwavering commitment to “put patient care above all else” and to condemn policies that degrade the Hippocratic oath, increase health inequities, and directly limit access to care make us as physicians and patients feel supported.  It is only with this support that we can continue to explain that abortion care is medical care. 

Shortly before Roe v Wade was decided, 100 professors of obstetrics and gynecology publicly stated their support for legal abortion care. Forty years later, another 100 professors – including two of the previous signatories – reaffirmed this commitment. It is well past time to broaden such public declarations to include our institutions. 

Has your institution publicly shared its position? Respond in the comments with a link. If your institution has not yet publicly stated its intentions, consider sharing other statements with your leaders and encourage them to support patient care in this way. Together, let’s make sure patients and clinicians know where evidence-based care is valued and supported.