This is my first community post here; I'm half venting, and I half want some real answers.
I'm a long time supporter of Planned Parenthood--I've been a patient, a volunteer, a donor, and an activist for them. When I lived in Minneapolis, I relied on them for all my health care needs, even when I had insurance that would have covered a non-sliding-scale doctor; I always felt respected and taken seriously there, and couldn't have asked for better care.
However, since moving to Seattle two years ago, I've had nothing but bad, bad, bad experiences with the Planned Parenthood clinics I've visited, and I've been to three different clinics. I'm understanding of delays, long waits, and distractions and always willing to give them a little wiggle room there, but lately I feel like I have nothing good to say about them.
Without going into a ton of detail, I've had clinicians ignore symptoms that ended up being indicative of greater problems, screw up two appointments (I show up and it turns out the appt is for another day/time), read my chart incorrectly, sigh and act annoyed at my questions, not return my phone calls about possibly having a bad reaction to a medicine they prescribed, and, perhaps worst of all, ignore my concerns about wanting to get on a new form of birth control. I'd been taking ortho-tri-cyclen but became pregnant while on it (having not missed a dose); when I talked with my clinician about other oral contraceptives or an IUD, she said it was probably just a fluke, and I shouldn't worry about it. I became pregnant four months after that appointment.
Every appointment I've had with them has ended with me crying out of frustration. I feel so angry, partly because of the disrespectful tone and attitude I keep getting from them, and partly because this amazing organization I want to support keeps letting me down.
I'm wondering what the next step is. I've already decided not to volunteer or donate any money to my local chapter. But what's after that? Should I tell Planned Parenthood how I feel? If so, who should I talk to? Should I write a letter, or call? How can I continue to support choice in my community? I've been volunteering on and off for NARAL for awhile, but I really prefer doing the sort of hands-on, front-line stuff that PP allowed me to do.
Secondly, I don't have insurance (well, I do, but it has an extremely high deductible), and I feel like PP is the only low cost clinic around. Does anyone from Seattle know of another option?
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I would write to the national PP organization. It sounds like you like what they do in general (since you liked them in other cities) but the local clinics are having problems. The national organization should be made aware of this so they can do something about it.
As for whether you should stop donating, maybe you can ask them if the money you donate goes directly to the local clinic or to the national organization.
I've only been in a PP clinic once (in California) but I had a very good experience and was pleasantly surprised when they told me I could get the pill for free. I was a little sad though, to see that they had more security than my bank. I guess they have to.
I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences with the Planned Parenthoods in Seattle. I agree with the above poster that you might want to write to PP national about it, although I'm not sure how much they're able to do.
If you have access to a car or something, one option for you might be the Cedar River Clinics in Renton, Yakima, or Tacoma: http://www.cedarriverclinics.org .
I also have a volunteer idea for you. I'm currently in Seattle for the summer as the intern for the Community Abortion Information and Resource (CAIR) Project: http://www.cairproject.org . It is an abortion fund--women in the Pacific Northwest call the hotline, and volunteers take week-long shifts of returning hotline calls to give information and referral, and granting money to women who need it. It's an all-volunteer organization and everyone I've met who works with CAIR is fantastic. You could be a hotline volunteer or help in other ways, depending on your interests. You can get in touch through the CAIR website if you're interested.
Hi there, I live in Seattle as well. I haven't been to PP as a patient, but I do think that you should write and complain to a national office. If our local PP is not up to standards, they need to know about it. Seattle is such a progressive town, for us to have an unprofessional and unhelpful PP is shameful.
For women's health care, I go to and love Aurora Medical, it's on Capital Hill. I believe that they have options for people without insurance or who are under-insured. Their # is 206.957.0990.
As far as volunteer opportunities, I've always worked with the local chapter of NARAL, but that info. that Ellen gave about CAIR sounds amazing. I'm going to check them out myself!
I live in LA and volunteer for Planned Parenthood as well. I think Planned Parenthood is a fantastic organization, but it is underfunded and generally (especially in my Hollywood branch where I have to wait 3 hours) understaffed. This makes for cranky, sometimes less than helpful people. Their should be a main office that oversees all the local branches. I'd contact them with your complaints (the business office, separate from the clinic), and if they have no answer for you contact the national office.
Part of me wants to say you should keep donating and giving time if you can, that's what helps make the system better, but I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you're being ignored by the same organization you're fighting for.
I work at a PP affiliate and I suugest you call or write to the local PP's Director of Patient Services. The national office's relationship with an affiliate is not that hands on in day to day operations...You'll get more traction by speaking to the person who supervises clinical services. If you do decide to stop volunteering/donating, be sure to tell the staff in those departments why!
Oh god, I totally feel for you. Getting pregnant while on birth control is my greatest fear and one that's often dismissed my many doctors (when I went on the NuvaRing the doctor who prescribed it said there was no reason to use a second for in addition and then left before I could ask any follow-up questions)
This sounds like an awful experience for you, but it seems like the result of underfunding and under staffing. Bad for both the clinic and the patient. It's a shame to see such a great organization being failed so badly and failing it's patients as a result.
I hope you have better luck in the future.