An independent, non-profit sexual and reproductive health clinic that has served the Galesburg area for nearly 50 years has closed, but a Peoria organization is stepping up to provide those services – and more.
Family Planning Services of Western Illinois was founded in 1976. For decades, it offered low-to-no cost contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections, gynecological care, pregnancy tests, and referrals to other healthcare providers, all from its Galesburg clinic.
“We had women who found out that they were joyously pregnant in our clinic and took their first steps towards becoming mothers, and folks who have found ways to take charge of their own healthcare in a really safe and supportive environment in our facility,” said Nikki Malley, president of Family Planning Service of Western Illinois’ board.
Malley served as interim executive director of the clinic as they made the difficult decision to close on June 30. She said the most crucial aspect of Family Planning Services’ care has always been that patients can afford it. But with growing demand for services and rising costs, the board realized the clinic needed a significant restructuring.
“To do that would have required a pretty significant investment of funds that we simply did not have,” Malley said. “We had the scary question of whether we close the operation entirely. This is something that we've seen around the state just in the last couple of years. I believe three regional Planned Parenthoods have closed doors entirely in the last, 18 to 24 months. So people in our field are seeing these challenges.”
Instead of closing entirely, Malley said Family Planning Services of Western Illinois was able to strengthen an existing relationship with Central Illinois Friends, which took over operation of the clinic on July 1.
The Peoria non-profit has been around since 1990.
“We were founded in Peoria by a group of concerned individuals who didn't like the way society was treating those that were dying and struggling of AIDS-related complications. Through the years, times changed, and we went from somewhat of a hospice center to helping people live a long and healthy life while living with HIV,” said Deric Kimler, executive director of Central Illinois Friends.
In 2017, Central Illinois Friends started providing completely free sexual health services in Peoria. Kimler said that led to the clinic getting feedback about the barriers to sexual and reproductive care and mental health services for the LGBTQ+community.
“What makes Central New Friends unique is we hire from the community, we represent those we serve, we speak multiple languages, we don't take insurance, we don't need insurance. Sometimes we take insurance if we can, but we don't need insurance. We don't need IDs,” Kimler said. “We are low to no cost, which means that when we say no barriers, we mean no barriers.”
Central Illinois Friends provided LGBTQ+ care at Family Planning Services of Western Illinois one day a week for the last couple of years. Now that they’ve taken over the Galesburg clinic, they’ll provide everything that Family Planning Services did, and also expand LGBTQ-plus care and other services in the Galesburg area, including providing gender affirming hormones, free HPV vaccinations, and PrEP, a daily bill that prevents HIV.
They’ll also expand mental services, providing screenings and referring clients to Bridgeway and helping them navigate that health system, or having them virtually see one of Central Illinois Friends’ providers in Peoria.
Kimler said while the Galesburg clinic is open now, it may be a few months before they’re at full steam. Central Illinois Friends is committed to hiring local people to staff the Galesburg, and there will be a local advisory board for it.
"The president of that advisory board will then sit on Central Illinois Friends governing board so that way there's always feedback, we always have ears to the ground. I'm a firm believer, nothing about us without us. And so no decision should be made about the Galesburg Clinic without Galesburg representation,” Kimler said.
Kimler said as a gay man who grew up in the area, he often thinks about what it would have meant in his life if he’d had representation and access to care. He said local people and people all over the world seeking reproductive health care face all kinds of barriers, and all kinds of judgment.
But as an independent non-profit organization, Central Illinois Friends is able to listen to people’s needs in the community – and act.
“Whereas most bureaucratic institutions that are ran by large organizations or franchises or a state in general have so much bureaucracy that they only have so many tools to do. We're doers. We live and breathe the mission. And if you tell us something, we believe you. We may not be able to do something in the moment, but we're sure as heck going to work towards it,” Kimler said.
Central Illinois Friends’ Galesburg clinic is currently located in the former Family Planning Services of Western Illinois’ space in the Bondi Building, 311 E. Main St., Ste. 401.
For more information, email outreach@centralillinoisfriends.com
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