INDIANAPOLIS — It's been one week since a judge granted an injunction on the state's abortion ban.
For clinics, that injunction has allowed them to resume abortion care for patients. Dr. Katie McHugh, an OB-GYN care and abortion care provider in the state, she said they're back to seeing patients once again. But clinics are now moving at a much slower pace, a lasting impact from the ban that was initially enacted Sept. 15.
“We are up and running at all of the clinics in Indiana, not to the previous capacity, which is OK, we’re doing what we can and making do with the resources and the staff that we have available. But we are up and running and we are able to provide care again and the patients who are coming in needing and requesting abortion care are so grateful,” McHugh said.
McHugh said they're working to ramp back up to previous levels, but it's tricky. One challenge facing providers is that they're unsure on if or when the state or a judge might shut clinics down again. When the ban initially went into place earlier this month, she said, many jobs were cut. Bringing staff back has been tough.
“It has been a challenge," McHugh said. "And part of that is because of the unknowns. It’s hard to take what is essentially an entry-level job when you are needing the paycheck, needing the insurance, you need these things and you don’t know for sure that job will exist in two weeks or a month."
But one thing has changed since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, McHugh said, is that Hoosier women have been acting much faster in seeking abortion care.
"As soon as people are finding out they’re pregnant and they’ve made the decision to not continue the pregnancy, we’re already getting calls. So even back in June, when the Dobbs decision was released from the Supreme Court, people have been scheduling their abortions for much earlier in pregnancy because of the concern of how long it will be legal,” McHugh said. "People don't believe Indiana is a safe place to be pregnant. So they are choosing to end the pregnancy much earlier, they are calling the abortion clinic and making their reservation and scheduling their appointment earlier and being more aggressive in their choices."
McHugh said this injunction allowing abortions to resume has been a significant ruling for healthcare, but she knows it's not a finite one. The future of abortion care in Indiana is now in the hands of a judge.
“It was a long-fought victory even to get to this temporary stay. And I am hopeful, but also pragmatic," McHugh said. "So we’re also making plans and trying to make sure that our patients will be able to access care whether it’s in our state or out of our state, because it turns out, abortion is not stopped by abortion bans, it just becomes harder to access."
But she said she hopes all Hoosiers who were upset by the ban take action at the ballot box in November to ensure these health care decisions stay between doctors and patients for good.
"Some people really celebrate when they find out they are pregnant. Other people, it is a tragedy or it is a potential death sentence," McHugh said. "It is not up for discussion on the Indiana state legislature floor. Instead, this is a private moment in a patient exam room and the legislation is simply not invited to join."
Earlier this week, an appeals court denied a request from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita who asked to quicken a decision on the injunction. But his team said they plan to keep the appeal going and are currently trying to take the case directly to the state supreme court.