Maimonides Medical Center was awarded $750,000 in state funding to expand and upgrade its Early Pregnancy Assessment Center, which provides abortions and other health services.
New York State established the New York State Abortion Access Program (NYSAAP) in 2022, following the Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. The money Maimonides will receive will expand abortion provider capacity and ensure continued access for patients seeking abortion care in New York State through increased staffing and training, equipment modernization, service expansion and outreach, according to a news release.
This round of funding will allow for significant upgrades to Maimonides’ Early Pregnancy Assessment Center (EPAC), allowing it to serve several hundreds more Brooklyn patients through its innovative approach of providing immediate maternal and reproductive healthcare.
EPAC is Brooklyn’s first and only hospital-based provider of necessary, time-sensitive care in early pregnancy, an especially necessary resource considering the rise in anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers that patients may turn to when care is tough to access.
With same-day and next-day appointments available, evidence-based, nonjudgmental and compassionate care is paramount in addressing concerns or complications for pregnant patients at EPAC, the news release said.
“Our EPAC provides an essential service in our Brooklyn community, not only providing lifesaving clinical care, but also advocating for patients every step of the way,” said Ken Gibbs, president of Maimonides Health. “We are thrilled that our state leaders value the commitment to early pregnancy care that our team shares with many other providers around the state."
These upgrades include expanding and maintaining office staff to improve responsiveness to patients seeking care, as well as obtaining more necessary equipment like sonogram machines.
