BY CLARE HOWARD

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois recently released results of an investigation begun in 2015 into Heartland Health Services and found the Peoria clinics limit birth control availability for many low-income residents in the community, creating “an enormous burden” for women seeking contraception.

Heartland receives federal tax funding but limits its contraceptive services because of restrictions imposed by OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.

ACLU noted in its report that areas of Peoria have teen pregnancy rates higher than the statewide average.

According to the report, Heartland operates two of its clinics, 1701 W. Garden Street and 320 E. Armstrong Avenue, on property owned by OSF. The lease agreements restrict those clinics from offering birth control.

The ACLU report stated that providing bus passes and requiring women to travel 30 to 50 minutes on public transportation to Heartland’s East Bluff clinic poses a significant hurdle to obtaining care. The East Bluff clinic offers contraceptive services once a week, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

Heartland spokeswoman Jamie Messmore said Heartland has not yet seen the ACLU report and no changes in operation are planned at this time.

Several months ago, Messmore confirmed these restrictions exist at some location.

“We have had several conversations with ACLU,” she said at that time. “We have the same goal in mind: access to healthcare for all.”

The ACLU report stated that “These restrictions are likely exacerbating persistently high rates of teen birth, particularly for the low-income, African Americans in the Peoria community.”

Rev. Marvin Hightower, president of the Peoria NAACP, said the organization has not officially discussed this issue but is aware of it and is concerned.

Another problem highlighted in the ACLU report was Heartland’s  arrangement to refer women with complicated pregnancies and women in need of tubal ligations to OSF, a Catholic hospital with religious restrictions.

The ACLU report recommends that Heartland remove all religious restrictions either by renegotiating lease agreements with OSF or by ending its affiliation with OSF.

Elaine Hopkins, president of the Peoria Chapter of the ACLU, said, “It’s essential for all women to have choice, and federal clinics ought to be providing choice. Women in the South Side of Peoria shouldn’t have to take a bus for an hour on a certain day of the week. This is a federal clinic supported by our tax dollars. We’re paying for it. Peoria has a huge problem with unintended pregnancies, and these clinics should be helping women access contraception.”