Working for Illinois Caucus

The Illinois Valley’s newest state representative calls the planned closure of Planned Parenthood in Ottawa a “setback for overall care in our community”.

The Democrat on Thursday says the Planned Parenthood clinic closure adds to the number of critical healthcare providers closing or reducing services in the Illinois Valley. That’s why she says her first piece of proposed legislation is to create a rural hospital task force. Briel says she will lean on local voices to review why hospitals and essential health services are closing with hopes of turning that trend around and instead start to expand and improve healthcare services.

Ottawa’s Planned Parenthood is one of 4 clinics in Illinois set to close in the coming weeks. While disappointed in that fact, Briel points out that women will still be able to access needed reproductive health medications because of expanded mail-order options.