Planned Parenthood of Montana clinic to open in Bozeman

Planned Parenthood of Montana announced Tuesday it is opening a new clinic in Bozeman in summer 2027.

In a news release, Planned Parenthood said it is proud to be expanding when sexual and reproductive care infrastructure is shrinking across the nation.

It said the clinic will provide procedural abortion, which is only available in Missoula, Helena and the Flathead in Montana.

The organization has health centers in Billings, Helena, Great Falls and Missoula, plus “a robust telehealth program.”

In an interview, Planned Parenthood of Montana CEO and President Martha Fuller said the organization is locating its new health center in Bozeman for several reasons. Bozeman is one of the fastest-growing cities in Montana and has a young population, she said, and it has not had a consistent abortion provider for a long time.

She said the need already is demonstrated there.

“We, every year, see about 1,400 patients coming from the Bozeman area to our other areas not just for abortion care but other services,” Fuller said.

Bozeman also has a busy airport, and she said at least once a month, out-of-state travelers fly into Bozeman and drive to Helena for care.

The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research and policy organization with a mission to advance sexual and reproductive rights, said 200 people traveled to Montana for abortion in 2025. Fuller said many come from Idaho, which has a total ban on abortion. The Guttmacher Institute counts 13 states with complete abortion bans.

A news release about the health center said the $2 million renovation started Tuesday with $1.5 million raised to date with help from Bozeman volunteers, and the project will transform a professional building “into a high-caliber medical space.”

The center will have around seven rooms, including space for consultations, smaller-sized exam rooms, and larger rooms for procedures.

The organization said it aims to raise an additional $1.5 million to support operations for its first year. Fuller said some donations are coming from out-of-state supporters, but the project has seen “an incredible response” from donors in Bozeman and across Montana.

In a statement, Planned Parenthood of Montana Chief Medical Officer Dr. Samuel Dickman said many patients prefer to have an abortion procedure instead of a medication abortion, whether they’re farther along in a pregnancy, have a condition that requires a procedure, or “want the certainty of not being pregnant when they walk out the door.”

“That choice is what our patients deserve, and they shouldn’t have to drive long distances for it,” Dickman said in a statement.

The Montana Constitution protects abortion, but the government may regulate abortion after fetal viability. In a 1999 decision, the Montana Supreme Court said the constitution’s strict right to privacy covers choices in medical care, including abortion. In 2024, voters approved a constitutional amendment that says people have the right to make decisions about their own pregnancy, including the right to an abortion.

Fuller said lawmakers can do many things to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services, but she does not anticipate seeing such legislation from the 2027 Montana Legislature.

The Montana Legislature has attempted to restrict abortion in the past, but legislation has not withstood court challenges.

In the 2025 session, Fuller said Planned Parenthood saw a “significant decline” in the number of bills that aimed to curtail abortion, and no litigation came out of it. However, she said Planned Parenthood of Montana is the largest provider of gender-affirming care in the state, and she anticipates restrictions proposed in the 2027 Montana Legislature.

A spokesperson for the Legislative Services Division said Tuesday no draft bill requests are specifically related to abortion access or gender-affirming care so far, although some requests seek to make general revisions to health care laws.

The new health center is supported by peer providers including Bridgercare, the news release said. It said the new clinic will co-locate with Good Medicine Wellness Center, which will provide mental health care and community programming to Bozeman’s Indigenous community.