Planned Parenthood of Northern New England plans to permanently close its St. Johnsbury, Vt., health center on June 3, the organization announced Tuesday. 

The closure stems from an array of challenges that have caused the location to operate at a loss in recent years, including repeated flood damage and skyrocketing health care costs, according to Jessica Barquist, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Vermont.

“This is a really intentional step that we’re taking to ensure that PPNNE’s future is secure and that this is not the first step of the end,” Barquist said.

The St. Johnsbury location is currently the only Planned Parenthood clinic operating in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom region, and its closure threatens to severely limit access to reproductive care for Vermonters in the region. The organization also has health centers in Burlington, Williston, Vt., Barre, Vt., Rutland, White River Junction and Brattleboro, Vt. 

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England does not currently expect to close or reduce services at any of its other Vermont locations, Barquist said.  

The announcement comes as Planned Parenthood of Northern New England continues to grapple with financial challenges that have beset the organization for years. The non-profit operated at a $2 million deficit in 2020 and a $1.5 million deficit in 2021, leading it to shutter five health centers in Newport, Vt., Bennington, Vt., Saint Albans, Vt., Middlebury, Vt., and Hyde Park, Vt., in 2022.

In August, the organization announced it was projecting an $8.6 million operating deficit over the next three years, which was primarily due to high costs of care and commensurately low reimbursement rates from private insurance companies, Medicaid and Medicare, Barquist said on Tuesday. 

Of the organization’s 15 regional locations, Barquist said, the St. Johnsbury location currently operates at the greatest financial loss and the fewest patients. In fiscal year 2024, the Northeast Kingdom clinic saw just 4% of the 15,960 patients collectively served at the seven Planned Parenthood health centers in Vermont, according to statistics provided by the organization.

“Patient demand just isn’t there in the way that could combat some of the other challenges of rural health care delivery that we’re experiencing in that area, with the high cost of care delivery,” Barquist said. “And then there’s the lack of health care professionals, and the challenge of hiring and maintaining staff in that area.”

The organization is also trying to navigate an increasingly turbulent funding landscape, as the Trump administration continues to threaten grants dedicated to abortion and reproductive health services.

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced it was freezing a prominent source of federal funds for reproductive care in some states, including Maine and New Hampshire, cutting off a crucial funding source for Planned Parenthood clinics in the region. Title X is a federal grant program that provides millions of dollars of funding for uninsured and low income individuals to access family planning and preventative care services, like testing for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and contraception education.

As of now, Vermont hasn’t seen a freeze on its federal funding, but Barquist feared that could change.

“It’s hard to say,” she said. “At this point, who knows.”