Trust Women was flooded with patients; doctors and staff in the Oklahoma City abortion clinic were scrambling to care for everyone they could. It was March 27, 2020, the beginning of the United States' COVID-19 crisis. Earlier that month, Texas' governor had announced a temporary ban on elective surgeries—an effort, he said, to conserve medical resources. The ban had included abortions. Almost immediately, Texans seeking care turned to Oklahoma, their neighboring state.
That Friday morning had been particularly hectic. By 10 a.m., the Trust Women clinic had already seen eight patients. And then came the phone call: Julie Burkhart, then the clinic's CEO, was asked by a local TV reporter for a comment on breaking news—Oklahoma had also temporarily banned abortions as COVID surged.
Burkhart called her attorneys and explained they had procedures in progress "right this minute." Could they finish the day out and see the rest of the patients? She was advised to finish procedures on anyone who had already been prepped—but then they had to stop.
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