Urgent: Health Department’s Sexual and Reproductive Clinic at a Crossroads—What It Means for Your Care

JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Health Department’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic is facing some cutbacks next week. This is due to its lead nurse practitioner leaving to relocate with her family.

Last Monday, Dr. Travis Riddell, TCHD’s director, informed the Board of County Commissioners about the clinic’s uncertain future. This update came during his first monthly briefing since starting in August, and he mentioned the possibility of reducing services or potentially closing the clinic.

Riddell spoke with Buckrail to shed more light on this situation, which is rooted in a partnership between TCHD and St. John’s Health that has lasted for nearly a decade. In 2014, after the closure of Western Wyoming Family Planning, local public health officials recognized a significant gap in sexual health services. TCHD stepped in to fill that void, collaborating with St. John’s to open the clinic with one nurse practitioner—who is now leaving.

“She worked as a hospital employee but contributed her time to our clinic,” Riddell explained. “Now we’re left wondering how we’ll fill that void.”

Since its inception, the clinic has grown. TCHD hired more nurse practitioners and offers essential services like STI testing and treatment, various contraceptives, pregnancy counseling, and preventative HIV care. All of this comes with minimal costs to community members.

Riddell is in discussions with St. John’s about how to keep the clinic running. There’s hope that the hospital sees the clinic as valuable for the community’s health and finances. However, he expects a drop in services might start as soon as next week.

“This clinic is mostly free for attendees, and it’s not designed to make a profit,” Riddell noted. “It’s here to prevent people from having to seek these services elsewhere, which can often lead to unaffordable care.”

According to TCHD Reproductive Health Nurse Coordinator Jenny Barbera, the clinic offers 28 hours of service each week, with 16 hours provided by St. John’s. Recently, they served about 1,000 visits to low-income and uninsured residents in the past year, with 65% of those visits focused on STI screenings.

“Access to these services is under threat, both financially and legally,” Riddell said. “The community values these services, and it’s a priority to maintain, if not expand, what we offer.”

Recent trends show a growing concern about dwindling access to reproductive health care across the U.S. According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, nearly one in four women of reproductive age live in a state deemed hostile to abortion rights, demonstrating the immediate need for safe and accessible health services. Keeping clinics like TCHD operational can help address these ongoing challenges.

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