Women seeking reproductive care, mental health care, cancer screenings and more may have to find new providers for the time being. 

Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania said it's making temporary service changes as it faces the major staffing shortages impacting health care agencies across the state and country.

Woman shares experience with Planned Parenthood 

After going through a traumatic gynecological experience in 2017, Alliyson Feldmann said she had to be her own health advocate.

"I felt unheard, uncared for and unseen," Feldmann said.

She felt like just a patient on a list, except when she went to Planned Parenthood.

"These are people that have stood up for you and stood up for your rights, and not taken a job somewhere else that could have been easier, but are doing it because they believe that reproductive health care is health care," Feldmann said.

Feldmann went to their clinics on and off ever since high school, but finally decided last year to switch full time. 

"It felt really good to have a safe way to access reproductive health care for me, and that's gone right now," Feldmann said. 

What's gone is Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania is temporarily pausing certain services at its locations in the region.

The Bridgeville center stopped in-person services on Dec. 2, 2025. The Greensburg center will pause them on Jan. 16. The Downtown Pittsburgh center will still provide abortions, but will start seeing intermittent services on Jan. 26, meaning the center will be open occasionally and will update those dates on its website. The Johnstown center will remain open, and telehealth will also continue to be available.

The impact is that many patients will have to wait for appointments at other providers, while others won't have access at all.

"It's six to eight months right now to get into a specialist anywhere, unless you have an emergency," Feldmann said.

Having primary insurance, Feldmann knows she's in a position unlike other patients, while she fears possibly having to step into a traditional health care environment where she's uncomfortable. She's concerned for the thousands who travel every year across the country to come here for care.

"They have to find someone that's willing to talk to them from another state so that they can figure out how to connect for care, because they're even afraid to Google it in those states," Feldmann said.

The organization said the reason for the changes is the national nursing shortage. A spokesperson told KDKA that three or four clinicians left or moved to part time in the past several months, which can seem like small numbers but has a large impact on small offices.

The agency also cites "an escalating political backdrop" with attacks from the federal government as creating challenges to their hiring efforts.

Feldmann, though, hopes that by sharing her story, she can make a difference.

"Planned Parenthood has always stood up for me. They've always been there for me, and I think this is an opportunity for me to be there, for them," Feldmann said.

The agency said it hopes to fill its vacancies and have the new staff trained to reopen these clinics in three to six months.