The Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health department has started offering expanded reproductive healthcare options again, including annual family planning exams, contraception counseling and Nexplanon placement and removal.
Nexplanon is a birth control implant that goes under the skin of someone’s upper arm.
The LDCPH already offers pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and free condoms for clients. They announced Friday that expanded care is now available.
LDCPH used to offer this full suite of care options but stopped in early 2023, and Heartland Community Health Center expanded its Title X family planning services to ensure the care would still be available.
“We are proud to see family planning services returning to LDCPH as part of our continued effort to build a system of care that enables equitable access for everyone,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of LDCPH, in an October 2025 news release.
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In that same release, Heartland COO Rachel Hartford said that she didn’t anticipate letting any staff go as a result of the two organizations sharing the responsibility for the Title X Family Planning Grant.
“We are proud of the work we’ve done to provide accessible, compassionate reproductive health care, and we’re fully supportive of this transition,” she said.
Brittany Scheutz, an advanced practice registered nurse with LDCPH, also emphasized that the transition would facilitate equitable service for folks in Douglas County.
“Every person deserves the opportunity to make informed decisions about their health with the support of compassionate, evidence-based care,” she said in a Friday news release.
People can call the health department at 785-843-0721 to learn more or schedule an appointment. LDCPH’s family planning clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except Wednesday, when it’s open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The department is in the Community Health Facility, 200 Maine St.
Heartland is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at 1312 W. Sixth St. Learn more about their family planning services and book an appointment at this link.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
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