June 24, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Today the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the landmark Roe V. Wade ruling, which for 50 years has established a constitutional right for women to make their own decisions about their reproductive health care.
As you may have seen, President Folt issued a statement earlier today.
While this decision will likely have a significant impact on care around the country, we want to assure you of our unwavering commitment to providing our patients safe access to high-quality reproductive health care. Furthermore, as a leading academic medical center, we stand firm in our efforts to uphold the highest standards of reproductive health education and research, and to provide support for people less able to access care and services.
We realize that today’s Supreme Court decision is bringing many emotions to the surface for our community. We understand that many of you may feel anxious about how this decision may affect you or those you care about. Our organization strongly advocates for equitable access to evidence-based care, including reproductive care. We will continue to monitor developments statewide and across the country and reassess how to best support those in need of health care services.
We encourage you to please take advantage of our mental and emotional support services if you need them.
Sincerely,
Steven D. Shapiro, MD
Senior Vice President for Health Affairs
Rod Hanners
CEO, Keck Medicine of USC
Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD
Dean, Keck School of Medicine of USC