(Radio Iowa) – The Sioux City Planned Parenthood office is seeing an increase in patients from South Dakota and other states where abortion is now banned. Sarah Traxler, the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, says as more states pass abortion restrictions, the clinic is poised to become a critical point of access for the Midwest. Traxler says, “Places like Sioux City that are situated in tri-state areas, not very far from rural areas, it’s going to play a really key role in expanding access for people across our region.”

The clinic is being careful in how it handles abortions for patients from states with bans, as Traxler says those patients now have to complete their medication abortion on-site. “Because none of us want to be placed in a position where we are charged with a felony, losing our medical license,” she says, “because then we can’t take care of anyone.”

The clinic is now open two days a week to accommodate Iowa’s new law requiring patients seeking an abortion to make two appointments, at least 24 hours apart.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)