CARLA addresses medical, financial, and logistical barriers to streamline access to hospital-based abortion care.
CARLA is a collaboration between the Chicago Abortion Fund and four hospitals offering tertiary abortion care– Rush University Medical Center, UI Health (University of Illinois Chicago), Northwestern Medicine, and the University of Chicago Medicine.
Pregnant people with complex medical needs face special barriers to accessing abortion care.
CARLA is a provider referral line that provides confidential patient navigation for patients requiring complex abortion care in Illinois.
CARLA coordinates care for patients from anywhere in the U.S. who have a medical or obstetrical indication for hospital-based abortion care and, therefore, cannot receive care at a freestanding abortion clinic.
The CARLA program aims to reduce stress, confusion, and delay, to ensure that every patient receives their abortion in a safe, compassionate, and timely manner.
CARLA’s goals are:
Reduce barriers to care for patients needing complex abortion care
Improve access and lessen disparities in accessing abortion care at hospitals
Support free-standing clinics with hospital referrals
Improve efficiency and reduce delay for medically urgent referrals