Rose Schultz, nurse stenographer at The Woman’s Choice Center in Bettendorf, performs an ultrasound on Rachel Causemaker. Seated next to her is her husband, Kidd.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
BETTENDORF — Emphasizing the woman, not the choice, led to a rebranding of the name and logo for Bettendorf’s pro-life center this summer. The Woman’s Choice Center added “the” and changed women’s to woman’s in its name, said Christie Schilling, director of the center operated by Life and Family Educational Trust.
During the Life and Family Gala fundraiser last month, Schilling told the crowd that the leaf in the new logo is a symbol of a garden of new life and redemption.
Located in the former Planned Parenthood office since 2018 and before that across the street since 2002, The Woman’s Choice Center has documented 2,187 lives saved, said Eleza Miller, president of the Life & Family board of directors. She asked supporters at the annual Life & Family Gala Sept. 23 to “keep praying, keep volunteering and keep supporting” the center.
During a visit by The Catholic Messenger to The Woman’s Choice Center, Schilling said, “Our center is blessed with a spacious facility. We are committed to using every square foot to better serve moms, dads and families in need.”
Currently one half of the building is fully utilized with ultrasounds, nursing and counseling offices, administrative space and storage. The other half remains largely underused — with only a few rooms occupied by a physician, insurance office and massage therapy.
“To be better stewards with our space and enhance the care we provide, we’re planning to relocate all medical services and staff to one dedicated side of the building while consolidating our resource services on the other,” Schilling said.
“We have seen an increase across all that we do from patients and clients to resources, ultrasounds and testing. Why? Because of prayer,” she said. “God is showing families who to turn to.” She also noted Iowa’s pro-life legislation likely has had a role as well.
“Remodeling will take time. We actively seek funding, support from willing partners in the construction community and grants.”
Two key goals with the reorganization are protecting privacy and dignity and expanding the capacity to serve.
Dr. Julie Schroeder, a physician at Life & Family Medical, gave an update at the gala. Her main duties are direct primary care and the Fourth Trimester program. That program helps women before and after delivery make the transition to motherhood. “I tell them to trust their instincts and vocalize their needs,” she said. “I love being their cheerleader.”
Sara Jansen, outreach coordinator for The Woman’s Choice Center offers Real Changes and Real Choices programs. Real Choices is the center’s healthy relationship education program for youths, adults and classroom students in grades 5-9. Started in 2017, the center expects to serve as least 1,700 students in schools, churches and youth organizations. “We teach youths and adults the sanctity of life, how to develop healthy relationships, be safe online, set healthy boundaries and the benefits of delaying sexual activity for marriage,” Jansen said. Real Choices takes a holistic approach that focuses on healthy decision making in “every area of our lives.”
Those educational programs use evidence-based, medically accurate and age appropriate curriculum developed by The Center for Relationship Education. Jansen primarily focuses on the Quad-City metro area, but has traveled to Muscatine, Clinton and Cambridge, Illinois.
Right now, Jansen is preparing material for when Iowa’s “Baby Olivia” law, also known as the Prenatal Human Development Education bill goes into schools in the future. This new curriculum cannot be taught by anyone who performs or promotes abortion, Jansen said. “Schools are required to teach this material,” she noted. Guidance and criteria are still being developed by the state, but The Woman’s Choice Center plans to teach or design this curriculum.
Pam Galanius, clinical director/nurse manager and Sara Leinart, nurse, said The Woman’s Choice Center saw a 35% increase in client usage in the past year.
Leinart shared the story of Jessica who rode the bus to the center. Although 13 weeks pregnant, Jessica was not considering abortion. But she struggled with homelessness, health and mental health issues and more. The center’s staff listened to Jessica’s story and helped her get some clean socks, food and water and to get her to Iowa City for additional health needs and resources.
Leinart shared another story about Maria, a woman who took the abortion pill and regretted it. Galanius listened to Maria’s story and had her come to the center for an ultrasound. There, at 12 weeks, the fetus’ heart was still beating. “There was a glimmer of hope” in her eyes, Leinart said. Through the abortion pill reversal option, Maria’s baby was saved.
“All of the women who come are cherished and valued,” Leinart said.
The Woman’s Choice Center office offers free medical service for women including medical-grade pregnancy testing, limited obstetric ultrasound, abortion pill reversal help, perinatal hospice/miscarriage care, limited sexually transmitted infection testing for females and after-abortion assessment, said Schilling. In addition, the center offers free client advocacy services including pregnancy option counseling, 24/7 crisis line, adoption referral post abortion grief counseling, community resource referrals, Real Choice student and adult education. Additionally the center operates Chloe’s Closet with diapers, wipes, formula, clothing and more.
The Woman’s Choice Center, located at 2740 Happy Joe Drive, Suite 2 in Bettendorf is open Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website at www.womenschoice center.org or call 563-332-0475.
