Choices Abortion Network (CAN) was born out of urgency, frustration and determination on July 7, 2025, just days after the administration’s Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law. We knew then that the safety net for patients in Southern Arizona was fraying, and that dedicated providers would need to step up quickly because politics was putting health care at risk.
In less than 90 days, we incorporated as nonprofit, built a website, applied for grants, and began asking for support. We are health care providers, not fundraisers or professional advocates. But our community demanded a response, and we answered.
On September 26, we received a generous gift from the Vance Foundation which could not have come at a more critical moment. Yesterday, Planned Parenthood of Arizona announced that it would no longer be able to provide services to Medicaid patients. Because of federal restrictions and funding cuts, thousands of low-income Arizonans suddenly lost access to essential reproductive health care.
At Choices Women’s Center, where CAN directs its support, we do not accept Medicaid. But thanks to the Vance Foundation’s gift, we can immediately step in to bridge the gap. CAN will fund the cost of pregnancy confirmation ultrasounds, $100 per patient, that Planned Parenthood can no longer cover with Medicaid. What this means in real terms: patients who would otherwise be turned away will still be able to get care in Tucson, without delay, without shame, and without added financial burden.
This is exactly why CAN exists. To respond quickly, to meet real needs as they arise, and to ensure that no patient is left behind because of politics or policy.
We are deeply grateful to the Vance Foundation for seeing the urgency of this moment and acting with generosity and vision. Their support has allowed us to move from promise to action, from mission to impact, in record time.
And this is just the beginning. Together, with partners and donors who share our commitment to reproductive freedom, CAN will continue to build a resilient, community-based safety net for Southern Arizona.
To the Vance Foundation: thank you. Your gift is already changing lives.