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As Colorado State University alumni, we — Jen McLain, executive director, and Kristen Long, marketing & communications manager of Alpha Center — appreciate the opportunity to respond to the opinion piece, “Thorn: Crisis pregnancy centers do not care about women,” published in The Collegian on April 8, and to share information about Alpha Center’s services and mission.
Alpha Center is a nonprofit medical clinic in Fort Collins, staffed by dedicated medical, administrative and programmatic professionals. Our team includes four registered nurses who perform all medical testing — pregnancy and STI — and ultrasounds under the supervision of our medical director and retired army major Dr. Karen Hayes of MyOBGYN. Alpha Center is accredited by several organizations and is a member of the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Pregnancy Care Alliance and a Center of Distinction with the SperaVita Institute. Alpha Center maintains a Gold Transparency level with Candid. We are also pursuing voluntary accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care to further demonstrate our commitment to quality care.
Alpha Center’s goal is to empower women with accurate, evidence-based information to make informed decisions about their pregnancies. We provide medical facts verified by trusted sources like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and peer-reviewed medical journals. Our pregnancy and pre-abortion screening appointments follow World Health Organization guidelines, offering details on all pregnancy options, medical history reviews and answers to questions about gestational age, ectopic pregnancies, viability and STI status. These services at Alpha Center can save visitors a minimum of $189 for the pregnancy and STI testing at Planned Parenthood — not including an office visit or ultrasound — and $1,240 for pregnancy testing, STI testing and first trimester ultrasound at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital with no insurance.
Alpha Center is transparent about our services and identity. Alpha Center does not perform or refer for abortions, and we clearly communicate this when scheduling and sharing limitations of services for our appointments on our website and in our Google Ads. Our Christian faith is openly shared on our website and at the start of appointments, but patients are never required to share our beliefs or discuss religion. We proudly serve everyone, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language, disability, veteran status, immigration status or socio-economic background.
Regarding marketing, Alpha Center does advertise its services, as do many health care providers, including Planned Parenthood, which spends an estimated $498,000 on Google Search Ads per month and spent $455,086 on social media ads nationally and $59,552 in the state of Colorado between March 29 and April 27. Our modest marketing budget helps us reach those who need our free services.
Many women who have chosen to have an abortion after receiving our services return for subsequent pregnancies or STI screenings, citing the compassionate care they received as the reason for their continued care. For those who choose parenting, we offer resources and community referrals. For those exploring adoption, we connect them with local agencies. For those who choose abortion, we check in with care and let them know we’re here if they need us. When patients express immediate material or financial needs, our generous community has provided cars, housing, food and more. All of Alpha Center’s funding comes from local individuals and organizations.
Beyond pregnancy care, we offer free routine STI testing and professional counseling. We invite anyone in the CSU and Northern Colorado communities to request an appointment at www.thealphacenter.org, or call 970-239-2272. With a 4.6-star Google rating and a 9.8/10 on patient feedback forms, Alpha Center is committed to providing high-quality care and information to support informed sexual health decisions.
Jen McLain, executive director, and Kristen Long, marketing & communications manager of Alpha Center
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