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A new clinic in Colorado is offering late-stage abortions for 'any reason you have' just six months after a similar facility closed its doors. RISE Collective, based in Boulder, opened up its books on October 14 for patients to schedule abortions no matter what trimester they're in. Patients do not need to justify their decision when seeking a late-term procedure, according to the health center, which is linked to one of the most controversial abortion clinics in America that attracted protests organized by pro-lifers. It has become one of approximately five clinics in the US that offers abortions up to 34 weeks' gestation, or 10 weeks after fetal viability. That means a baby can be aborted six weeks before a woman reaches full-term pregnancy. Alicia Moreno, the executive director of the RISE Collective, decided to open the center after the Boulder Abortion Clinic closed down in April. That facility, which Moreno worked at, shuttered after its physician, Dr. Warren Hern, retired following a 50 year career of performing late-term abortions. The 87-year-old was no stranger to criticism for his work, so once his practice closed, anti-abortionists rejoiced. But now, less than a year later, a new facility has taken its place. The address is not disclosed until patients book appointments. RISE, which stands for Reproductive Health, Inclusive Care, Support and Empowerment, believes the health center is part of a 'a new chapter' in abortion history. 'In Boulder, Colorado, a place with a historic legacy of all-trimester abortion care, a new chapter is rising,' the organization said in a promotional video on its website. 'At RISE Collective, we believe that any reason you have for needing abortion care is yours, and it is the right one,' the video added. Colorado has no gestation limits on abortions and offers them to anyone across the country and world. The state decriminalized abortions in 1967 and only allowed them under certain circumstances like rape, incest, if the fetus had birth defects, or if the mother had physical or mental issues. By 2022 Colorado agreed it was up to each person to make their own reproductive choices without the government's interference as part of the Reproductive Health Equity Act. Two years later an amendment was elevated in the state's constitution. But according to the clinic, 'while the law is clear, access is not.' 'RISE is one of only a handful of clinics in the country trained to provide abortion care in all trimesters. 'Our medical staff have been doing this work with skill, compassion and dedication for more than two decades,' the announcement continued. 'When the clinic closed we all said we don’t wanna let this go,' Moreno told Yellowscene Magazine. 'So the question was who would be interested in helping put together our own thing?' And when that question was asked, doctors, nurses and support staff all hopped on board. A total of 13 members from the previous clinic make up the RISE Collective and each of them is an owner with an equal vote in planning and operations, Moreno told the outlet. 'We already were so well versed in what we knew how to do. We had worked together for so long and in really incredible ways,' she added. 'Everything else was really just procurement.' While the RISE Collective offers reproductive services, the Boulder Collective, another organization, secures funding and a home base for the clinic. 'The Boulder Collective came out of the need for RISE to have a safe and secure place to start working,' Margie Williams, Board Chair of the Boulder Collective, said. 'Based on the history of the way that clinics can, and have been, treated in the past they needed a space where their existence would be secure and safe.' The Boulder Collective is comprised of five board members and an advisory board. And while late-stage abortions are an option at the clinic, that is not the only service they want to offer. According to Moreno, the facility is considering offering gender affirming care and contraceptive care at its office. 'We got a call from a regional hospital who said "Hey our administration is pulling back with us being able to offer gender affirming care to people 19 and under. Would y’all be willing to step up and provide some of this care or provide us with space so that we can provide it, so that care doesn’t have to end?",' Moreno recalled. The clinic is currently working on obtaining funding through donations and grants, including through a GoFundMe page. As of Tuesday, nearly $20,000 was raised. The Daily Mail contacted RISE Collective for comment.
