10-fold influx of Wisconsin patients traveling to Planned Parenthood of Illinois

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- It has been four months since the overturn of Roe v. Wade and because of the 1849 Wisconsin abortion ban, physicians and staff from Planned Parenthood Wisconsin have since had to change everything about what they do. Planned Parenthood of Illinois said they've seen a 10-fold increase of patients from Wisconsin.

"Our focus has really shifted from providing direct patient care to really providing sort of life supportive care," said Dr. Allie Linton, physician from Planned Parenthood Wisconsin.

Dr. Linton said although these last couple of months have been chaos, the priority remains to get their patients the help they need.

The physician said she, along with her staff, have also been lending a helping hand to the Planned Parenthood located in Waukegan, Illinois once a week.

"There's something really amazing when you're in Waukegan and the patient, we ask them where they're from and they say Wisconsin and we say, 'we are too,'" said Dr. Linton.

Planned Parenthood Wisconsin is providing patient navigators, two people who help women make appointments and arrange transportation.

Zoie, one of the patient navigators, said the biggest obstacle they face is helping those in rural Wisconsin.

"Northern Wisconsin is a particularly hard place to get people from. There's lots of rural areas there that don't have any Ubers, so if they don't have a vehicle I have very limited options," said Zoie.

The patient navigator said patients travel between 150 to 200 miles, sometimes even more.

In the summer, Attorney General Josh Kaul and Governor Tony Evers filed a lawsuit challenging the Wisconsin abortion ban. Although the lawsuit is still awaiting its day in court, Dr. Linton and others remain hopeful.