Planned Parenthood of Illinois is closing four clinics, cutting staff and beefing up its telehealth care as the organization continues to deal with financial issues.Appointments will end in March at the four clinics in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood and Ottawa, Decatur and Bloomington. None of the health centers provided procedural abortion care but did provide medication abortions. The organization is facing a financial shortfall due to rising health care costs, more patients needing financial help and an uncertain landscape under the new presidential administration, Planned Parenthood of Illinois said in a news release.Administrative staff will be cut with the clinic closures, but Planned Parenthood did not say how many jobs will be lost. Where possible, staff at those clinics will be offered jobs at other health centers or with the telehealth services. Related Hey Jane expanding abortion access through Planned Parenthood of Illinois partnership, Medicaid services Demand for abortion pills spiked in Illinois, countrywide after Trump reelection Part of the organization's financial strain is because Illinois has seen the highest volume of out-of-state patients in the years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood of Illinois has seen a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and a quarter of those patients are from out of the state.“We made plans for the patient surge. However, rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers are jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability," Tonya Tucker, the interim president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said in a statement."Unfortunately, this is the reality many other Planned Parenthood affiliates are facing in the rapidly evolving health care environment," she added.Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, told the Sun-Times that while it's alarming to see clinics close, the state's network of abortion providers is strong and still suited to meet patients' needs. "Seeing this news can be really jarring and scary," she said. "But we want people to know that there are clinics open all over the state that are open and ready to support you." Chicago Abortion Fund works closely with Planned Parenthood, independent abortion providers and hospitals to connect people to care, Jeyifo said. "We are all in the trenches together and have built an essential community," Jeyifo said. "We've created the conditions to continue to make Illinois a haven for people seeking care." Planned Parenthood's 13 other Illinois clinics remain open. The organization intends to increase appointments at the Champaign, Peoria, Springfield and Roseland health centers. They will also begin offering more telehealth appointments and medication abortions through the PPDirect app.The app offers birth control, UTI treatment, at-home STI testing and emergency contraception. Starting next month, patients can receive medication abortions via the app.Planned Parenthood has been expanding access to medication abortion, including a recent partnership with Hey Jane, a virtual abortion provider, that will help alleviate the burden on strained clinics. Related Jennifer Welch steps down as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois