KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Planned Parenthood in Kirksville will be closing for good on November 14^th.

The health center, specialized in treating low-income women, has been in Kirksville for 38 years.

Officials say they’re closing because of fewer clients and a shortage of rural nurse practitioners.

“It was a very difficult decision for us. It was a long time coming. We’ve had lots of meetings. This is not a sudden decision by any means,” Planned Parenthood Director of Education and Public Affairs Lisa Ecsi Davis said.

Davis says Truman State University’s health clinic provides similar free services for students.

For others, Planned Parenthood has contracts with the Adair County Health Department. Some services may be available there.

Below is the press release from Planned Parenthood.

Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood (TRPP) will be closing its Kirksville center as of Saturday, November 14, 2009. TRPP takes great pride in its 38-year history of providing professional and affordable family planning and reproductive health care services, medically accurate sex education and pro-choice advocacy to the thousands of people whom it has served in northeast Missouri. It also takes great pride in its work with the Northeast Missouri chapter of NOW and with the Truman State University chapter of Vox.

TRPP was created in 1996 from the merger of Planned Parenthood of Northeast Missouri, Inc. (PPNEMO) and Planned Parenthood of the Central Ozarks, Inc. When PPNEMO first opened its doors in 1971 it was one of very few health care providers for low-and no-income women in the area. The good news is that today TRPP is one of several. The goal of a not-for-profit organization such as TRPP is to exist until a need is met. After much thoughtful deliberation by TRPP's Board of Directors and staff, it was decided that the best stewardship of its limited resources would be to close the Kirksville center.

TRPP would like to thank all of its supporters in northeast Missouri - especially former and current staff and Board members, volunteers, and donors - without whom the past 38 years would not have been possible. In particular, special recognition goes to Sondra Murray and Dr. George Pipes, DO. Under the direction of Sondra Murray, the longest serving Executive Director of PPNEMO, funding was provided to educate numerous Nurse Practitioners, the first Parent/Child workshops to increase family communication about sex and growing up were conducted and the area's original children's health and safety fairs were held. Dr. George Pipes, DO, served for many years as the Medical Director of PPNEMO and as the Associate Medical Director of TRPP.

Clients who need to transfer medical records may contact the Kirksville center at 660.665.5672 until November 14. After that date, clients may contact TRPP's Rolla center at 573.364.1509.