Obria

Founder And Former CEO Kathleen Eaton Bravo Said Its Goal Was To Never Have A Woman “Darken The Door Of A Planned Parenthood Again.” “‘Our goal is to basically say we’re going to build a model of comprehensive, holistic medical clinics so that a woman [facing an unplanned pregnancy] never has to darken the door of a Planned Parenthood again,’ Bravo told The Daily Signal in an interview Tuesday.” [The Daily Signal, 3/29/19]

Kathleen Eaton Bravo Falsely Equated Contraceptives To Carcinogens. “Young women, she said, ‘don’t want to live every day having to take a carcinogen,’ referring to hormonal contraception.” [Kaiser Health News, 9/28/18]

Kathleen Eaton Bravo Said That Muslims Are “Replacing” Christian Europeans In A 2015 Interview With The Catholic World Report. “The chief executive of Obria, an anti-choice and anti-contraception organisation that has been awarded millions of dollars in grants by the Trump administration, once said that Christianity was dying out thanks to contraception and abortion, leading Europeans to be “replaced” by immigrant Muslims. … Bravo’s remarks, which were published in a 2015 interview with the Catholic World Report, shows how xenophobic fears about immigrants from African and Middle Eastern countries ‘replacing’ white Christian populations have influenced anti-choice campaigners in the US. In the interview, Bravo was asked whether abortion was getting the attention it deserved. She said it was not, because abortion had become a political rather than a moral issue. ‘Few realize that it has had a devastating impact on our society, and threatens our culture’s survival. Take the example of Europe. When its nations accepted contraception and abortion, they stopped replacing their population. Christianity began to die out. And, with Europeans having no children, immigrant Muslims came in to replace them, and now the culture of Europe is changing,’ she said. … Bravo also said in the interview that the US was bound to follow in Europe’s footsteps. ‘In only two of the past 40 years have we replaced our population. We’re on the same track as Europe. The church and family are in crisis,’ she said.” [The Guardian, 12/11/19]

Kathleen Eaton Bravo is the founder and former CEO of Obria Medical Clinics and The Obria Group, Inc. She considers herself a “businesswoman with a mission to save women and children from abortion.” Bravo rebranded Obria to add some medical services — notably not including hormonal birth control or abortion — as part of a plan to obtain Title X funds. She remarked: “I didn’t recreate the wheel… I’m using Planned Parenthood’s model, and it’s working.” Obria’s Form 990 for the organization’s 2019 fiscal year show her base compensation as more than $200,000.

Marjorie Dannenfelser is a former member of the Obria Group’s National Advisory Board. Dannenfelser is also the president of the anti-abortion, extremist organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Dannenfelser has stated that “rape exceptions” to abortion bans are “abominable” and “intellectually dishonest” and seeks to ban all abortions.. Dannenfelser also served as the head of Donald Trump’s “Pro-Life Coalition” during the 2016 campaign and has close ties to the Trump White House. Dannenfelser has lobbied Senators on the so-called “Born Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act.”

Charles “Chuck” Donovan is a former member of the Obria Group’s National Advisory Board. He is also the President of the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI). He is an anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQIA+ extremist with an extensive history of affiliating with right-wing organizations like the Family Research Council, which was labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was formerly a research fellow at the extremist Heritage Foundation. He has falsely claimed that cutting Planned Parenthood funding “will benefit American women and their children”; he has also claimed on behalf of survivors of sexual assault that rape is rarely a reason why women seek abortions later in pregnancy. Donovan has said proponents of the Defense of Marriage Act were incorrectly labeled irrational bigots. The CLI president has also claimed that gay marriage would weaken civil society and the freedom it guarantees.

David Daleiden is a former member of Obria Group’s National Advisory Board. Daleiden is an anti-choice extremist who was charged with 15 felonies for covertly recording women at Planned Parenthood clinics and releasing highly edited, misleading footage.

Groups Like Sancta Familia Medical That Refuse To Provide Birth Control Did Not Receive Title X Grants. “Other pro-life medical groups who have recently applied for Title X funding ultimately did not qualify because they would not provide or refer for artificial contraceptives. One Omaha, Nebraska, pro-life health provider, Sancta Familia Medical, initially considered for the Title X grant, was ultimately rejected because it offered only natural family planning and would not partner with groups who dispense artificial contraceptives.” [LifeSite News, 4/18/19]

According To Anti-Abortion Advocate Abby Johnson, In An April 4, 2019 Meeting Between Obria And HHS, The Health Department Told Obria Its Title X-Funded Clinics Had To At Least Refer For Birth Control — A Move She Called “Troubling” For Catholic Obria Donors. “‘There was a meeting yesterday between HHS, Kathleen [Eaton Bravo] and the Obria governing board,’ Johnson told LifeSiteNews via email. ‘It was made clear during that meeting that all CA [California] Obria medical clinics are required and will be referring for contraception. That is a requirement under the Title X rules,’ she continued. ‘I knew this to be true, because I helped to administer Title X funds when I worked at Planned Parenthood. Title X is a contraceptive management program. At minimum, a referral for any and all forms of contraception is required.’ Johnson indicated that this news would be troubling for Catholics who fund Obria through private donations.” [LifeSite News, 4/5/19]

Several Anti-Abortion Advocates “Have Reached Out To LifeSiteNews To Voice Their Dismay” That Obria Received Title X Funding In California, And Therefore Compromised On Its “Natural Law Stance” … “Several pro-life medical organizations, including members of the Pro Women’s Healthcare Centers, have reached out to LifeSiteNews to voice their dismay that Obria, which has received funding from the U.S. Catholic bishops as well as Catholic private donors, has succeeded in receiving the Title X grant. They believe that it is impossible to receive Title X funding without compromising on a natural law stance. It is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that using artificial methods to render the marital act sterile is intrinsically evil because it is a direct violation of God’s purpose in creating sexuality.” [LifeSite News, 4/18/19]

• … This Blowback Has Come In Spite Of Obria’s Vehemently Anti-Birth Control Stance. “‘They are so vehemently anti-birth control,’’ said Alice Huling, a lawyer for Campaign for Accountability, a group that has been in court trying to get access to information on Obria’s programs. Not only does Obria avoid the pill, it also doesn’t provide patients with IUDs or even condoms.” [New York Times, 4/5/19]

Then, In April 2019, Obria Denied That It Will Distribute Or Refer For Birth Control, With Its Former CEO Saying That Obria Clinics Have Never And Will Not Distribute/Refer For Birth Control. “Obria Group insists that it neither prescribes nor refers for artificial birth control. Kathleen Eaton-Bravo, founder and CEO of the Obria Group, told LifeSiteNews, ‘Obria clinics have never distributed or referred for contraceptives and have no plans to do so.’” [Life Site News, 4/18/19]

And In May 2019, Politico Reported That HHS Said It “Doesn’t Intend To Force Obria, Which Is Heavily Funded By The Catholic Church, To Go Against Its Moral Principles.” “HHS officials told POLITICO the department doesn’t intend to force Obria, which is heavily funded by the Catholic Church, to go against its moral principles.  ‘The Department has acknowledged that it cannot enforce the current requirement for nondirective abortion counseling and abortion referral with respect to Title X grantees, clinics, or providers that object to providing such services, as a result of certain federal conscience protection statutes,’ a spokesperson said.” [Politico, 5/2/19]

In The Same Month, Campaign For Accountability Reported That Obria Founder And Former CEO Kathleen Eaton Bravo Had Sent A December 2018 Email To Supporters Pledging Obria Is Committed To Never Provide Hormonal Contraception. “The group’s CEO has explicitly promised its supporters that it would not provide contraception. A month after Politico reported in December 2018 that Obria was applying for Title X grants that involved providing contraception, founder and CEO Kathleen Bravo sent an email to reassure supporters. ‘Obria’s clinic model is committed to never provide hormonal contraception nor abortions! Obria promotes abstinence-based sexual risk avoidance education — the most effective public health model for promoting healthy behaviors,’ Bravo wrote in the January email, according to the Campaign for Accountability report.” [Rewire.News, 5/14/19]

Obria’s Website Says Its Clinics Will Use The Federal Funds To Push “Natural Family Planning” Instead. “…On Obria Group’s web page about the recent Title X grant from the Trump administration, the organization admits its clinics ‘do not provide contraceptives and do not do abortions.’ The Obria website says its clinics will use the federal funding to push ‘fertility awareness-based methods,’ or what the group calls ‘natural family planning.’” [Rewire.News, 5/14/19]

In May 2019, Obria Filed A Lawsuit Against HHS In Order To Retain Its Title X Funding Without Having To Comply With Its Regulations Such As And Providing Birth Control And Referrals To Abortion Providers, Claiming The Regulations Are An Infringement On Its First Amendment Rights. “A California chain of faith-based clinics is suing HHS, claiming it can’t administer more than $5 million in federal family planning funds because current program rules infringe on its First Amendment rights … Instead, Obria has to comply with existing standards that require recipients to offer contraception and counseling that includes discussing abortion.” [Politico 5/20/19]

The Suit Was Filed After A Federal Court Blocked New HHS Rules Which Would Have Barred Title X Providers From Offering Abortion Referrals. “The complaint in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., states the Obria Group has been put in an untenable situation because courts temporarily stayed new Trump administration rules for the Title X program that would have, among other things, barred providers in the program from offering or referring patients for abortions.” [Politico 5/20/19]

Obria’s Lawsuit Says Compliance With Title X Regulations Is “A Hobson’s Choice.” “‘Obria and its clinics are now put to a Hobson’s choice,’ the suit states. ‘They may either accept the money — which would mean accepting the abortion referral requirement to which they have deep religious objections — or they can decline to do so, meaning that the funds will be forfeited and Obria clinics will be unable to provide much-needed healthcare to needy women across California.’” [Politico 5/20/19]

But In June 2019, Obria Dropped Its Lawsuit Against HHS After The Agency Stated That It Won’t Force Providers With Religious Objections To Comply With Current Rules Requiring Patients Who Request An Abortion Be Referred For One. “A California chain of faith-based clinics has dropped a lawsuit against HHS after the agency assured the clinics they would not have to choose between forfeiting more then $5 million in federal family planning funds and violating their moral opposition to abortion. In a letter from the assistant secretary for health at HHS, the agency Thursday affirmed it won’t force providers with religious objections to comply with a provision of current rules that requires patients be referred for abortions at their request. Lawyers for the Obria Group promptly dropped their claim, which contended that the rules violated their religious rights and free speech.” [Politico,  6/14/19]

Attorney For Obria: “It’s Great To See The Government Admit That No Doctor, Nurse, Or Other Medical Professional Should Ever Have To Violate Her Beliefs In Order To Serve People In Need.” “In a court filing on Friday, Obria’s lawyers invoked these rules, which have clearly been reassuring: the nonprofit voluntarily dropping the suit. ‘It’s great to see the government admit that no doctor, nurse, or other medical professional should ever have to violate her beliefs in order to serve people in need,’ Lori Windham, an attorney for Obria, wrote in a statement to Jezebel. The statement went on to quote Kathleen Eaton-Bravo, Obria’s founder and CEO: ‘I am grateful Obria Clinics will be able to continue the groundbreaking medical work we do.’” [The Slot 6/18/19]

Campaign For Accountability Said That Obria’s Contradictory Assertions Regarding The Birth Control Provision To HHS Versus Its Supporters Cannot Both Be True. “Obria appears to be talking out of both sides of its mouth,” Alice Huling, counsel for the Campaign for Accountability, said in a statement. “We know that Obria committed to HHS, in at least one Title X application, that it would provide access to several forms of birth control. Yet Obria has also assured its anti-contraception supporters and religious allies that it will never provide or refer for birth control. Both of these assertions cannot be true.” [Rewire.News, 5/14/19]

In April 2019, The House Energy & Commerce Committee Launched A Probe Into HHS’ Handling Of The Title X Program, With Focus On Its Cutting Of Funds For Planned Parenthood And Distribution Of Funds To Obria. “House Democrats are launching a probe of the Trump administration’s decision to fund an anti-abortion group through a federal family planning program while cutting government support for Planned Parenthood.  The Trump administration announced last month that four Planned Parenthood affiliates would not be awarded Title X family planning grants this year, despite receiving them in the past. The administration also announced that, for the first time, it would fund Obria, a chain of anti-abortion clinics that don’t provide contraception.” [The Hill 4/18/19]

• Obria Oversees A Network Of Anti-Abortion Clinics, Most Of Which Will Not Provide Birth Control Or Abortions. Those That Do Provide Birth Control Claimed They Will Not Use Title X Funding To Pay For Them. “Obria will oversee the work of seven clinic partners, including three of its affiliates that don’t provide contraceptives or perform abortions, in four California counties. Of the other four clinics under Obria’s oversight, two will provide contraceptives, but won’t be allowed to use Title X family planning grant program funds to pay for it, a spokesperson told The Hill last month. The Democrats argue this arrangement violates congressional intent for the program.” [The Hill 4/18/19]
• The Hill: “The Democrats Asked HHS To Provide All Documents And Communications Between HHS And Obria Regarding The Title X Program Over The Past Two Years And Its Applications For Funding.” [The Hill 4/18/19]

The Congressional Probe Followed Campaign For Accountability Writing The Department Of Health And Human Services To Inform It Of Misrepresentations In Obria’s Texas Title X Grant Which — Unlike Its California Grant — It Did Not Get. “Campaign for Accountability (‘CfA’) respectfully writes to inform the Offices of Population Affairs and of Grants Management of misrepresentations and omissions made by the Obria Group, in conjunction with the Heidi Group, Midland Community Healthcare Services, and the Community Wellness Clinic of Conroe, in their FY 2019 Title X Family Planning Services Grant application (hereinafter the ‘Obria grant application’). Specifically, the Obria grant application appears to inflate the number of patients seen by the Heidi group clinic on a regular basis, identifies a former employee as Heidi group’s top quality assurance officer even though she had left the organization eight to nine months before the organizations submitted the application, and fails to disclose pertinent information regarding the terminated state contracts.” [Campaign for Accountability, 3/21/19]

Obria Used Their Federal Funding To Help The Anti-Contraception AAC Group Guiding Star Project. “Jacobson maintains that she doesn’t try to hide her belief that, as she put it, “abortion is a poor substitute for women’s health care services.” Today, the Guiding Star Project combines its all-natural approach with a gloss of medical expertise in clinics outfitted with all the features of healthcare facilities: STI testing, ultrasound equipment, postpartum depression screening, and registered nurses on staff. Through its partnership with Obria, Guiding Star benefitted from federal funding, and one of their Minnesota centers receives $350,000 a year from the state health department through a grant program for alternatives to abortion.” [Mother Jones, 9/30/22]

Obria Used Their Federal Funding To Push Its Fertility App Femm. “​​Federal funds are being used to promote a fertility app operated by anti-birth control and anti-abortion campaigners, The Guardian reports. The widely-used Femm app promotes itself as a natural way for women to ‘avoid or achieve’ pregnancy and is led by the nonprofit Femm Foundation, whose board reportedly opposes abortion. The Obria Group, a network of ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ based in California, is a key promotor of the app and has been awarded $1.7m per year in funding approved by the Trump administration. The Obria Group said it wants to use the app at 21 clinic locations.” [The Daily Beast, 7/29/19]

Obria Launched An “Affiliate Expansion” Plan In 2018. “Late last year, Obria launched a $240 million fundraising campaign, much of which was earmarked for brand and affiliate expansion: “With 3,000 stand-alone pregnancy centers currently in the US, uniting under a national brand will help centers move from crisis management to a holistic healthcare model,” the company wrote.” [Jezebel, 3/26/19]

Obria Aims To Have 200 Clinics Operating By 2021. “Growing from three centers and a mobile van, Obria now has 30 clinics in five states — the more liberal California, Oregon and Washington and the more conservative Iowa and Georgia — and aims to reach 200 sites by 2021.” [Politico, 12/16/18]

In April 2019, Obria Group’s Website Boasted 35 Obria “Affiliate Clinics,” 22 Obria Clinics “In Process” And At Least Seven Obria “Clinic Inquiries” Across The United States.

[Obria Group, accessed 4/17/19]

As Of January 2023, Its United States Map Has Dwindled To Show 20 “Affiliate Clinics,” Having Added Two Texas-Based AACs Since October 2022.

[Obria, accessed 1/27/23]

Obria Said The Overturning Of Roe Was “The Focus Of Our Prayers.” “The overturning of Roe has been the focus of our prayers for so many decades. … We get to provide clinical medical services and provide medical facts about pregnancy to women who are scared, confused, and convinced by society that abortion is just another choice with no consequences. Obria is needed more than ever before to be an authentic sanctuary for women who are struggling to choose between life and aborting their baby. … For the first time in decades, issues surrounding abortion are being discussed and debated in a robust way throughout the country. These conversations are happening at the family, friend, and neighbor levels, outside of the usual policy and life-affirming movement circles. Questions about when life begins, what it means to be pregnant, and what responsibilities mothers and fathers have are being asked, often with a sense of urgency and anxiety.” [Obria, 8/25/22]

• Obria Claims That It “Has The Answers” And Wants To Build A “Post-Dobbs Roadmap” For Anti-Abortion Centers. “Obria has the answers to these questions grounded in science, medicine, and provided by sympathetic medical professionals and first-class medical services. The dominant culture in the United States drowns out, mocks, and vilifies health care from a life-affirming perspective. Many women – through no fault of their own – do not know what life-affirming health care looks like for pregnant women. Obria will be a key player in educating women about how they can choose outstanding health care that respects their baby and their womanhood. The Dobbs decision gives the life-affirming health care community the opportunity to reengage with women about sound sexual health choices, and the reality that abortion is not just a choice with no consequences, but one that ends the life of a baby, and brings physical and emotional harm to women. … To get women the help they need and deserve, we need to be clear about services that are provided at clinics and create a clear post-Dobbs roadmap for women’s health care.” [Obria, 8/25/22]

Obria Participated At The 2022 Napa Institute Summer Conference On A Panel About “Practical Applications Post-Dobbs.” “The topic of the presentation was Practical Applications Post-Dobbs: How We Move Forward. Joining me on the panel were David Daleiden, Founder and President, Center for Medical Progress; Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life; and Lila Rose, President, Live Action. If you want to have a conversation about how to move forward after Dobbs, these are the people you want to speak with!”  [Obria, 8/25/22]

The Director Of Obria Medical Clinics Of Central California Said He Was “Very Happy” About The Leaked Decision. “John Gerardi, director of the Right to Life of Central California and Obria Medical Clinics of Central California, said he was ‘very happy’ that the leaked draft opinion makes it clear that there is no constitutional right to abortion. If the final opinion follows the lines of the draft, which was reported by Politico on Monday evening, and confirmed Tuesday by Chief Justice John Roberts, it opens the doors for state and federal legislatures to pass more restrictions on abortion, Gerardi said. ‘From a personal perspective, I’m glad that states can do more to limit abortion, which I think is just a very, very harmful practice societally, both for the lives of unborn children it takes and for the lives of women and couples,’ he said. ‘And as a legal question, I think the court is bringing American law to a much better place with regards to abortion.’” [GV Wire, 5/3/22]

In Addition To Obria’s Title X Funding Under The Trump HHS, Obria’s California Locations Receive Reimbursements Through California’s Medicaid Program. “Obria Medical Clinics, a network of crisis pregnancy centers that operates five facilities in the Bay Area, funded partially by federal grants it received under the Trump administration … also advertise that they accept Medi-Cal, which means their clinics receive reimbursements from the taxpayer-funded state program.” [KQED, 1/19/23]

The Guardian Found That Obria Had Received A Substanial Amount Of Grant Money From Google For Deceptive Advertising. “Google has given tens of thousands of dollars in free advertising to an anti-abortion group that runs ads suggesting it provides abortion services at its medical clinics, but actually seeks to deter ‘abortion-minded women’ from terminating their pregnancies. The Obria Group, which runs a network of clinics funded by Catholic organisations, received a $120,000 Google advertising grant in 2015, according to a public filing. In 2011, it received nearly $32,000. Such grants are designed to support and expand the reach of non-profits around the world.” [The Guardian, 5/13/19]

Obria Got $350,000 In Forgivable Federal Loans As Part Of The U.S.’ Coronavirus Bailout Package. “The SBA approved the Obria clinic in San Jose, California, for up to $350,000 in PPP loans, and the group said it would save 31 jobs. The Obria network of clinics already receives federal funding from the Trump administration, including a Title X federal family planning grant worth up to $5.1m over three years.” [The Guardian, 8/3/20]

Obria Medical Clinics PNW Received Accreditation From The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. “The ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) announced today the accreditation of Obria Medical Clinics PNW of Port Angeles, WA. ECFA accreditation is based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship(TM), including financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance and ethical fundraising. Obria Medical Clinics PNW joins a growing number of Christ-centered churches and ministries across America, supported by over 27 million donors that have earned the right to display the ECFA seal. When an organization is accredited by ECFA, it demonstrates its willingness to follow the model of biblical accountability.” [ECFA, accessed 1/27/23]

Care Net Is Redirecting People To Obria AACs. “Care Net lists nine locations of CPCs in LA County — none of them provide abortions, and several actively promote abstinence-only education. Care Net also lists multiple locations for Obria Medical Clinics. Obria markets itself as ‘Whole Care for the Whole You,’ and claims to provide abortion information. Despite not offering abortion services, it states that they ‘help walk you through any questions you may have regarding having an abortion, as well as abortion procedures and risks associated with abortion.’” [Knock LA, 6/24/22]

The Obria Group Is Incorporated In California As A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit And Selects Itself As An Organization Normally Described By Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi), Meaning They Typically Receive A Substantial Part Of Its Support From A Governmental Unit Or From The General Public.

[ProPublica, 11/16/20]