About Preterm
Preterm has provided safe, empathetic abortion care since 1974. Today, we're Ohio's largest independent, non-profit abortion clinic and provide abortions and sexual healthcare to roughly 4,000 patients annually.
Through the ups and downs of abortion access in Ohio, Preterm has kept its doors open because of the generosity and commitment of countless staff members, donors, and community members.
Bethany Lewis, LISW-S
Executive Director
Bethany Lewis came to Preterm in 2023 with over 12 years of experience in sexual/reproductive health and the anti-violence field. Prior to being Preterm’s Executive Director, Bethany was Director of Sexual Assault Services in Lorain County, where she successfully opened the first accredited Child Advocacy Center, Rape Crisis Center, and Sexual Assault Care Unit in Huron County, Ohio.
Bethany is a Licensed Independent Social Worker, holding a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sexuality Studies. Her master’s focused on community organizing with families and youth.
In addition, Bethany is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She spent two years serving high school students and staff in rural Botswana, where she taught life skills and reproductive health education. Her other work includes facilitating intergroup dialogue around race with youth in Metro Detroit and supporting mentorship for first-generation college students.
Our Mission
Preterm's mission is to advance reproductive health and justice by providing safe, respectful, and accessible abortion and sexual healthcare.
Abortion is essential to bodily autonomy and gender equity for all people. Providing abortions is a deeply caring and revolutionary act that is part of dismantling oppression and stigma. These are the values that guide Preterm’s commitment to abortion care.
Preterm is Ohio's only independent, non-profit abortion clinic.
What We Do
We are a trusted healthcare provider, a trainer of future healthcare providers, and an advocate for every person's right to determine if or when to become a parent.
Providing Outstanding Healthcare
Preterm provides abortion care and other sexual health services such as birth control options, STD testing and treatment, and wellness care. Our staff is dedicated to providing the highest-quality healthcare with compassion and without judgment.
Addressing Unequal Access to Healthcare
We are committed to keeping our services as affordable as possible. Preterm provides nearly $1 million in financial assistance to patients each year, with 80% of abortion patients receiving some amount of financial aid.
Raising the Standards of Medical Care
We serve as a training site for medical residents and other health professionals from local and regional hospitals in abortion care and family planning. We have trained hundreds of residents from around the country. Preterm also participates in medical research, such as the clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of RU-486 for medication abortion.
Advocating for Our Patients
Preterm is a vocal advocate for reproductive health, rights, and justice locally and across the country. Preterm is proud to partner with the community to reduce abortion stigma
Accreditations & Memberships
Preterm meets the highest standards and is an Ohio-licensed ambulatory surgery facility. We are affiliated with and/or accredited by the preeminent bodies in our field, including:
Our Commitment to Racial Justice
Preterm’s commitment to racial justice is rooted in the reproductive justice framework: We support everyone’s right to have children, not to have children, and to parent the children they have with dignity. We believe our patients deserve to live in healthy, safe neighborhoods, free from violence. That's the vision we strive for every day.
As an organization that has served women and families of all means and identities for over 50 years, we know how race, discrimination, and poverty shape the reproductive lives of our patients. Because of racial injustice, people of color are both more likely to need abortion care and less likely to be able to afford it.
Furthermore, we at Preterm know that access to abortion care is essential to bodily autonomy and gender equity for all people. With this understanding, we aim to live out our values in how we treat our patients, staff, and community. We honor their lived experiences, trust our patients when they tell us what they need, and remain committed to awareness, analysis, action, and accountability to disrupt the interlocking systems of oppression that impact those who are most marginalized in society.
Preterm remains committed to partnering with and learning from organizations rooted in reproductive justice, and we know that, as both a provider and as an employer, we must continually improve our racial equity practices.
Our Commitment to Environmental Justice
For nearly 50 years, we have been an innovative leader in healthcare, with a reputation for excellence. Our clinic is a “green” building, with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) certification at the silver level.