On July 16, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America ( PPFA ) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund ( PPAF ) boards of directors announced that Dr. Leana Wen is departing her role as president and CEO of PPFA and president of PPAF, and that Alexis McGill Johnson has been named acting president /CEO of PPFA and acting president of PPAF, effective immediately.
Johnson is a former board members of the PPAF, as well as a former chair and member of the board of PPFA.
Earlier in the day, the Health and Human Services Department formally notified clinics that it will begin enforcing the ban on abortion referrals, along with a requirement that clinics maintain separate finances from facilities that provide abortions, The Huffington Post reported. The rule is widely seen as a blow against Planned Parenthood, which provides taxpayer-funded family planning and basic healthcare to low-income women, as well as abortions that must be paid for separately.
Wen had said in a statement that "our doors are still open" as her organization and other groups seek to overturn the regulations in federal court.
The Post also reported that Wen tweeted July 16, "I just learned that the @PPFA Board ended my employment at a secret meeting. We were engaged in good faith negotiations about my departure based on philosophical differences over the direction and future of Planned Parenthood. My statement to come shortly."
A search for a new president and CEO will start early next year, with a goal of having a new president in place by the end of the year.