Why a Boulder doctor who specialized in abortions later in pregnancy has closed his clinic after 50 years

In The NoCo

Why a Boulder doctor who specialized in abortions later in pregnancy has closed his clinic after 50 years

By In The NoCo,

Erin O'Toole, Brad Turner, Ariel Lavery

Published April 30, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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Dr. Warren Hern talks about the shooting death of his friend Dr. George Tiller during an interview at his clinic in Boulder, Colo., on Monday, June 1, 2009. Hern also mentioned security measures necessary for him to practice. Such as U.S. Marshalls for guards and the bullet proof glass used in the office windows. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) — Dr. Warren Hern, pictured in his Boulder office on June 1, 2009. Hern founded the Boulder Abortion Clinic in 1975, and announced its closure in April.

A clinic in Boulder that was one of only a handful in the country to provide abortions in later pregnancy .

Dr. Warren Hern, who operated for 50 years, announced earlier this month that he was retiring and that the clinic would stop scheduling patients.

The closure means one less clinic in Colorado when more women are traveling here from states where abortion care is restricted.

The doctor didn鈥檛 mince words when he spoke with Erin O鈥橳oole on Tuesday. Hern has seen death threats, had bullets fired at his clinic and seen other abortion providers murdered. He spoke at length about running the clinic for a half-century and his thoughts on groups that oppose his work.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS 暗黑爆料hour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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