For the past year, the topic of women’s health has been at the forefront of the cultural and political conversation — from the contentious 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, to the widely covered Women’s March on Washington, to last week’s “Family Planning Summit” in London.
We hear the terms “rights,” “choice,” and “independence” being thrown around a lot in discussions surrounding women’s health. Noticeably missing from the list of buzzwords, however, is the word “dignity.”
One Colorado medical clinic has set out to change the way our culture approaches women’s health by placing dignity and the forefront of their practice.
“Healthcare that embraces the dignity of ALL women!” reads the tagline for Bella Natural Women’s Care in Englewood, Colorado.
Bella was founded two years ago by Catholics seeking to bring the dignity of the Gospel into their practice. The clinic offers a host of health care services to women at various stages of life — from pregnancy, to menopause.
“We believe that the medical solutions we offer should respect the dignity of our patients, preserve her integrity, and work in cooperation with her body,” reads a description on the clinic website. “We strive to build mutual trust, and believe that a woman deserves a reverent approach to her health.”
And because Bella is a pro-life organization, they offer a host of treatments and services not found at most women’s health clinics, such as abortion pill reversal.
“From the first division of cells at conception, women are beautiful, strong, and unique,” Bella’s website states. “Not only can women achieve greatness, but women deserve greatness! Women are worthy of health care that recognizes these truths.”
Faith is at the center of Bella’s daily operations. At the start of each day, staff members gather in a small on-site chapel that was donated to the clinic and offer up prayers for the patients and visitors who will be crossing their doors.
Perhaps what sets Bella apart the most is the clinic’s unique design. In contrast to the stark, sterile atmosphere of many women’s medical facilities and abortion clinics, Bella appears more like a luxury spa or retreat center at first glance.
And because Bella is just as much a ministry as it is a medical practice, patients are given about twice the amount of time they would receive in a regular doctor’s visit. Bella physicians treat women of all faiths, and no one is ever turned away, regardless of their ability to pay.
Last week, Catholic News Agency posted a video on its Facebook page featuring Bella’s co-founder and executive director, Dede Chism. Watch the clip below and learn more about Bella Natural Women’s Care by clicking here.