Meet Dr. Joan Fleischman of New York City
Private Abortion Care Serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut
Dr. Fleischman, MD MPA has been an abortion provider, since 1995, nearly 30 years!
Abortion Care Reimagined
Founder and Owner, Early Options (1999-present)
Revolutionized early abortion to a primary care model
Opened first abortion training program for family doctors in U.S.
Original researcher of the abortion pill
M.D. from Harvard Medical School
Early abortion up to 12 weeks
Abortion Pills (in-person and telehealth)
Quick and gentle SofTouch method
Miscarriage management
Abortion Pill follow up
Listen to Dr. Fleischman Speaking Intimately with her Patients
These women shared such a special experience with Dr. Fleischman and offered to share their story
“I wish my everyday doctor visits were like this. I have never felt like such a human!”
“Here it feels completely different, almost like you’re going into your home.”
“I really wish everyone who needs to terminate a pregnancy can have such a nice, comforting, reassuring, liberating experience.”
“It really felt like I was at my regular doctor, getting a very regular procedure done!”
“It’s so nice to have all women supporting each other.”
“As a woman, we deserve that respect…no-one walks in our shoes.”
Dr. Joan Fleischman has been an advocate for integrating abortion care into primary care medicine for nearly 30 years. She was also one of the original researchers of the abortion pill. Inspired by public health work in India, Malaysia, and Bangladesh before medical school, she went on to get her M.D. at Harvard Medical School and M.P.A at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
As a faculty member at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Dr. Fleischman initiated a grant-funded program to train family doctors in early abortion methods; the Early Options Training and Research Center. In 2000, this was the first abortion training program for family doctors. Tens of thousands of patients have since walked through her doors, and the Early Options office has been open since 1999.
Partnerships
Dr. Fleischman co-founded MYA Network, linking patients directly to primary care clinicians. She continues to fiercely advocate for integrated abortion services and combating misinformation about this medical care.
With MYA Network, Dr. Fleischman recently partnered with Carmen Winant and the Whitney Museum of American Art to present the Picturing Abortion panel. Watch Now!
This intimate presentation examines how we “see” abortion. Artist and host Carmen Winant brilliantly guides us through a discussion about the representation of abortion, interweaving photography, medical care, and politics. The panel also featured the co-founder of MYA Network, Michele Gomez, Ashia McChriston and Simona Sudit, that were Early Options patients; and the unstoppable Jessica Valenti. Carmen’s installation, The Last Safe Abortion, is still on display at the Biennial exhibit.
My husband and I were never expecting to have to make this decision. Because this was the most difficult thing I've ever done, I'm having a hard time describing the experience positively. However, the manual aspiration procedure, as described, was very quick and only slightly uncomfortable. The nurse was extremely calm and reassuring. The doctor answered my (few) questions as I was already pretty prepared. After the procedure was done (truly less than 5 minutes), my husband and I were a bit emotional. We were comforted and offered tea, snacks and as much time as we needed. While we have resolved to never do this again, I am thankful that I was able to afford THIS type of care in THIS setting as opposed to the many other options out there.
Publications
Early Abortion in Family Medicine: Clinical Outcomes (2009, Ian M. Bennett, MD, PhD,Margaret Baylson, MD, Karin Kalkstein, MD, Ginger Gillespie, MD, Scarlett L. Bellamy, ScD, and Joan Fleischman, MD, MPA)
A family medicine training collaborative in early abortion (2007, Ian Bennett, Margaret Johnson, Justine P Wu, Karin Kalkstein, Elizabeth Wolff, Scarlett Bellamy, Joan Fleischman)
Initiating abortion training in residency programs: issues and obstacles (2006, Ian Bennett, Abigall Calkins Aguirre, Jean Burg, Madelon L Finkel, Elizabeth Wolff, Katherine Bowman, Joan Fleischman)
The effect of a simple educational intervention on interest in early abortion training among family medicine residents (2006, Justine P Wu, Ian Bennett, Jeffrey P Levine, Abigail Calkins Aguirre, Scarlett Bellamy, Joan Fleischman)