We are proud to share that Julie Burkhart has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, recognizing her decades of work to expand access to abortion care in some of the most rural and conservative regions of the United States.
As highlighted in the TIME feature, Julie has never wavered in her commitment to ensuring patients can receive compassionate, high-quality care, no matter where they live. After Wyoming’s 2022 abortion ban, she and fellow advocates challenged the law and opened Wellspring Health Access—the state’s only full-service abortion clinic. In 2024, Wellspring won a major legal victory when a judge declared the near-total ban unconstitutional.
The fight continues. New legislation in Wyoming has temporarily paused abortion services at Wellspring, but the clinic remains open—answering calls, supporting patients, and continuing its challenge in court.
Julie’s resilience is nothing new. Over the years, she has faced arson, death threats, and legal hurdles while opening clinics in Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. She now also serves as co-owner of Hope Clinic in Illinois, where the number of out-of-state patients has risen by more than 700% since surrounding states enacted restrictions.
Julie Burkhart’s recognition by TIME is a testament to her unwavering dedication to reproductive freedom and her determination to make sure every patient has access to care.