Abortion Practitioner James Pendergraft Loses Florida License a Fourth Time
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 12, 2010
Orlando, FL (LifeNews.com) — Embattled Florida abortion practitioner James Pendergraft recently saw his medical license suspended for a fourth time by the Florida Board of Medicine. On Saturday, the board suspended his license for one year and placed it on probation for three years after that.
Pendergraft, who has subjected women to botched legal abortions, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and take a course on record keeping.
The medical board suspended his license after it found Pendergraft had allowed an unlicensed employee to order and administer drugs even though she was unqualified and had a known history of drug abuse. Pendergraft also was disciplined for prescribing steroids to her for unknown reasons.
"This is a case that should outrage everyone," said Operation Rescue president Troy Newman, who brought the suspension to the attention of LifeNews.com.
"Here is a proven quack that has served three previous license suspensions, yet continues to offend," he said. "Even a stint in prison hasn’t helped Pendergraft amend his ways. Nevertheless, the Board will allow this man to continue the practice of medicine after he serves his fourth suspension. It is irresponsible to place women at repeated risk from this guy."
According to news reports, Aaron Liberman, the chairman of the Department of Health Management and Informatics at the University of Central Florida, agreed with Newman in objecting to the leniency the board showed the abortion practitioner.
"I think it’s a wake-up call for us all when we have an individual who is allowed to practice medicine in a way that draws question as to both his credibility and capability," he said.
Pendergraft faced previous suspensions, one as recently as January, 2010, for botched legal abortions and illegal late-term abortions, and dispensing drugs without a license.
The first suspension was the result of a complaint filed April 14, 2008, that states Pendergraft illegally prescribed controlled substances without proper DEA licensing. The board also said Pendergraft committed medical malpractice in a botched abortion of a 19-week-old unborn child in February 2006.
The botched abortion saw Pendergraft inadequately dilating a patient’s cervix for a D&E abortion. He then ruptured her uterus and shoved the unborn child’s body into the abdominal cavity.
The mother was rushed to the hospital where she received an emergency hysterectomy along with the removal of the dead unborn child, who was missing an arm after the abortion attempt. OR indicates the arm was later found at Pendergraft’s EPOC abortion clinic.
The pro-life group maintains that Pendergraft’s not reporting that he had removed the arm caused a delay in her care at the hospital as surgeons futilely attempted to locate the missing appendage.
The Board ruled on Saturday that Pendergraft’s two active suspensions would run concurrently.
Pendergraft owns five abortion clinics in Florida. While on suspension, his abortion centers continue to operate with other abortion practitioners, at least one of which has had his own problems with the law.
Newman says abortion practitioner Randall Whitney has had his license suspended twice and placed on probation for violations according to the Florida Health Department.
"Pendergraft’s clinics are a menace to the public. They should be closed, and perhaps if he was in another state, they would be. It is simply outrageous that these people who have proven that they cannot comport themselves within the law are allowed the opportunity to continue to prey on an unsuspecting public," he said.
"The Florida Board of Medicine seriously dropped the ball by not revoking Pendergraft and forcing the closure of his clinics," he concluded.
Last year, a Florida appeals court upheld the suspension of Pendergraft’s license.
He was fined $10,000 and had his licensed revoked for one year over an illegal late-term abortion he did in 2005. The Florida Board of Medicine handed down the decision in December 2007.
ACTION: Contact the Florida Board of Medicine at [email protected], (p) 850 245-4131, (f) (850) 412-1268
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