Abortion Facility in Alabama Placed on Probation for Violations Shutting Down

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 11, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Abortion Facility in Alabama Placed on Probation for Violations Shutting Down

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 11
, 2010

Montgomery, AL (LifeNews.com) — The Beacon Women’s Center, placed on temporary probation in 2007 after health problems state inspectors encountered, will close down permanently next week. The abortion business announced on its web site that it is now closed and seeing follow-up patients until June 18.

The Beacon Women’s Center and Reproductive Health Services abortion business in Montgomery and the New Women All Women Health Care in Birmingham saw their licenses downgraded to probationary status in 2006.

The actions against the abortion centers came after state health officials found significant concerns at the Summit Medical Center abortion center in Birmingham.

The abortion facility there was permanently closed in June 2006 after state health officials found numerous violations, including a nurse there giving the abortion drug to a woman with severely high blood pressure who needed medical attention.

The woman later gave birth to a stillborn baby because the drug is only allowed for use in the early parts of pregnancy.

Following the incident at Summit, the state began inspecting the state’s other abortion facilities, which led to finding problems at the other two.

"We are thankful that yet another abortion clinic has closed. This illustrates again three things we know to be true about abortion clinics: Clinic regulations work. Abortionists don’t heed regulations. Inspections close abortion mills," said Operation Rescue president Troy Newman.

"We still have not found a single abortion clinic that follows the law. If every abortion clinic nationwide was inspected and the laws enforced, we doubt that any abortion clinic could stay open," he added.

Beacon Women’s Center had a long history of health and safety deficiencies on record with the Alabama Department of Public Health that included shoddy record keeping, improper distribution of controlled substances without proper physician authorization, and failure of nurses to administer the correct medication.

Other problems included failure to determine if patients had drug allergies, failure to adhere to the state ultrasound laws that mandate women be offered to view of their ultrasound images, use of expired medication and supplies, an administrator assisting with abortion surgeries, and use of unsterilized medical equipment, including speculums and dilators.

Health inspectors also noted the abortion center engaged in false lab tests, was improperly conducting urinary pregnancy tests, and reading results before prescribed time had expired – staff scored 60% failure for proficiency for conducting pregnancy tests, and had a suction machine that was not removed per order of inspector.

The Beacon Women’s Center’s web site announced the closure and offered a $100 discount to women if they were willing to travel to a sister-clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, for their abortions.

"It is our experience that babies will be saved because of this closure because women will now seek other options in their area," said Newman. "We have yet to met a woman who has told us that she regrets keeping her baby, but we know thousands who have told us they regret their abortions, so this closure will be good for women and families in the Montgomery area."

The closure of Beacon Women’s Center leaves six active abortion clinics left in Alabama.

This closing follows a national trend. Since 1991, over two-thirds of the nation’s abortion centers have closed.

 

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