Indiana Health Department Says State Abortion Clinics Put Women’s Lives at Risk

State   |   Right to Life of Indianapolis   |   Apr 9, 2015   |   4:40PM   |   Indianapolis, IN

Surveys from the Indianapolis State Department of Health (ISDH) show poor medical practices at four abortion facilities: Indianapolis’ Planned Parenthood, Clinic for Women and Women’s Medical Group, and Planned Parenthood in Bloomington, Ind.

Right to Life of Indianapolis analyzed the survey reports after they became publicly available from the ISDH. Indiana state law requires the ISDH to inspect abortion facilities at least once every two years and produce a written survey of findings.

Surveys showed unsatisfactory practices at all four abortion facilities.

For example, at Planned Parenthood on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, the survey found improper monitoring of oxygen saturation levels for several patients.  If a patient’s oxygen saturation level falls below 93 percent, a physician should be alerted and if it falls below 90 percent oxygen should be started. According to a sample of medical records checked during the survey, 18 of 30 patients had no record of their oxygen levels being monitored and one patient was documented to have an oxygen saturation level of 76 percent with no record of a physician being alerted or oxygen being started.

At the same facility, patients were given the maximum dose of Fentanyl, a narcotic pain reliever. However, Fentanyl dosing is based on weight and the survey showed that at least 17 of the 18 patients whose records were reviewed were under the weight for the maximum dose.

The survey of Planned Parenthood in Bloomington revealed incomplete records for many patients, among other findings. Some state forms were missing and medical history questions, such as one regarding a bleeding disorder, were not completed. The survey revealed that vital signs were not appropriately checked for 18 of 20 surgical abortion patients.

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The surveys for Clinic for Women and Women’s Medical Group showed both facilities had problems with patient medical records as well. Additionally, these two facilities had unsanitary environments. For example, the Clinic for Women survey detailed a tear in the lower end of the exam table’s leather cover, allowing a protrusion of foam the size of the golf ball. At Women’s Medical Group, the clean and soiled linens were stored in the same place and sterilization procedures were not carried out for sterilizing tubing and surgical instruments.

Three abortion doctors from the Clinic for Women, Resad Pasic, Kathleen Glover and Raymond Robinson, will face a hearing in front of the Indiana Medical Licensing Board on April 23. In September 2014, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office filed administrative licensing complaints against these doctors for violations of abortion record-keeping and advice and consent laws.

“The abortion industry has alleged for years that if abortion is legal, it will be safe. But this is patently untrue,” said Marc Tuttle, president of Right to Life of Indianapolis. “Women don’t deserve to have their health compromised by the sloppy medical practices of abortion providers like those documented in these surveys. Women deserve better than abortion.

The unsanitary and unprofessional practices taking place in Indiana’s abortion facilities. In addition, we urge the Indiana Medical Licensing Board to study the alleged violations leveled against abortion doctors Resad Pasic, Kathleen Glover and Raymond Robinson, and consider appropriate disciplinary action, if necessary.”

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The four abortion facilities were surveyed between Oct. 29 and Dec. 18, 2014. The state gives each abortion facility a timeframe for submitting an acceptable plan of correction after a survey finds the facility out of compliance.

Right to Life of Indianapolis has additional survey findings on its website. The organization invites media and interested individuals to review the findings and access the four surveys as released by the ISDH at https://rtlindy.org/getting-educated/indianapolis-and-bloomington-abortion-facility-health-surveys/.