Regulators speak

"Every time a women's health clinic closes, it is a huge blow for women and it's very unfortunate. But women must be protected, and there are standards -- as there are for every health care facility -- and every facility needs to abide by the rules."
Cheryl Sabel, President,Montgomery

chapter of the National Organization for Women Washington Post, Alabama Abortion Clinic to Stay Shut, 6-15-2006

"If abortion is banned, you'll end up with some very severely injured women. Back-street abortions end up with hysterectomies or heavy bleeding and obviously they can die."
Anonymous abortion doctor UK Telegraph, Secret world of US abortion doctors, 4-3-2000

The Gov't Reaction to Abortion Clinic Practices

"This will make three clinics on probation and one that has lost its license. When four out of ten of the industry gets licensing action, that's a high number. That's a real high number.We're doing a lot more enforcement of other facilities, too. You don't hear about it very much, but it's going on."
Rick Harris, Alabama Bureau of Health Provider Standards director The Associated Press, Health dept. wants probation for Birmingham abortion clinic, 11/17/2006

"The days of the back-alley abortions are gone. This was egregious conduct that you were involved in. This type of crime can't go unpunished." ( said a judge in sentencing Liza Berdiel, an abortion clinic employee who performed abortions without a medical license)
Judge Peter J. Giovine Asbury Park Press, Abortionist's receptionist sent to jail for illegally performing non-surgical abortion,10/27/2006

Abortion clinic employee, Liza Berdiel's, "behavior is outrageous and without excuse.The motive was to make money. The victims suffered from the lack of medical professionalism." ( Berdiel was prosecuted for performing abortions without a license) .
Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Martin J. Anton

Asbury Park Press, Abortionist's receptionist sent to jail for illegally performing non-surgical abortion 10/27/2006

An order from the State Board of Health called the violations by Summit Medical (abortion) Center in Birmingham "egregious." saying, "We feel we need to move toward revoking their license."
Dr. Donald Williamson, Alabama State health officer Montgomery Advisor, Abortion clinic closed, 5/19/2006

"There were multiple violations of rules over multiple days ( at the abortion clinic) ."
Dr. Don Williamson, Alabama state health officer Birmingham News, Clinic's closing renews debate, 5/21/200

"Would we like to do it ( inspect abortion clinics) more frequently? Absolutely,But the nursing homes get more inspection because those are federally funded surveys. We have to figure out how to do the clinic inspections with state dollars."
Don Williamson, Alabama state health officer Birmingham News, Clinic's closing renews debate, 5/21/2006

"It's very clear that there is a serious problem with RU-486, and failing to address this problem by disguising it, ignoring it, minimizing it or causing confusion is a shameful failure for anyone with the ability and desire to protect women from needless harm. Any other drug associated with a 100 percent fatal septic infection that kills otherwise healthy adults within days, with no apparent window for treatment, and associated with an exponential amount of severe reactions, would normally prompt an immediate withdrawal so as to permit further study."

Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) Town Hall.com, Two Views of the Abortion Pill on Capitol Hill, 5/22/2006

Rep. Robert G. Marshall, described one abortionist's inadequacies. "She did not know how to do advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation. No one in the abortion clinic knew how to use a crash cart for such emergencies. She was not trained to do any of this."

Robert G. Marshall, Virginia Rep. Richmond Times Dispatch, Senate panel rejects a measure on abortion clinics, 2/24/2006

"So, I question how the Department of Health, which has never visited any one of these places (abortion clinics) and probably doesn't even know how many there are in the state, could conclude that, in fact, the procedures are safe."
Virginia State Legislator Daily Press, Senate Panel kills abortion, 2/23/ 2006

"As people see 3-D ultrasounds, people say, 'Oh, that really is a baby, it's not just a tumor or a clump of tissue. People wake up and go, 'Oh my gosh, this is what's being killed?' "

Kevin Calvey, Oklahoma State Rep. Fresno Bee, Anti-abortion movement hits a fork in road, 3/12/2006

"Why should someone like that continue to practice?" referring to abortionist Laurence Reich, who was charged with sexually assaulting his patients.

Maureen Green , California Prosecutor CNN Transcript, January 15, 2006

"There has been testimony in the House and Senate, where I have heard there is not regulation on the abortion clinics in the state. In the nine clinics, we've heard testimony that abortion clinics are not as regulated as veterinary clinics or tattoo parlors. We need to find a balance between good regulations and women's health. I think it's important to make sure the nine (abortion) facilities are capable of handling emergencies; to not regulate would be a disservice to protecting women's health."

Indiana, Sen. Jeff Drozda, R-Westfield IDS News, Multiple bills address abortion in Indiana Senate, House, 2/22/2005

Recalling cases of malpractice involving abortion Dr. William Harp stated, "I can remember three [anesthesia-related] cases in the last five years. Two of those cases were

abortions; another was a plastic-surgery case."

Dr. William Harp, Virginia medical board's executive director Richmond Times Dispatch, Regulations have made office-based anesthesia safer, 5/22/2005

"Our primary concern is the safety of patients. Given the serious allegations against (abortionist) Flavius Thompson, we demanded that he immediately stop practicing medicine pending further action of the Board of Medical Examiners." "The allegations in our complaint against (abortion) Dr. Thompson directly touch on patient safety."

Peter C. Harvey, New Jersey Attorney General Tri-Town News, Doctor awaits hearing on future of license, 2/2/2005 Tri-Town News, Doctor surrenders license, 2/16/2005

NJ Acting Consumer Affairs Director, Jeffrey Burstein said this about abortionist Flavius Thompson of the Pleasant Womens Pavilion after the state pulled his license, "During our investigation, we found that medical waste material was being improperly disposed of down the sanitary sewer at that location," and, "If proper procedures are not followed, patients are potentially put in danger. That is wholly unacceptable. The Board of Medical Examiners expects its licensees to adhere to legal and professional standards of conduct, as does the public."

Jeffrey Burstein, Acting New Jersey Consumer Affairs Director Tri-Town News, Doctor surrenders license:2/16/2005 Tri-Town News, Doctor awaits hearing on future of license: 2/2/2005

"According to CNN and other media and your Boards records, Dr.Laurence Reich has a long history of sexual misconduct against patients, which led to a license suspension in 1982 and a 10- year probationary period that ended in 1994. Further, he was arrested in 2002 on sexual battery charges and pleaded no contest to sexual exploitation by a physician. In short, this individual has a clear pattern of violating the public trust that has been placed in him, yet he continues to see patients."

Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senator Press Release of Senator Boxer , Boxer Requests Suspension of Doctor's License, 12/9/2005

"You would think the first thing Planned Parenthood would suspect is that a 14-year-old girl who shows up without her parents for an abortion would not provide her parents real phone number. Apparently they made no effort to confirm to whom they were speaking when they placed their call to notify the parents. They did the minimum they could under the existing law."
Joe Deters, Hamilton County Prosecutor The Cincinnati Enquirer , Prosecutor criticizes Planned Parenthood's role, 6/30/2005

"If they show up for the procedure and say 'I think I have a little bit of a cold,' their (abortion) appointment might need to be rescheduled. Some cold medications or an upper respiratory tract infection could affect response to the anesthesia or recovery."
Cathy Harrison, President-elect of the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists Richmond Times Dispatch, Regulations have made office-based anesthesia safer, 5/22/2005

"There was an unfamiliar type stench in the room. Frankly, I was reluctant to sit down," detective William Howard Jr wrote in a notarized affidavit after entering a Kansas abortion clinic, owned by abortionist Krishna Rajanna. "I became so disturbed by the condition of this medical (abortion) clinic that I contacted District Attorney Nick Tomasic and requested a meeting to discuss these issues. Bare

in mind, I am an experienced police officer who has worked in every aspect in law enforcement and had spent my last five years in the homicide unit where I worked countless community deaths. I thought I had heard and seen every vile, disgusting crime scene but was in for a new shock when I started this investigation."
Detective William Howard , Kansas City Kansas Police Department Eyewitness Testimony of Officer, House Committee on Health and Humices , March 15,2005

"The Board of Healing Arts has taken not months but years to take care of the problems at one (abortion) clinic. Abortion in Kansas has come down to the level of care in a Third World country."

Peggy Mast, Kansas Rep. The Wichita Eagle, Veto stays intact on abortion clinic bill, 4/29/2005

''There's a wall of silence. It's just like with the police. There's a brotherhood that doesn't feel comfortable most of the time reporting misconduct.'' (Commenting in a story

on bad doctors including abortion doctors)

Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical Consumers The Village Voice, When medicine is murder: 4/2/2005

"Life threatening," What the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the state of New York called abortionist Steven Brighams negligence, saying he "repeatedly exaggerated his medical training, experience and skill" and lacked "insight as to his own limitations."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Debate over medical office turns on zoning, 1/15/2002

"I don't think you could find a better case for a classic history of depraved murder than this case. He [abortionist David Benjamin) chased the dollar. He didn't care about his patient . . . Do no harm, that's what they live by, the doctors, supposedly. He did harm, he did the maximum amount of harm, he killed his patient."
Judge in abortionist David Benjamin's murder trial Associated Press 8/12/93 Department of Health and Human Services, Departmental Appeals Board, Civil Remedies Division: David Benjamin, MD vs. Inspector General : Docket No.C-98-353 , Decision No. CR681: 6/20/2000

According to Jerry Ryan, abortion doctor Leroy Carhart's clinic was "just like a porno shop: the porno shop may be legal, but there are not too many people that want to set up next to that."

Jerry Ryan, Mayor of Bellevue NY Times, After Abortion Victory, Doctor's Troubles Persist, 11/7/2000

"Mr. (referring abortionist Bruce Steir ) Steir's record . . . of mispractice speaks for itself." and , "If there was some plot, some nefarious agenda, against doctors who perform abortions, it would have to be a conspiracy of three independent state agencies, The medical board, the attorney general's office and the Office of Administrative Hearings, which employs administrative law judges who hear such cases, all would have to be involved Bruce Steir "has a long history of problems" with the regulatory agency. "The board has no position on abortion, but the board does oppose gross negligence

and incompetence."
Candis Cohen, spokeswoman for the Medical Board of California Press Enterprise, Plea changed to guilty in abortion case, 4/6/2000

"Had this quality of care been provided by any other medical provider -- family physician, obstetrician, or emergency physician -- it would be considered grossly negligent. By an abortion provider, it does not even cause a stir. In fact, it goes unnoted and un-reported. There is no other practice of medicine where people can suffer and die from complications of your intervention without your being in some way professionally accountable, involved in their care, and at the very least, made aware of it -- except abortion. Abortion is bad medicine."
Commentary by Lenora Berning, MD, ER Doctor Lancaster New Era, Abortion is bad medicine; quality care is lacking, 11/1/199

"Patient care was left entirely up to the personnel in the office. If he had someone really good, then patient care was really good. The next person might come in and (that person) was really horrible. Then that's what happened to patient care - it was horrible."
A doctor who used to work with abortionist Hachamovitch The Arizona Republic History of trouble at clinics abortion centers accumulate record of 6 deaths, 28 suits: 1/17/1999

"It was really a case of an assembly line, conducting abortions, one after another, three to five minutes apart."
Attorney for the family of a girl who died from a legal abortion ABC 20/20 Transcript # 99030802-j11, A Womans right, a womans risk, 3/8/1999