CINCINNATI, Ohio, January 21, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Ohio Department of Health has shut down a Cincinnati-area abortion facility run by notorious late-term abortionist Martin Haskell for failing to meet state health standards.
The department has ordered Haskell to cease operations at his “Women’s Med Center” in Sharonville by February 4, 2014.
“We want to thank the Health Department for enforcing Ohio law and refusing to allow the abortion industry to escape complying with health and safety standards,” said Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life.
“Women's health is priority number one and today's actions by the Kasich administration should serve as a wake-up call that Ohio will no longer turn a blind eye towards unhealthy medical practices.”
Operation Rescue reports that the health department’s decision comes after years of dispute over Haskell’s lack of required hospital privileges.
“There is a history of problems with this particular ambulatory surgery facility and operator,” an department spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The agency no longer has confidence that this ambulatory surgery facility will take necessary steps to operate in accordance with regulations.”
Haskell had operated under a variance granted by the health department that gave him special permission to continue to commit abortions as long as he had an agreement with other physicians to provide hospital care for his patients suffering from abortion injuries or complications.
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Haskell obtained a variance in 2011 on the condition that three abortionists, Roslyn Kade, Walter T. Bowers, II, and David B. Schwartz, maintained unrestricted admitting privileges.
Bowers’ incompetence was publicly exposed by Operation Rescue, which discovered that he had been banned from the practice of obstetrics in Kentucky and was placed on five years of probation.
On February 29, 2012, Kade, who was also employed by Haskell to do abortions, lost her unrestricted privileges at Christ Hospital. Her privileges were a critical requirement for the variance.
Shortly thereafter, Haskell temporarily amended his variance to replace Kade and Bowers with Chandra Gravely and Cindy Hansel.
However, Haskell failed to notify the department in a timely manner about the personnel change on his transfer agreement. Operation Rescue discovered that Gravely and Hansel have also been accused of negligence and incompetence, having been sued at least seven times since 2000 for medical malpractice, including one wrongful death suit that included Hansel as a co-defendant.
Operation Rescue had recently documented four medical emergencies at Haskell’s two Ohio abortion clinics, raising serious concerns for patient safety. Haskell’s Dayton clinic continues to operate under a variance.
“Patients were endangered by Haskell’s slick attempts to avoid compliance with the law and we are pleased that his Sharonville abortion clinic must soon close in order to protect women from further harm,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.
“This is a day to celebrate,” said Newman. “We thank all the pro-life groups, especially Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, for their diligent work that made this closure decision possible.”
The Ohio Department of Health's adjudication order to shut down the abortion center is available here.