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COLUMBIA, September 18, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – The University of Missouri Health System has canceled ten of its contracts with Planned Parenthood.

After undercover videos exposed Planned Parenthood's trafficking in aborted babies, Missouri legislators began investigating the state's largest abortion business. Soon after the investigations began, the University of Missouri “discontinued” its 26-year business partnership with the abortion giant.

The university had agreements with Planned Parenthood for nursing students and resident physicians to do their clinical training at Planned Parenthood clinics. The MU School of Medicine signed a letter of understanding with Planned Parenthood in 2005 that gives students the opportunity to learn to do abortions and become “a credentialed provider of medical or surgical pregnancy termination services.” 

But in the last month, school officials canceled ten contracts in four states for clinical training. “These agreements were inactive and have been discontinued,” explained public relations manager Mary Jenkins.

The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) of bishops applauded the university's decision, but they say work remains in getting Mizzou to completely sever itself from the abortion industry. 

Jenkins admitted that MU's College of Human and Environmental Services still has an active agreement with Planned Parenthood for social work students to do field work with a Planned Parenthood social worker.

Additionally, MU still has not revoked its controversial “refer and follow” privileges for abortionist Colleen McNicholas. On August 21, 2015, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Gail Vasterling, after initially refusing to answer senate investigators, admitted that an ambulatory surgical center license was issued to the Columbia Planned Parenthood facility where McNicholas is performing abortions, even though the facility was not in compliance with the law.

The bishops wrote a letter to MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, stating that MU “should revoke the hospital privileges of abortion doctor Colleen McNicholas.” The MCC website, under the headline “Get MU Out Of The Abortion Business!,” also urges Missourians to write Chancellor Loftin and the MU Board of Curators, asking them to revoke privileges for the abortionist.

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“Only in this way can MU ensure that it is not aiding and abetting the abortion industry,” the bishops explain. “MU should not look the other way when abortions are being performed at Columbia's Planned Parenthood, which could not be performed there without the blessing of the University of Missouri.”

Over 800 Catholics responded by contacting the chancellor and the university's board of curators, which is the largest response the bishops have received in a long time, according to MCC general counsel Tyler McClay.

Jenkins defended the university, noting that “[n]o pregnancy terminations have been performed in any MU Health Care facility or by any MU Health Care personnel, except to save the life of the mother.” She did not elaborate how many abortions were performed, nor did she explain who determined an abortion was necessary “to save the life of the mother.” 

Situations in which the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother are extremely rare, and many doctors agree that an abortion even in this situation is necessary with modern technology. Dr. R.J. Heffernan of Tufts University stated, “Anyone who performs a therapeutic abortion (for physical disease) is either ignorant of modern methods of treating the complications of pregnancy, or is unwilling to take time to use them.” 

In late-term pregnancies, emergency C-sections are often the medically appropriate response to save both mother and child. As for first-trimester scenarios, most are to save the mother from ectopic (“out of place”) pregnancies, but surgeries for ectopic pregnancies are not medically classified as abortions.

MCC Executive Director Mike Hoey testified this week in Jefferson City before the state Senate committee hearing investigating Planned Parenthood. “The people of Missouri don't want their tax dollars going toward abortion,” Hoey told the legislators. “If Mizzou wants to get out of the abortion business, they can figure out how to do it.”

In possibly related news, the dean of MU's School of Medicine, Patrice Delafontaine, has resigned, after only nine months on the job.

In 2007, Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline filed 107 criminal charges –including 23 felony counts – against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri for illegal late-term abortions, and for manufacturing evidence to cover up crimes.

But the evidence against Planned Parenthood was illegally destroyed by someone in Attorney General Steven Six's office. As a result, the charges were dismissed, and no one has ever been held accountable for the destruction of evidence.