The Debacle of Midtown Hospital

Even if an abortion clinic is listed with the National Abortion Federation and endorsed by Planned Parenthood, it doesn’t mean that the clinic is clean and offers quality healthcare. Midtown hospital was eventually closed down, but until it was, it was the biggest abortion clinic in Georgia. It was an NAF member.

This is the ad for the clinic on abortionclinicsonline, a national database which is supposed to list only “quality” clinics.

Midtown Hospital has stood for quality healthcare since its founding in the early 1900s. … In 1977, the focus of that outstanding care changed when Midtown Hospital became a women’s medical facility offering a full spectrum of gynecological healthcare services and the tradition of unsurpassed excellence remained. … Today, Midtown Hospital is a rare facility, providing the medical profession and patients with nationally-recognized programs in second trimester abortions for medical and genetic studies. … Midtown is an invaluable resource to referring universities, hospitals and private physicians. … Every abortion is overseen by a Board Certified pathologist. Whether a patient is treated as an out-patient or is admitted for an overnight stay, she receives experienced, professional care in a warm and comfortable environment. Although Midtown Hospital strives to maintain reasonable costs, the staff never cuts corners on laboratory tests, medical care, counseling, personal attention or follow-up care. Midtown Hospital is licensed by the State of Georgia. All physicians are Board Certified and all other medical staff are fully licensed. In addition, our staff is trained in and dedicated to meeting the personal, emotional and physical needs of our patients. It is in this spirit that we preserve the dignity of our patients and provide uncompromised medical care in an atmosphere of comfort and caring.” (Emphasis supplied.)

In reality, the state inspected the clinic several times and found deficiencies. The Georgia Department of Human Resources allowed Midtown to continue to operate despite repeated on-site investigations which showed “a complete disregard for, or the inability to care for, the health and safety of its patients” (Verified Complaint for Injunctive Relief filed May 20, 1998). On May 22, 1998 Midtown Hospital was temporarily closed by a Superior Court judge pending the outcome of litigation to shut it permanently. Were it not for a short account of the clinic’s closing in the Local News section of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (May 23), no one would be the wiser.

 Paragraph 2 of the Complaint against Midtown neatly summarizes the charges.

“Inspections of Midtown Hospital by DHR staff, interviews with current and former employees of Midtown Hospital, and interviews with women who have been patients at Midtown Hospital reveal an overcrowded, understaffed and dirty health care facility that jeopardizes the health and safety of its patients. For example, overcrowding and lack of proper monitoring of patients results in the expulsion of fetuses on the floor and in the commode of the preoperative area; Midtown Hospital’s sterilization process to prevent the spread of infection is severely deficient; Midtown Hospital’s personnel files lack any evidence that many of its employees are qualified for their jobs; and Midtown Hospital lacks any system for identifying, documenting, or evaluating unexpected or negative patient outcomes. DHR staff has consistently found that Midtown Hospital’s records lack information regarding transfer of patients to other facilities due to complications arising during or after surgical procedures performed at Midtown Hospital.”

According to the Affidavit of “Employee A,” employed at Midtown Hospital from November 1996 to February 1998:

“The preoperative room is located near the room where I was stationed. I could hear the patients hollering and screaming in the preoperative room. … I saw patients laying on the floor crying in pain. … I routinely saw patients expel fetuses on the floor and in the commode in the preoperative room. Patients expelled fetuses in front of other patients that were awaiting procedures. Patients expelled fetuses in commodes that were used by other patients. … I regularly observed patients expel fetuses in the commode in the discharge area. … Oftentimes, I was the only staff member in that area to assist patients. I do not have medical training.”

Employee B is a certified surgical technician, employed at Midtown Hospital from March 30, 1998 until resigning on April 18, 1998. Her affidavit states:

“I never saw the doctors or the anesthesiologist do any pre-operative work-ups on the patients prior to the patients going into the operating room. … Sterilization standards are not followed. … Most women lay on the floor in the pre-op area. Once I attempted to get some sterile sheets for the patients to lay on and was told by the Operating Room supervisor that if “they can lay up and get pregnant then they can come in here and deal with the procedure.” I have witnessed the use of stretchers with blood and bodily fluids on them being re-used without being cleaned. The staff was not concerned about cleaning up blood and other bodily fluids from the floors, chairs, stretchers and bathrooms and did not do so.”

The Affidavit of Patient X describes her experience on April 16, 1998. Following her procedure, she experienced”extreme pain … nausea, vomiting and even more pain.” This continued for several days. She called Midtown Hospital at least twice to speak to a doctor or nurse, but was told to make an appointment. Finally, she called 911 and was transported to a local hospital where they diagnosed an incomplete abortion. The Brief refers to other patients who were transfer-red to a hospital for “complications” occurring at Midtown

source:

“Men Behaving Really Badly” Life Insight, A Publication of the NCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, volume 9, no. 8 October 1998

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