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In Reversal of Plans, Madison Surgery
Center Will Not Offer Second-Trimester Abortions
Part Two of Three By Dave Andrusko Wisconsin Right to Life is hailing the decision of the University of Wisconsin Hospital, the UW Medical Foundation, and Meriter Hospital not to offer second trimester abortions at the Madison Surgery Center or to seek an alternative site. "Wisconsin Right to Life has vigorously fought the plan since its inception," said Susan Armacost, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. "We are thankful that there will be no second-trimester abortion facility at the Madison Surgery Center or at any University of Wisconsin facility." Armacost explained that many Madison Surgery center employees, numerous patients, and Wisconsin citizens, had spoken out in opposition. "They are to be commended," she said. "This is a tremendous victory for unborn children." UW Health spokesperson Lisa Brunette confirmed with the Badger Herald that "UW Health is not currently looking for another location that would be safer for patients and does not have plans to look in the future." Plans to perform second-trimester abortions at the Madison Surgery Center were approved in February 2009 by the University of Wisconsin Hospital, the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation, and Meriter Hospital. But in a letter issued Monday, the organizations backed off. The impetus for the original decision to go ahead was the retirement of abortionist Dennis Christensen in December 2008. According to Wisconsin RTL "Christensen told a Michigan court in the late 1990s that he had performed 60,000 abortions in his career at that time, with 9,000 of them beyond the first trimester. Christensen performed abortions up to 24 weeks (six months) of pregnancy." At the time of the 2009 decision, the Madison Surgery Center provided services such as ophthalmology, gastroenterology, and general surgery but not abortion, according to its web site. "Imagine that you are a patient sent to the Madison Surgery Center for an outpatient procedure," Armacost told NRL News at the time. "The medical professionals that are seeing you are working to restore you to full health while right down the hall, other 'professionals' are dismembering fully formed babies. The proposed late-term abortion plan, if approved, would be a blight on what should be the life-saving, not life-taking work of medical professionals and facilities." Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |