Sunday, January 06, 2008

Search: Delta Women's Clinic of Baton Rouge

Another search was for Delta Women's Clinic of Baton Rouge. This clinic was one of three independently operated facilities under same ownership. The others were in Gulfport, MS and New Orleans LA. The Baton Rouge facility was gutted by fire in 2001. The fire was ruled accidental, due to an electrical problem. The owner of the building had filed suit alleging that the performance of abortions on the premises resulted in the loss of fire and hazard insurance, threatening the owner's mortgage; Delta and Glidden were informed of such but failed to cease performing abortions, in violation of the lease. (Baton Rouge Parish Case No. 299277)

Ingar Weber died after an abortion at Delta in 1990. Sheila Hebert died after an abortion there in 1984.

News coverage also has been ignoring the fact that Planned Parenthood stopped referring women to Baton Rouge Delta after a teen-ager said the doctor walked out of the room during her abortion, and that the clinic had run out of sterilized gloves and pain medication. The health department also recommended revoking Delta's laboratory license due to the possibility of inadequate testing. (Dallas Morning News 9-5-93; AP 10-4-97 in The Advocate, Baton Rouge)

Michelle P. alleged that she went to Delta for the abortion of her 20 week pregnancy. The abortion was performed by Richardson Glidden at Delta March 28, 1984. Glidden failed to determine the position of the fetus, was unable to retrieve fetal leg, and sent Michelle home with assurance that she would expel the leg. Michelle was bedridden with pain for six days, then returned to Delta. Glidden then informed Michelle of a laceration of her uterine wall in addition to the retained leg. Glidden's attempt to remove the fetal leg was unsuccessful. Michelle was transported to a hospital, where the fetal leg was removed through a surgical incision. (Baton Rouge Parish District Court Case No. 281159)

Kathleen R. alleged that she underwent an abortion of her 6-8 week pregnancy performed by Calvin Jackson at Delta July 16, 1974. Upon arriving home, Kathleen was weak and bleeding. Her neighbor called Delta; Jackson was spoken to and informed of the heavy bleeding, which was a serious situation. Jackson prescribed Methergine. Kathleen's husband filled the prescription, and Kathleen's bleeding abated for 5 days. However, Kathleen had to be hospitalized one week following the abortion. There, she underwent a transfusion. Surgeons found a large hematoma and a perforated uterus. Kathleen had to have a hysterectomy to treat her injury. Her lawsuit also alleged that staff at Delta had failed to inform her of the risks of the abortion. (4th Circuit Louisiana Court of Appeals No. 9083)

WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge broke ranks in the coverage after the fire, delving into some of Delta's unsavory past. A patient, Roxy D., had come forward saying that "a 1998 operation at Delta forced her to wear a colostomy bag for eight months." WAFB-TV investigated the clinic, and clinic workers spoke to WAFB, confirming Roxy's story. This is the story that, according to WAFB, prompted a spring 1999 vote of the Louisiana Legislature to include abortion facilities in outpatient surgical centers' regulations. Abortionists claimed that this was an attack on their practice and that following the regulations would drive up the cost of abortions. The abortionists sued, blocking enforcement of the law. In response, Louisiana legislators drafted a law requiring regulations just for abortion clinics.

WAFB's coverage also noted that state prosecutors have received detailed affidavits from former Delta workers about the conditions and practices at the clinic. WAFB's coverage of the fire concluded with noting that Delta heating up even before the fire -- the Roxy D's suit was about to enter into preliminary hearings, the former employees were stepping forward with allegations about conditions within the clinic, workers indicated that Delta's debts were mounting... and then the place burned to the ground.

Delta's abortionist, James Whitmore III, lost his license to practice medicine in 2002. The board had found Whitmore guilty of disregarding basic santitation, being rude to patients, and failing to provide proper care to a woman whose uterus he had perforated during an abortion. The woman ended up needing a hysterectomy. The board found that Whitmore used improperly sterilized equipment, reused single-use items, and let tissue float in the sterilizing solution. Whitmore had previously been on probation for three years beginning in 1992, after his actions led to the death of one post-term infant and the permanent injury of a pre-term infant.

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19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The day I had an abortion:
I went to the Delta Women's Clinic the summer of 98. I had just turned 19 and was very afraid. I had no idea of all of the horror stories associated with this place. When I arrived with my boyfriend we were approached by numerous pro-life advocates. I really didn't want to continue but I felt I had no choice. My boyfriend hurried me inside. The inside was very dark. I don't remember if there was wood paneling on the walls to cause this effect or if they just had the lights dimmed for some reason. Dust covered everything. As we sat down, one young girl began to cry. There were about 5 or 6 other girls there and when she began crying, we all started to tear up. I whispered to my boyfriend, we don't have to do this. I wanted to walk out but just knew my parents would kick me out (not true). It was my turn for the "procedure". I chose to get the "twilight" medication which is supposed to sedate you. No sooner had I gotten the medication, did the doctor walk in. He seemed as if he were in a hurry. He must have been bc he didn't hesitate to start. I told him that I could still feel it. He told me that it was too late for that and that I shouldn't have gotten myself into this situation(with a smile). I came to find that he was right but it still bothered me how he said it and how he basically laughed at my pain.
I'm not sure how long I was there but I awoke to hard slaps to my face. The receptionist was telling me that I better wake up. It was closing time. I must have been there for hours. My boyfriend had left me there and I had to call around for him to come back to get me. On top of everything else they had given another patient my purse containing my parents credit card, my check book, drivers license etc. I ended up filing a police report but that went no where. They could have everything I owned if I could just take the entire experience back.

Don't do it

Christina Dunigan said...

Sounds like another stunning victory for "choice" and "women's rights".

If most prochoicers really knew how abortion was practiced, they'd not be so willing to trust the prochoice movement or the abortion business, would they?

Anonymous said...

I will have to disagree. I had my procedure (i chose medical abortion) in 2008 at delta clinic, its not even the same doctors. They were very helpful and supportive. Obviousley alot has changed since 1998, bc when i went there were more like 50 girls versus the 5. In ten years alot of new technology and iformation has been obtained. In any type of medical procedure there are always risks.

Christina Dunigan said...

I can never quite get past the casual, "I went there, they were very nice". And your baby is DEAD.

Sometimes it's like .... I dunno. There is no parallel, really. Except maybe the way it sounds like the Budgie Skit from Monty Python --

Mrs. Premise: We decided to have the budgie put down.

Mrs. Conclusion: Oh! Is he very old then?

Mrs. Premise: No, we just don't like it.

Mrs. Conclusion: How do they put budgies down?

Mrs. Premise: It's very funny you should ask that. I've just been reading a great big book on how to put your budgie down. And evidently you can either hit them with the book, or you can shoot them dead just above the beak.

Mrs. Conclusion: Mrs. Essence flushed hers down the loo!

Mrs. Premise: Oooh! That's dangerous! Becaues they breed in the sewers, and eventually you get huge, evil-smelling flocks of soiled budgies flying out of people's lavatories, infringing their personal freedom!

Trouble is, abortion isn't a joke. Somebody ends up dead, and somebody else winds up either horrified at the realization that they did it, or unhorrified to learn that they can indeed kill without remorse.

Anonymous said...

I recently had an abortion at the same clinic. Like the girl before me said there really are like 50 girls there and the nurses seemed to be very nice. But theres no sedation that can heal the pain of realising what a horrible mistake u have just made.

Anonymous said...

To clairify "KILLING A BABY"

Actually if a person receives the medical abortion (pill) there is no BABY, mearly a division of sexual cells (formed by mieosis)medically termed a ZYGOTE, as it remains a zygote for 3 months THEN becomes a fetus. You can only receive the medical abortion if you are no more than 8 weeks pregnant, after that the zygote fertilizes into a fetus and you will have to do surgical

Christina Dunigan said...

Anon, stringing together a bunch of scientific-sounding words is hardly the same as producing any real scientific information.

"A division of sexual cells formed by meiosis" produces either an ovum or a sperm, not a zygote. The zygote is formed by the MERGING of the two haploid cells formed by the division of the sexual cells. This is called FERTILIZATION.

The zygote is the RESULT of fertilization. And the zygote becomes a fetus at 8 weeks by having developed to the point where all major structures are in place.

So -- Back to the textbook. Learn a little about mammalian reproduction.

Anonymous said...

I had a surgical abortion at delta last year and it was a horrific experiance. The nurses were cold and rushed the girls from room to room. I felt like a cow in a slaughterhouse. Unfortunately this is the case in most abortion clinics from what I hear. Maybe if all those prolifers would stop threatening doctors licsences there would be better places for people like myself to exercise my right to choose. But instead the only places that offer abortion services are run by insensitive money hungry doctors that are not concerned with their patients well being. Hopefully one day things will be different.

Christina Dunigan said...

Anon, there's nothing we can do that will change what abortion is -- killing a baby. Nothing ANYBODY does -- prolife, prochoice, or proabortion -- can change that.

What kind of person is going to want to do that?

The kind of person who was working at Delta.

You complain that the reason abortion attracts creeps is because prolifers are so mean to them. You might as well complain that the reason hit men are such callous bastards is because there are laws against murder.

Anonymous said...

you can call abortion what ever you want.. Reguardless of your personal opinion, abortion is legal. If you are against it, don't have one. Because of people like grannygrump and other prolifers the options are limited for people who choose to abort unwanted pregnancies. I'm a 24 year old college student working a full time job with lots of bills and even more student loans, if I had chosen not to abort my UNWANTED pregnancy I would have to sacrifice my future career for motherhood. Call me selfish, but I think raising a child is a full time job and I don't have the time or money to dedicate the attention required to a child. If abortion was a service offered by more physicians the experience wouldn't have to be a horrible one. But instead all these prolife advocates insist on putting their noses where it doesn't belong and the rest of us have to suffer. Again, if you don't believe abortion is right or moral or whatever, DON'T have one. It's as simple as that. If you are so prolife you should try getting one.

Christina Dunigan said...

I'm calling it what it is.

As for pointing out that it's legal, not everything that's legal is right. Until 1978, Missouri had an Extermination Order on the books making it perfectly legal to kill Mormons. Is your argument that between 1838 and 1978, it was moral to kill a Mormon as long as he was located in Missouri?

And your argument that your life is better because your baby is dead holds no water either. John List had a much better life after he shot his wife, mother, and three kids dead and assumed a new identity. That doesn't make what he did right.

Either killing babies to better your own life is okay, or it's not. And I've not in over a quarter century of doing this any reason why any woman should have some right to just choose death for her child.

Anonymous said...

Luckily, your opinion doesn't really matter. Abortion is STILL legal.. No matter how many crazy bible beaters scream and fuss that it's wrong. Who are you to decide what's right or wrong for someone else? Have you walked in their shoes? Do you understand how they feel? Oh wait.. you don't care what they think or how they feel. You are too busy fighting a battle that you will never win. We live in AMERICA. Last time I checked it was still a free country.. and the abortion clinics are still packed.. gotta love democracy.

Christina Dunigan said...

We're not talking about my opinions. The baby exists, abortion kills it. This is biology. If there's no baby, there's no abortion, and the guy who sells you one is guilty of fraud.

And YES I "know how it feels" to think abortion is the answer. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing. Because the prochoice rhetoric nearly convinced me to kill my son.

I have a live child. You have a dead one. I'm the one who's better off. All you have is a compelling need to scream out to everybody, trying to get them to agree with you that you did the right thing.

And that's what it's all about. Trying to get everybody to pat you on the head and tell you that you did the right thing.

Well, you killed your baby. That's not the right thing.

You can recognize this, repent, and stop trying to justify what you did. Or you can go through the rest of your life getting bent out of shape that complete strangers won't validate your choice.

Anonymous said...

Haha.. Repent. That's a good one. Silly christians.. Always trying to make everyone be just like them. You clearly missed the entire point of my last comment.. I'm not looking for validation or for a pat on the head. I'm just saying that YOU have no right to tell ANYONE what they can or can't do with their bodies. If you are against abortion that's fine with me.. Nobody will force you to have one. Just like you can't force people to give birth to their unwanted babies. Why can't we all just agree to disagree? Why is it not enough for you prolifers to just exercise your right to NOT have an abortion? Maybe it's because you are the one who wants validation.. Not me.

Christina Dunigan said...

Clearly, anon, there are two types of women: those who consider a dead baby a tragedy, and those who consider a dead baby an entitlement.

I think it's about time that society reformed itself to support the former. And you, as a member of the latter, can go pound sand. If you want a dead baby, arrange it on your own, without societal sanction or support.

Nobody owes you any help getting your baby killed. And, God willing, one day YOU will be the one that has to learn to adjust.

Anonymous said...

What about victims of rape? Incest? Is your answer the same for them as well? I thought Christianity was about love and compassion? It seems to me that you are just trying to push your beliefs onto everyone else. Would it really be better if abortion was illegal? I'm sure that outlawing abortion would only force desperate women to seek abortions elsewhere, making it more dangerous. Just as you said before, something being legal doesn't make it right.. well making abortion illegal will not make it stop happening.

Christina Dunigan said...

Love and compassion to not extend to killing Peter to please Pauline.

Just because Person A's life would be so much easier if Person B was dead is not a reason to help Person A kill Person B.

The word compassion, by the way, means "to suffer with", not "to make their life as easy as possible, even to the point of killing people whose presence they find troubling."

And you're right that criminalizing abortion won't eliminate it 100%, any more than criminalizing rape eliminated it 100%. But look how far we've come over the centuries. It used to be that rape was a fringe benefit for soldiers. It was a given that they were permitted to rape the women of the enemy as much as they wanted to. Now it's considered an atrocity and a war crime.

It may take a while, but eventually abortion will be recognized universally for the atrocity it is.

Anonymous said...

And if you look over the centuries, there have been abortions since written history. Midwives didn't just deliver babies. With the right combination of herbs the midwife could help abort an unborn child. They also terminated a child's life after it was born if they were considered to deformed or unhealthy to be raised. It is a practice that has existed for millineia and will continue till women do not need to breed. Is it right? Is it wrong? Leave that up to the person's moral conscience, no one else.

Christina Dunigan said...

Anon, rape was for thousands of years considered one of the perks of being a soldier. Why aren't you out there arguing that it's mean to not give soldiers that choice? Let them make their own moral decision based on their personal preferences. Your own logic says we should.