Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 9—The Georgia Bulletin, April 28,1983
PAGE 8—The Georgia Bulletin, April 28,1983
"Can This Hospital Leave Babies,Most Of Whom Are Distinctly Premature,To
BY MONSIGNOR
NOEL BURTENSHAW
The Midtown Hospital,
officially called The
Atlanta Hospital for
Women, Inc., advertises
itself as “Georgia’s Only
Hospital Specializing In
Abortion.” That being so,
it must be licensed by the
State of Georgia to
perform this procedure.
The licensing of any
hospital also means
inspection by the state
each year. “That’s
correct,” said Terrell
Teague, who is regional
director of the Standards
and Licensure Section of
the Department of Human
Resources. “Each year we
send an inspector to all
licensed hospitals. And
one is sent to Midtown
Hospital.”
If so, our question to
Mr. Teague was, did that
inspector report to the
state that Midtown
Hospital had 10 live births
in 1980, three in 1981 and
one in 1982? “I don’t
know,” said Mr. Teague.
“It was brought to my
attention (that these
deaths took place) only at
the beginning of April of
this year.”
He was asked what
happened to the reports
which were made by the
state inspector which
would reveal the live births
and subsequent deaths in
Midtown Hospital. “I can’t
answer that,” said Mr.
Teague. “However, this
hospital, like all others,
must have policies and
procedures to operate by,
if they are to remain open
to the public in this
State.”
Asked if Midtown
Hospital has guidelines
intact which are currently
approved by the state, Mr.
Teague answered, “Yes,
they do, but we are not
completely satisfied with
them. We have therefore
notified Midtown Hospital
to submit new guidelines
for approval by the State.
The hospital has agreed to
do so and these new
guidelines are due in my
office on May 1,1983.”
Mr. Teague went on to
say that Midtown was
asked for submission of
new guidelines “after the
recent allegations were
made.”
“I told them to have
them to me by May 1,”
said the Regional Director.
Eight of the live births
survived at Midtown for
more than an hour
according to the death
certificates issued for
them. Mr. Teague was
therefore asked what the
present guidelines dictate
in the case of live births at
Midtown. Mr. Teague
hesitated and then said
that “a pediatrician must
be called in (when a live
birth takes place) and he
must make a decision on
what to do.”
Can this hospital leave
babies, most of whom are
distinctly premature, to
die? “I don’t know,” was
the answer. Asked who
would know, he suggested
we call his superior Mr.
Clyde Roy, Director,
Standards and Licensure
Section of the Department
of Human Resources.
Asked the same
questions about
procedures when a live
birth takes place at
Midtown Hospital, Mr.
Roy replied, “The doctors
must maintain life and, if
possible, transport the
baby to the nearest
hospital.”
Mr. Roy stated that his
“Eight of the live births survived at
Midtown for more than an hour according to
the death certificates issued for them. Mr.
Teague was therefore asked what the present
guidelines dictate in the case of live births at
Midtown. Mr. Teague hesitated and then said
that “a pediatrician must be called in (when
a live birth takes place) and he must make a
decision on what to do.”
A PHOTOGRAPH taken during pregnancy. (Photo from booklet of
the fourth month of pregnancy, Intercessors For America),
which is in the second trimester of
department was not
completely satisfied with
the present guidelines at
the hospital and was
happy that they are
currently being updated.
The Director further
stated that inspection of
the hospital takes place
once a year. When asked
why the live births and
deaths went unheeded by
his department, Mr. Roy
stated, “We get a lot of
reports each year, you
know, and that place
(Midtown) does close to
500 procedures every
month.”
We informed Mr. Roy
that we would contact the
administrator of Midtown
Hospital for more
information on the
procedures used by them
in the case of live births.
Mr. Thomas Allibone,
Midtown’s administrator,
was informed that the
death certificate of one
child recorded that the
child lived for five hours
and 55 minutes. Could he
therefore give information
as to what procedures
took place for the child
and why the baby was not
transferred to the nearest
hospital?
Mr. Allibone responded
that he did not have the
records on his desk but
that normal procedures
were followed and this
would mean that the live
birth would be
“monitored by the staff
and physicians.”
“Live births,” said the
administrator, “are not
comfortable situations for
anyone and I know they
are more uncomfortable
for you, Father.”
As regards transfer, Mr.
Allibone said, “The
physician makes the
decision on transfer after
he has considered the
viability of the live birth.
He follows his own
judgment on this matter.”
Mr. Allibone further
stated that availability of
beds in other hospitals was
also a consideration to be
evaluated.
Asked about the new
guidelines, Mr. Allibone
stated that a staff meeting
on this matter had been
held on April 21 and a
letter concerning
guidelines had been drawn
up for the Department of
Human Resources. The'
letter would be forwarded
as soon as possible.
Mr. Allibone was asked
to comment on the*
estimation of Mr. Roy that
500 abortions are
performed each month at
Midtown Hospital. The*
administrator declined
comment.
How The Story Broke
When Joe Burton was a State Representative in
the Georgia House, he had a job for Nancy Creger.
“He knew I was involved in the pro-life movement,”
said Nancy, who is a Cathedral of Christ the King
parishioner, “so he asked if I would act as a research
volunteer in the area of abortions and abortion
hospitals. I was glad to do it.”
That was four years ago. And although no longer
working for Burton, Nancy has continued her
research, being especially helpful to the Pro-Life
Office at the Catholic Center.
“A contact, which I got to know at the
Department of Human Resources (DHR), told me
about information they were receiving recently on
live births at the Midtown Hospital,” said Nancy. “I
decided to follow up on it and quickly realized that
a lot of information was available.”
Nancy discovered that information on births was
confidential and not available to the public.
However, public disclosure on deaths was another
matter. “That information is available,” said Nancy.
“Therefore I requested it in writing. The DHR did a
computer run on live births at Midtown. From this
they produced a list of those who died at the
hospital. I knew from a previous investigation that
three deaths took place at Midtown in 1979 so I
requested certificates on those babies who died in
1980, 1981 and 1982. They sent them on to me.”
Nancy Creger’s research brought the 14 death
certificates to the attention of the Georgia Bulletin
and other interested media.
The story was out.
Dr. Chorles Ward:
A 'Pitiful' Commentary
BY THEA JARVIS
Dr. Charles Ward is an
obstetrician and
gynecologist who has
practiced medicine since
1966. A member of St.
Patrick’s Church in
Norcross, Dr. Ward was
contacted by The Georgia
Bulletin and asked to share
his views on the
abortion/live birth issue.
Regarding tests
performed prior to
abortion procedures, like
those used at Midtown
Hospital to determine
gestation, Ward suggests
that such examinations,
particularly the sonagram,
are “fairly accurate.”
After a pregnancy has
progressed to 22 weeks or
beyond, however, Dr.
Ward stated that the
ultrasound method loses
some of its potential for
accuracy in determining
fetal age.
Commenting on the
physician’s responsibility
where a premature birth
has occurred, Ward
stressed the need for “a
method of immediate
ventilation” of the baby’s
lungs, since the
immaturity of vital organs
generally prevents the
newborn from breathing
properly. The need for
oxygen is primary, he
insisted.
Dr. Ward finds the live
birth/abortion dilemma a
“pitiful” commentary on
society’s “appreciation of
and responsibility to the
right of life and the state
of life.”
In his opinion, it is also
a dilemma that will not
easily be solved. “No
matter which way they
perform (abortions)
they’re going to get live
births,” he believes, noting
that increasing the saline
concentration (a common
abortive method) can
endanger the well-being oC
the mother.
The contradictory
nature of the physician’s
role in the abortion
process is clear, Ward
contends: “How the
obstetrician, who spends
four extra years learning,
to safely bring life into the
world, can disregard all his
training and the
Hippocratic oath ... and'
unequivocally and
indiscriminately take life,
has always been a
problem, to my way of
thinking.”
Medical progress and
refinements have made it^
possible to save the
prematurely-born, Dr.
W ard pointed out,
emphasizing thaj^
physicians are “constantly
upgrading their ability and
skills.”
“They totally disregards,
this when they become
abortionists,’’ he
concluded sadly.
"Alternative
„ (Continued from page 1)
County on waiting lists to
adopt children.
Between 7:30 and 9:30
* a.m. last Saturday, a
steady stream of people
arrived, most often a man
and woman together,
* sometimes a woman
accompanied by a
girlfriend. Twice young
couples came with an
* older woman, apparently
the picketers if they stop
moving and”can be accused
of loitering. They, in turn,
watch him to see if he
encourages people to
throw away the
anti-abortion literature
once they are inside the
door.
The Maranatha group
has been seeking help from
other pro-life people and
in the last two weeks has
been joined by a family,
John and Jill Hart,
“As people leave their cars in parking lots
adjacent to the hospital and start up the
walk, they’ll hear someone in the group
shout out, ‘There’s an alternative.’ Another
* may call out statistics on the numbers of
people in Fulton County on waiting lists to
adopt children.”
the mother of one of the
couple.
A lean beanpole of a
teenager, who looks like a
young high school student,
comes up the walk with a
.young woman. Both look
red-rimmed around the
eyes. He takes the
hand-out silently, a look
<pf sorrow and resignation
on his face.
A threesome
approaches, a couple with
*n older woman. She holds
out her arm, warning the
group not to come near
her. Going up the walk,
the young man embraces
the girl, trying to comfort
her.
Inside the glass door, a
Uniformed security guard
keeps nearly constant
watch, ready to reprove
''Live Births"—
(Continued from page 1)
'other death certificates list
“disposal” or “hospital
disposal” in this category;
jtwo state only “other.”
In the view of Thomas
Allibone, “the live birth
problem has been there
^since the beginning” of
abortion medicine and
exists all over, though the
numbers of live births
"have, he claims, decreased
over the years.
“We report (live births).
A lot of people do not,”
-'he said with some pride.
“We don’t try to hide
anything in that respect.”
According to a study
“Allibone himself compiled,
the percentage of live
births occurring at
Midtown between 1979
"'and 1982 was 0.0009% of
the total number of
abortions performed. He
^declined to state how
’ many abortions took place
at the hospital during that
time.
The State Department
of Human Resources,
however, indicates that
Midtown performs an
^average of almost 500
abortions per month
(6,000 per year). The
hospital’s percentage of
members of the First
Baptist Church of Atlanta
who come with two of
their four children. The
previous Saturday, their
first, they saw one young
man change his mind after
talking to the picketers
and go inside and bring a
young woman out.
“The guy went in there
in tears saying, ‘I hope I’m
not too late,’ and he
wasn’t,” John Hart said.
“You can’t blame the
women of this country -
it’s the men who haven’t
stood up,” he continued.
“I think when the men
start standing up for the
life they’ve created and
brought about and stop
putting all the burden on
the women, we’ll start
seeing a change.”
live births must be placed
in the context of actual
numbers to clearly state
the case.
The concern of
M i d town Hospital,
Thomas Allibone insists, is
that of “women having a
choice.’’ Moral
considerations are not the
foundation upon which
services are dispensed at
Midtown, he emphasized.
Despite this, he is aware
that Midtown operates in
the “most complicated
area of abortion
medicine,” the second
trimester of pregnancy.
For this reason, he
stressed, Midtown urges
women who are
contemplating abortion to
“come in early” to prevent
complications.
Those who do come to
Midtown seeking an
abortion - whether early
or late -- undergo some
scrutiny to determine the
gestation period involved.
A menstural history of
the patient is taken and a
physical examination is
conducted. In the case of
pregnancies over 12 weeks,
an ultrasound (sonagram)
test is always pefformed,
Allibone stated
emphatically.
Die? 'I Don't Know' Was The Answer"
He said that he believed
that people have to move
beyond criticizing those
having abortions and
“start helping the people
that have to make these
choices.” Whatever
commitment it takes to
care for the women and
children involved, the
country must make it, he
said. But he termed the 10
million abortions that have
taken place in the last
decade ‘‘a national
disgrace.”
“With a curse like this
in the midst of us, how
can we claim to be a
civilized Christian
nation?” he asked.
He carried his son,
David, one and a half, on
his shoulders in the
morning rain. Four-year-
-old Beth also walked,
holding her mother’s hand
and the family carried a
sign saying “babies are
beautiful.”
“It’s a tragedy,” Hart
said softly as another
group went up the walk
and through the glass
door. The renovated
building’s large front
windows showed a room
gradually filling with
young women seated and
waiting. It was some time
after nine in the morning.
Most were casually well
dressed, wearing the
designer jeans that are the
fashion trademark of the
day.
Abruptly the picketing
came to a halt. An
argument broke out
between one of the
picketers and a passerby
who was on his way to
While the Midtown
Hospital in Atlanta stands
by its own guidelines
regarding patient health
and live birth monitoring,
the laws that govern such
procedures in the State of
Georgia are both brief and
ambiguous.
Article 5 of the Georgia
Code deals with abortion.
Section 16-12-141 refers
to the possibility of a live
birth occurring in the third
trimester of pregnancy and
what should be done if
such should occur:
‘‘No abortion is
authorized or shall be
performed after the
second trimester unless the
physician and two
consulting physicians
certify the abortion is
necessary in their best
clinical judgment to
preserve the life or health
of the woman. If the
product of the abortion is
capable of meaningful or
sustained life, medical aid
then available must be
rendered.”
If meaningful and
sustained life ^occurs
during the second
trimester of pregnancy,
what kind of medical aid
must then be rendered?
work. The young man
erupted over a personal
comment made to him by
the picketer and started
threatening violence. The
security guard came out
and the police were called.
Though the fury
diss ; pated, the police sent
the picketers off for the
day after a police
supervisor quietly
reviewed the ground rules
and assured the picketers
they have the right to
demonstrate if they avoid
‘‘cat calls’’ and
name-calling. The group
broke up, agreeing to
come back next Saturday
morning.
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A DEATH CERTIFICATE from
August 1980 records the death of a
19-week-old following an abortion.
The figure at the upper right shows
that the immature baby lived for
five hours and 55 minutes. The
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other time figure indicates the
amount of time that elapsed from
the beginning of the abortion
procedure. The portion of the
death certificate identifying the
patient is not shown.
IN DR. WARD’S opinion, it is
also a dilemma that will not easily be
solved. “No matter which way they
perform (abortions) they’re going
to get live births,” he believes,
noting that increasing the saline
concentration (a common abortive
method) can endanger the
well-being of the mother.
Abortions
Privacy For Women of All Ages
7-12 Weeks
13-14 Weeks
15-16 Weeks
17-18 Weeks
19-24 Weeks
$175
$250
$450
$650
$850
MIDTOWN HOSPITAL
advertises its ranking as Georgia’s
“only licensed hospital specializing
in abortions,” showing in its
classified ads a fee scale for
^Knfknnc nprfnrmpH throilffh the
Georgia Code Section 16-12-141
covering abortions specifies only
that special measures must be taken
during the third trimester of
pregnancy in regard to the possible
pimriirnl r\f thhOnV