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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. /rrrTTTsrrsr f ftlMO** i *«• IWUM “'""I r, , iUW>."j«vou».^uu " ~ 8/16/80 _ HotptUl MlpOUl rrziirtiWi ' I**** **o• ^.6 AtWntH ■ GA . Wl M/MSTIPT Jky-—m -—lu—m. i;: ‘ ..-'I,!?'""* Mr- !Z* -rararssTr- ,kja ;n:-r-rT ^ —L——^ !lCV*. HACt Of t mm M '«*■"» kOCAOO*! ,|M> • ' P *■» )*•> »*• '*■ fi/A 'LH UUL, l-r — 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 i|( '1——-^ 11. uitMMO.aa am >■»> jjl Brnoukuiitiu.k /•- 4 Pone* 0* Leon Am., AtlpnU, 8A 30306 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