Toledo abortion clinic granted new license
the clinic arranged such an agreement with ProMedica Toledo Hospital, and the department has now granted a new license. The clinic stopped performing surgical abortions in the interim in the absence of a valid ambulatory surgical facility license but continued to perform medication-assisted abortions.
“Today, we’re proud to see (Toledo) again has abortion care provided by a terrific team at Capital Care Network,” said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. “Toledo is a place that people travel to for excellent medical care, and this abortion clinic is a valuable part of those services.”
Capital Care had a transfer agreement in place with the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio, but the school notified it after several years that it would not renew the deal. Later state law prohibited publicly funded hospitals from entering into such an arrangement.
The clinic’s owner, Terrie Hubbard, struggled to find a hospital willing to take UTMC’s place and went without a deal for several months.
“The health department has set a dangerous precedent that we fear will continue to put women and their children in harm’s way,” said Michael Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life.
An administrative hearing is scheduled for June 27 on the clinic’s challenge to a fine levied by the department for alleged violations stemming from a surprise license inspection of the facility last year.
The clinic was accused of failing to follow its own internal procedures for the transfer of a patient to Toledo Hospital for an ultrasound after suspected complications following an abortion.
“John Kasich and Mike DeWine have bent over backwards to block women from having access to safe and legal abortion care,” Copeland said.
She referred to the current governor who signed laws mandating the transfer agreements and the attorney general and Republican nominee for governor whose office appealed the decisions that led to the Supreme Court ruling in the state’s favor.