Testimony: Abortion clinic likely to close if law enforced
Source: Associated Press
Testimony: Abortion clinic likely to close if law enforced
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press | June 22, 2015 | Updated: June 22, 2015 12:56pm
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The administrator of a northwest Louisiana abortion clinic testified Monday that it probably would close if the state is allowed to enforce a law requiring doctors who perform the procedure to be able to admit patients to a hospital within 30 miles of their clinics.
Kathaleen Pittman, of Hope Medical Group in Shreveport, testified that the doctor who does 70 percent of the abortions there has not been able to get admitting privileges to nearby hospitals. The other doctor, who does have admitting privileges, probably would be unwilling to continue as the only physician on staff, Pittman said.
She said both doctors have agreements with local hospitals to take patients from Hope in emergencies. She also testified that most patients live closer to hospitals outside Shreveport and would go to those hospitals if they had an emergency after returning home.
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Clinic doctors will testify with a screen hiding them from spectators. The doctors sued anonymously, as "John Does," and a court order has made virtually all information about the clinics confidential. That includes any details about the clinics' staff, physicians and patients.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/John-Doe-doctors-to-testify-behind-screen-in-6341306.php
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