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Fairfax abortion clinic’s license suspended by Virginia health department
Fairfax abortion clinic’s license suspended by Virginia health department
By Jenna Portnoy
April 26 at 6:45 PM
RICHMOND — Virginia has temporarily suspended the license of a Fairfax abortion clinic whose owner has a decades-long record of violations and criminal charges stemming from substandard care in multiple states.
The state Department of Health found 26 deficiencies at the Virginia Health Group on Arlington Boulevard during a two-day inspection this month and immediately suspended the clinic’s operating license. ... Inspectors observed dirty equipment, expired medication in unlocked cabinets, lax storage of medical records and a failure of staff to sterilize and maintain medical equipment and follow hand-washing protocols, according to a 52-page report.
In one case, a patient had to be rushed to a local emergency room for prolonged bleeding after sutures were not available at the clinic, the report says. In another, a nurse used a plunger to unstop a toilet and then held a patient’s hand during a surgical procedure without changing scrubs, according to the report.
The clinic is registered to Steven Chase Brigham, according to state records. It is one of 14 facilities in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey listed on the website of corporate parent American Women’s Services. Attempts to reach Brigham were unsuccessful.
By Jenna Portnoy
April 26 at 6:45 PM
RICHMOND — Virginia has temporarily suspended the license of a Fairfax abortion clinic whose owner has a decades-long record of violations and criminal charges stemming from substandard care in multiple states.
The state Department of Health found 26 deficiencies at the Virginia Health Group on Arlington Boulevard during a two-day inspection this month and immediately suspended the clinic’s operating license. ... Inspectors observed dirty equipment, expired medication in unlocked cabinets, lax storage of medical records and a failure of staff to sterilize and maintain medical equipment and follow hand-washing protocols, according to a 52-page report.
In one case, a patient had to be rushed to a local emergency room for prolonged bleeding after sutures were not available at the clinic, the report says. In another, a nurse used a plunger to unstop a toilet and then held a patient’s hand during a surgical procedure without changing scrubs, according to the report.
The clinic is registered to Steven Chase Brigham, according to state records. It is one of 14 facilities in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey listed on the website of corporate parent American Women’s Services. Attempts to reach Brigham were unsuccessful.
