Unregulated Abortion Clinics in Washington

If the State didn't regulate your doctor's office or hospital in areas of cleanliness, procedures and staff capabilities, you'd have reason to be alarmed.

Yet abortion clinics aren't regulated by the Washington State Department of Health.  Doesn't sound too far from "back alley" days, does it?

In an email to the Department of Health last month, I asked them to tell me:

• how abortion clinics are regulated,
• must they meet the same cleanliness and safety standards as other medical facilities,
• are they required to provide information about abortion alternatives, and
• the process for filing a complaint about an abortion clinic (and how can the public track these complaints).

This was the very polite and prompt reply I received from Debbie Puryear-Tainer, Department of Health Office of Customer Service, Health Systems Quality Assurance:

Good afternoon Ramona,

We do not license or regulate abortion clinics in Washington State.

However, we do license and regulate the providers who practice in

abortion clinics.  These clinics do not have any safety or cleanliness

standards, because the clinic itself is not regulated.

If you have a complaint or concern about a provider, you can file a

complaint on our web site.  I have attached a link for your convenience.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/Complaint.htm

You can check a license by using our Provider Credential Search web

page.  You can access the site by clicking the link below.  Once you

open the link, go to the Section 2 - Search by Individual's Name.  Do

not put anything in the 'Credential Type'.  Put the person's name in the

'Name' box.  Click 'Search'.  Next, click on the license number (left

side of screen). This will give you additional information on the

individual  

Link:

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/providercredentialsearch/SearchCriteria.aspx

What makes this more outrageous? Pro-abortion forces want to regulate facilities that merely provide information about a woman's pregnancy and all of her choices.  

The worst they are trying to allege about pregnancy centers?

A woman might be inconvenienced.

The worst that can be said about the glaring lack of rules for abortion clinics? 

A woman might be killed.

Get active.  Let's stop unfair legislation from going any further.  See my info page for contacts & facts.