Tiller

Board Sets Hearing Date For Tiller Associate In Illegal Late-Term Abortion Referral Case

July 28, 2010 By Operation Rescue 1 Comment

Links to news coverage, video of this story below

Topeka, KS – The Kansas Board of Healing Arts set a hearing date yesterday in the case of abortionist Ann Kristin Neuhaus, who signed off on late-term abortions for George Tiller at his infamous clinic in Wichita, Kansas. The Board has charged Neuhaus with a range of violations, including failure to provide adequate patient evaluations and shoddy record-keeping for eleven patients who received post-viability abortions by Tiller in 2003.

Neuhaus will face an evidentiary hearing before the Board on January 11, 2011. While Neuhaus faces no criminal charges, Board discipline could include license suspension or revocation.

Kansas law bans abortions after viability, or 22 weeks, unless continuation of the pregnancy endangers the life or presents “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” of the woman. This law has been interpreted to include mental health exceptions, as long as the condition meets the standard of “substantial and irreversible” impairment to the woman’s mental health. A second referring physician must concur that the abortions meet the strict exceptions in the law.

Between July 22 and November 18, 2003, the dates for the abortions of the eleven patients listed in the Board’s disciplinary petition, Neuhaus was the only person who provided those referrals. Each referral was based on mental health exceptions.

The eleven records contained one diagnosis of “Anxiety Disorder,” three diagnoses of “Acute Stress Disorder,” six instances of “Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode.” One 13-year old patient who was 25 weeks pregnant had no specific psychiatric diagnosis listed to justify her exception to the Kansas law banning post-viability abortions.

None of those abortions met the standard of “substantial and irreversible” mental health impairments, according to Dr. Paul McHugh, a highly respected expert in psychiatry with Johns Hopkins University Hospital who reviewed the abortion records and submitted an affidavit on his findings at the request of then-Attorney General Phill Kline, whose office was investigating abortion abuses. McHugh later stated in an interview that it was his opinion that information in the records was inadequate to come to any psychiatric diagnosis, and that he could see no case among the files he examined in which a late-term abortion could be justified under Kansas law on psychiatric grounds. (Watch the McHugh Interview)

Since the abortions did not meet the legal standard of presenting “substantial and irreversible” mental health risks, it would have been illegal and unethical for Neuhaus to sign off on them.

“The Board must consider the severity of rubber stamping abortions on viable babies that the laws were designed to protect. It is tantamount to signing a death warrant for these babies that could survive, if birthed. The fact that she did so in such a negligent way makes the needless deaths of these babies even more unconscionable,” said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger, who filed the complaint with the Board that resulted in the disciplinary petition against Neuhaus.

While Tiller’s clinic is now closed and Neuhaus appears to be taking a professional hiatus, Operation Rescue has no doubt that under the right circumstances, Neuhaus will go back to the abortion business in some capacity if she is allowed to keep her medical license. That would present an unacceptable danger to the public.

“The Board has disciplined Neuhaus twice before with half-measures that have failed to persuade her to amend her ways. Her attitude has remained one of defiance. The only thing that will stop her from further victimizing women and babies is full license revocation. We pray that the Board will agree to do that at the January hearing,” said Sullenger.

Read previous story with links to documents
Read AP Story by Roxana Hegeman
Read Story on LifeNews.com
Read Story on LifeSiteNews.com
Story at onenewsnow.com (American Family News)
Watch news coverage from KWCH in Wichita, Kansas:

Filed Under: Tiller Story Archive Tagged With: abortion, illegal abortions, late-term abortions, Neuhaus, Tiller

Political Climate Puts Tiller Trial In Spotlight As National Leaders Gather In Wichita For Prayer

March 6, 2009 By Operation Rescue 2 Comments

Wichita, KS – Operation Rescue and the Christian Defense Coalition have invited national pro-life leaders and their supporters to come to Wichita during the criminal trial of late-term abortionist George R. Tiller to pray for justice.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, will help lead prayer events at the court and will hold prayer rallies each night beginning on March 16, and continuing for as long as the trial lasts. Tiller has been charged with 19 counts of illegal late-term abortions. His trial is expected to last for two weeks.

Rev. Mahoney helped organize and lead the 1991 Summer of Mercy abortion protests, and believes that this trial may be the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice on the part of the pro-life movement.

“If convicted, it is possible that Tiller could be out of business within 30 days,” said Rev. Mahoney. “We encourage everyone who can to come to Wichita and join us in prayer that Tiller will finally be brought to justice.”

Tiller’s attorneys have already promised to appeal any conviction, but that would not prevent the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts from using the conviction to implement discipline on the numerous open complaints that are now pending against Tiller and his abortion staff.

“We believe that circumstances have been orchestrated by the Hand of God to make this trial of critical importance, especially with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, one of Tiller’s political cronies, seeking confirmation to the Obama cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.

“The eyes of the nation will be focused on this, and it will give us a prime opportunity to draw attention to the plight of the pre-born and the political corruption that has enabled Tiller’s horrific late-term abortion racket to continue.”

Leaders from pro-life groups around the nation are expected to join Rev. Mahoney and Newman in Wichita during the Tiller trial.

A schedule of events and list of dignitaries who are expected to attend will be announced next week.

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: abortion, Christian Defense Coalition, illegal abortion, Operation Rescue, Rev. Pat Mahoney, Sebelius, Tiller, Troy Newman

Not Adding Up: Gov. Sebelius’ Ever-Changing Story About Her Dinner With Abortionist George Tiller And His Abortion Clinic Staff Leaves Ethical Questions

June 6, 2008 By Operation Rescue 4 Comments

Every attendee of Sebelius’ dinner party for late-term abortionist George R. Tiller and his abortion clinic staff are identified.

By Cheryl Sullenger
Updated on April 11, 2009

When we take a closer look at Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ ever-changing story about a party for late-term abortionist George R. Tiller that she hosted at Cedar Crest in April, 2007, her account just doesn’t add up. If the governor isn’t telling the truth – and we believe the available evidence supports that she is not – then we are left with some very serious ethical questions about the integrity of the Governor’s office.

Operation Rescue obtains photographs

Operation Rescue first obtained news of the dinner and photos documenting the event from a source that was present at the dinner. While Sebelius entertained Tiller and the entire staff of his abortion clinic, Women’s Health Care Services, TIller was under criminal investigation by the Attorney General’s office, which led to the filing of 19 criminal charges against him for committing illegal late term abortions. Also at that time, the Legislature was considering a resolution forcing the Attorney General to charge Tiller, amid intense public pressure.

Kansas Open Records Demands

An OR staff member placed a Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) demand for information about entertainment expenditures at the governor’s official residence, Cedar Crest, on April 29, 2008.

On May 9, 2008, the Associated Press also filed its own KORA demand for information about the Tiller dinner.

After nearly a month of almost daily excuses for not producing the requested information, JyLynn Copp, the Governor’s Chief Counsel, finally produced documents to Operation Rescue. Those documents contained no mention of Tiller or his abortion clinic, Women’s Health Care Services, in a list of events that included an entry for April 9, 2007, with the notation “Women’s Political Caucus Auction Reception (reimbursement by the greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus).” When the Associated Press received documentation of the same event, that notation was missing.

However, receipts for the dinner clearly showed that the bill was paid for by the State of Kansas. There was no documentation to substantiate the claims that the dinner expenses had been reimbursed.
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