By Cheryl Sullenger

Chicago, IL – An ambulance responded to a medical emergency at American Women’s Center, a Chicago, Illinois, abortion facility, involving a 28-year old woman who had just completed a surgical abortion and suffered from low blood pressure.

An emergency 911 recording provided to Operation Rescue by the Pro-Life Action League revealed a few more details.

“Hi this is [redacted] from American Woman’s.  I need ambulance to transfer the patient,” the caller said with a thick foreign accent.  “The patient had a surgery today and her blood pressure’s on the low side – yeah, low blood pressures are like 90s.”

There are a number of things that may have contributed to the drop in blood pressure, including hemorrhaging, which is one of the most common abortion complications that result in patient hospitalization.

A quick look disciplinary records and failed inspection reports from American Women’s Center shows it is no wonder that this abortion facility would also have abortion injuries, especially in light of the fact that one of its two abortionists was responsible for an abortion-related patient death in 2009.

The American Women’s Center is a seedy-looking tan stucco building guarded by a chain-link fence and located next to muffler shop on North Western Avenue.  It conducts an average of 64 abortion procedures per month – down from an average in 2017 of 90 abortions per month.

This abortion facility has run afoul of regulators.

In June 2019, American Women’s Center, going under the name “Western Diversey Surgical Center,” failed an inspection and was cited for the following deficiencies:

  • Failure to conduct required reviews of the quality assessment and performance program, infection control program, patient’s rights plan, disaster preparedness plan, granting of privileges, and the quality of the surgical procedures performed.
  • Failure of one male physician to ensure that personal clothing is not exposed in the operating room, which is an infection control violation.
  • Failure to conduct required tests on the sterilizer (autoclave) to ensure it was properly sterilizing equipment.
  • Failure to engage in proper hand hygiene.

According to attendance logs submitted with the abortion facility’s plan of correction, there are only two physicians who work at American Women’s Center.

Daniel Ur is an anesthesiologist who also serves as the clinic’s medical director.

The other licensed physician is Josephine Kamper, who has been sued for malpractice and disciplined twice by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

According to a lawsuit filed by her family, Antonesha Ross had an abortion in her fourteenth week of pregnancy by Kamper at another abortion facility where Kamper worked.  Anesthesia was provided by a certified Nurse Practitioner.  During the procedure, Ross’ oxygen levels dropped and she began to cough up blood through her mouth and nose.  Kamper provided Ross with a bag for her to breath into, but never tried to open her airways or provide adequate oxygenation. 

Ross suffered respiratory and cardiac arrest.  Kamper was accused of not properly resuscitating Ross, who was later pronounced dead.

The lawsuit was eventually settled for an undisclosed monetary sum to be paid to Ross’ two surviving children.

In 2011, Kamper entered into a consent agreement with the IDFPR, which accused her of failing to evaluate Ross for anesthesia prior to her abortion and failure to discuss appropriate anesthesia with the Certified Nurse Practitioner who anesthetized Ross.  She was placed on probation for two years, ordered to work under physician who could monitor her practice, and told to take continuing education classes.

In 2016, Kamper was again disciplined by the IDFPR for aiding and abetting the unlicensed practice of medicine.  Kamper denied the allegations, but entered into a consent agreement and paid a fine of $10,000 rather than face possible license revocation at a contested disciplinary hearing.

“Facts surrounding the American Women’s Center are troubling, to say the least.  This abortion clinic has repeated failed inspection reports and an abortionist who has already killed one woman, and now the facility has injured another,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.  “Women need to understand that if they walk into this abortion clinic, they may leave on an ambulance gurney – or worse.”

To learn more about medical emergencies at abortion facilities around the nation and about abortion-related maternal deaths, visit Abortion911.com.