Update on Last Week's Iowa Board Hearing on Telemed Abortions
The article mostly speaks for itself. I do know that Steve Brody of DBQ Co Right to Life was a part of the group there. A week & 2 days before the meeting the website petition had about 200 signatures. During the time I was the office talking to Steve he kept getting pings that meant another signature.
I can speak personally about that letter that is mentioned by Troy newman in the last paragraph of the article. I sent an e-mail to the Iowa Attorney General's office in support of the audit. As I shared in a post, the next day I got what I would call a response that was an insult to my intelligence. So I responded to their response on 23 July. I finally got a response back from Chief of Staff Eric J. Tabor on 16 Aug that included a copy of the letter. All Tabor said to me was "Mr. Troupe: Please find attached our response to Operation Rescue concerning the issues you raise in your email." That was it. No apology for how I was treated. But then by that point I was surprized they even bothered to respond. The letter was in response to 3 different letters from Operation Rescue & Troy Newmen from 22 June to 19 July & was dated 12 August. & yes, it does sound like something a PP lawyer would write. (&, if I may put in a political comment, why Miller needs to be kicked out of office in November & replace her with Brenna Findley.)
Finally, I was a bit shocked to see Jill June of PPH get something right in an article in the Mason City Globe Gazette (Anti-abortion groups fight prescriptions for pill abortions). She said: "Our opponents oppose abortion by any and all means and so they are attacking the delivery of medication abortion by use of telemedicine because they oppose abortion, not because they oppose telemedicine." She got it right, we are totally opposed to abortion, not telemedicine. Given the way the usually demonize us, I am surprized she even granted us this concession. Maybe she sees the writing on the wall, that Telemed abortions ARE illegal under Iowa law?
Now it is a matter of waiting for a ruling. I can honestly say I already know what the vote of 1 civilian member of the Iowa Board of Medicine will be, he will support PP 1000%. & that is because he is big in DBQ area Democratic circles. (& even though I could add more, DBQ Co Recorder connection, I will leave it at that.)
Pro-Life Leaders Vow to Fight Iowa 'Telemed' Abortions
By Kathleen Gilbert
DES MOINES, Iowa, August 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A coalition of pro-life leaders on Friday delivered a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine asking that it investigate a scheme allowing doctors to distribute the risky RU-486 abortion drug without being present to the patient, known as "telemed" abortions.
The scheme, which Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has implemented since June 2008, allows doctors to prescribe the abortion pills via a remote-control system to women in remote areas who visit an office with an unlicensed assistant.
In their letter to the Board, 57 local and national pro-life leaders point out that the scheme conflicts with Iowa law requiring a physician to perform abortions, and with Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocol recommending that the drug be distributed. "The absence of a licensed physician performing a physical examination poses a significant health threat to the mother of the unborn child," they write. "An examination could reveal potential risk factors that may prevent a physician from prescribing RU-486 to the patient. These risk factors, if unidentified, could lead to excessive bleeding, infection, and death.
"Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is ignoring this basic tenet of care by passing responsibility and directing patients to the emergency room if complications do occur."
Several groups in the coalition, led by Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Iowans for L.I.F.E. (Life Is For Everyone), denounced the scheme in a press conference Friday, the same day the Board invited comment on the topic.
DeWitte told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) she was hopeful that the board would research the scheme and "come to the conclusion that this is not what Iowa needs, this is not safe for women or for our families, and decide to put a stop to it."
"We're going to continue to put the pressure on [and] go forward with what we know is happening, and make sure they are aware of it," she added.
Rep. Steve King, a U.S. Congressman from Iowa, also submitted a letter to the Board expressing concern over the "unlawful and dangerous practice" of telemed abortions. King released his letter on Friday, the same day the Iowa Board of Medicine took public comment on the telemed abortion practice.
The Thomas More Society also submitted a letter pointing out that "the regimen established by the FDA and the manufacturer of RU-486 (Danco Laboratories) make it crystal clear that [the abortion drugs] are to be ingested in the presence of the physician who has administered them."
Approximately 30 people came to speak at the Board hearing on the topic; however, the Board only allowed seven people to comment. They gave the seven speakers a total of ten minutes for their combined remarks. All speakers expressed opposition to telemed abortions.
Speakers included former Iowa Health Commissioner Norm Pawlewski, who now heads Iowa Christian Alliance, Attorney Tom Brecha of the Thomas More Society in Chicago, IL, Maggie Dewitte of Iowans for Life, Jennifer Bowden of Iowa Right to Life, Monsignor Frank Bognanno of Christ the King Parish in Des Moines, Registered Nurse Michelle Locher, and Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue, who filed the original complaint with the IBM.
During the press conference, Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue announced that her group had filed complaints demanding criminal investigations of allegedly illegal telemed abortions in ten Iowa counties and has re-filed a request for a state audit with the State Auditor and the Iowa Insurance Commission.
“We received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General ‘s office that sounded more like a letter from a Planned Parenthood attorney than from someone who is sworn to uphold the laws of the State of Iowa," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Because is it now clear that Mr. Miller is acting as an apologist for Planned Parenthood and an obstructionist in the process of enforcing Iowa law, we will bypass his office and go to the local authorities."
DES MOINES, Iowa, August 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A coalition of pro-life leaders on Friday delivered a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine asking that it investigate a scheme allowing doctors to distribute the risky RU-486 abortion drug without being present to the patient, known as "telemed" abortions.
The scheme, which Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has implemented since June 2008, allows doctors to prescribe the abortion pills via a remote-control system to women in remote areas who visit an office with an unlicensed assistant.
In their letter to the Board, 57 local and national pro-life leaders point out that the scheme conflicts with Iowa law requiring a physician to perform abortions, and with Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocol recommending that the drug be distributed. "The absence of a licensed physician performing a physical examination poses a significant health threat to the mother of the unborn child," they write. "An examination could reveal potential risk factors that may prevent a physician from prescribing RU-486 to the patient. These risk factors, if unidentified, could lead to excessive bleeding, infection, and death.
"Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is ignoring this basic tenet of care by passing responsibility and directing patients to the emergency room if complications do occur."
Several groups in the coalition, led by Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Iowans for L.I.F.E. (Life Is For Everyone), denounced the scheme in a press conference Friday, the same day the Board invited comment on the topic.
DeWitte told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) she was hopeful that the board would research the scheme and "come to the conclusion that this is not what Iowa needs, this is not safe for women or for our families, and decide to put a stop to it."
"We're going to continue to put the pressure on [and] go forward with what we know is happening, and make sure they are aware of it," she added.
Rep. Steve King, a U.S. Congressman from Iowa, also submitted a letter to the Board expressing concern over the "unlawful and dangerous practice" of telemed abortions. King released his letter on Friday, the same day the Iowa Board of Medicine took public comment on the telemed abortion practice.
The Thomas More Society also submitted a letter pointing out that "the regimen established by the FDA and the manufacturer of RU-486 (Danco Laboratories) make it crystal clear that [the abortion drugs] are to be ingested in the presence of the physician who has administered them."
Approximately 30 people came to speak at the Board hearing on the topic; however, the Board only allowed seven people to comment. They gave the seven speakers a total of ten minutes for their combined remarks. All speakers expressed opposition to telemed abortions.
Speakers included former Iowa Health Commissioner Norm Pawlewski, who now heads Iowa Christian Alliance, Attorney Tom Brecha of the Thomas More Society in Chicago, IL, Maggie Dewitte of Iowans for Life, Jennifer Bowden of Iowa Right to Life, Monsignor Frank Bognanno of Christ the King Parish in Des Moines, Registered Nurse Michelle Locher, and Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue, who filed the original complaint with the IBM.
During the press conference, Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue announced that her group had filed complaints demanding criminal investigations of allegedly illegal telemed abortions in ten Iowa counties and has re-filed a request for a state audit with the State Auditor and the Iowa Insurance Commission.
“We received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General ‘s office that sounded more like a letter from a Planned Parenthood attorney than from someone who is sworn to uphold the laws of the State of Iowa," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Because is it now clear that Mr. Miller is acting as an apologist for Planned Parenthood and an obstructionist in the process of enforcing Iowa law, we will bypass his office and go to the local authorities."
Other coverage: Why TeleMed abortions should be halted
Labels: Planned Parenthood, Telemed Abortions
posted by Al @ 1:08 AM
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