State: Inspection breakdown didn't threaten patients, Abortion clinic unchecked for 5 years

The state Health Department failed to inspect New Jersey's largest licensed abortion clinic for five years, despite the department's own rules that require visits every other year. The extended lull ended abruptly last month, after a Newark hospital filed a complaint about a clinic patient who appeared in the emergency room, hemorrhaging badly. She eventually fell into a four-week coma. State officials followed up with a series of inspections that led them to shut down the Englewood clinic on Feb. 23, citing violations that posed "immediate and serious risk of harm to patients."

The clinic, Metropolitan Medical Associates, has worked fiercely to remedy all deficiencies, its attorney said. The state Health Department announced Wednesday it is satisfied with the facility's plan of correction. The center will reopen Friday. Health officials say they'll be on site that day, and will subsequently make several unannounced inspections.

Fast facts

Bergen Regional Medical Center LP's lawsuit alleges:

• Democratic officials are illegally meddling in the operation of the hospital because hospital executives failed to contribute to the campaigns of Democratic candidates last year.

• County officials illegally blocked the appointment of an interim CEO for the hospital.

• The county interfered in the hospital's contract negotiations with a nurse's union.

* * *

Drop-off in health department visits

Despite state regulations that call for inspections at least every other year, an Englewood abortion clinic, Metropolitan Medical, went five years without a state visit. That ended last month, after a hospital lodged a complaint about the medical care of a clinic patient who had lapsed into a coma.

Indicates year inspection took place

The frequent appearances will contrast sharply with the state's absence the past five years. Even though state health officials never showed up, they nonetheless twice charged the Englewood facility $1,000 for "inspection fees," which the clinic paid. In each case, its license was renewed. The state's lapses were revealed in documents The Record obtained under the state's Open Public Records Act. The records indicate that the department inspected the clinic nearly every year from 1990 though 1996. It did not show up again until 2000, and once more in 2002.

Health Department authorities acknowledged Wednesday that the agency has fallen short of its own standards, but insist the gap did not compromise patient health. "We have other tools," department spokesman Tom Slater said. "The Patient Safety Act encourages facilities to report their errors to us. ... And we also investigate each and every complaint made to us, whether by a patient or a health care provider.

"Even if you inspect every year, once you leave, there are things that could go on that we would not know about until we return the next year." As for why the state charges for inspections it doesn't do, Slater said: "The inspection fees are not solely for the biennial inspection surveys. They are also collected for any potential visits, in case of complaints." Slater said that although the department seeks to meet its biennial requirement, it can't because inspectors are in such short supply. The number of acute-care facilities the agency is required to inspect has swelled 69 percent between 2000 and today, while the number of inspectors increased by only 15 percent.

"We've been dealing with a rapid turnover of inspectors, most of whom are nurses who have their pick of jobs," Slater said. "There's a nationwide nursing shortage." He added that the department is considering revamping its biennial inspection procedures to prioritize items most essential to patient safety, thereby reducing the amount of time each inspection takes. Over the last year, the department has begun to cross-train staff, so more employees can do inspections, Slater said.

Metropolitan Medical's attorney, Frank Capece, declined to speculate on whether more frequent inspections would have prevented the problems that led to the clinic's closure. "I think inspections should take place but it's not our place to tell the Department of Health how to do its job," Capece said. "Be it not I to defend the Department of Health, but sometimes economics don't keep up with policy. It costs to hire new inspectors."

Owners of Metropolitan Medical, which performs more than 10,000 abortions per year, were pleased that the four-week closure will soon be behind them. "They did a soup-to-nuts review of every facet of the facility," Capece said. "There is a silver lining to this cloud, a very expensive silver lining: Any patient who goes to the clinic can now go with a high degree of confidence that the facility meets an exceptionally high standard for patient care. We passed the most rigorous state inspection possible."

Finally, it made front-page news. Not because the "clinic" performs abortions and not because a young woman lapsed into a coma, it made the front page because the state failed to make the necessary inspections and actually charged $1,000 for inspection fees. Nor did they mention the names of the "owners", public record in tax office and on corporate papers, notice how they conveniently left that information out. And nothing about the past malpractice lawsuits and judgments, civil court with docket, public record, against 2 of the butchers who botched their work.

State shuts abortion clinic over health risks

Antiabortion groups join fight in Englewood case

Filthy conditions cited at abortion clinic

Abortion foes plan to go high-tech outside Englewood clinic

Abortion clinic won't be sanctioned

1 posted on 03/22/2007 4:03:33 PM PDT by Coleus

To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...

2 posted on 03/22/2007 4:05:59 PM PDT by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, insects)

Owners of Metropolitan Medical, which performs more than 10,000 abortions per year, were pleased that the four-week closure will soon be behind them. "They did a soup-to-nuts review of every facet of the facility," Capece (the abortionists' lawyer) said. "There is a silver lining to this cloud, a very expensive silver lining: Any patient who goes to the clinic can now go with a high degree of confidence that the facility meets an exceptionally high standard for patient care. We passed the most rigorous state inspection possible."

Wow, impressive even for a liar for hire!!

Closure of a facility for gross filth, patient neglect, and for the public safety is exceedingly rare in New Jersey. This butcher shop is the only medical facility in the history of New Jersey to be closed TWICE (first in 1993)!!

3 posted on 03/22/2007 4:17:41 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember

State officials followed up with a series of inspections that led them to shut down the Englewood clinic on Feb. 23, citing violations that posed "immediate and serious risk of harm to patients."

Yeah, the mortality rate climbed to *over* 50 percent instead of staying at the 'acceptable' default level of 50 percent.

4 posted on 03/22/2007 4:57:38 PM PDT by Terriergal ("I am ashamed that women are so simple To offer war where they should kneel for peace," Shakespeare)

Pray to close these places down. It works!

5 posted on 03/22/2007 5:23:52 PM PDT by Salvation (?With God all things are possible.?)

6 posted on 03/22/2007 5:25:22 PM PDT by Salvation (?With God all things are possible.?)

To: FormerACLUmember

don't forget: "safe", legal and rare.

7 posted on 03/22/2007 6:32:55 PM PDT by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, insects)

To: Terriergal; Coleus

Abortion: The only medical procedure where 50% or more of the patients are murdered. I believe Dr. Mengele had a lower rate of mortality in his "treatments."

8 posted on 03/23/2007 12:56:02 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember

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