The region's sole abortion clinic, which has been shut down by order of the state since Sept. 30, believes its suspension was unwarranted, lacked factual basis and violated the constitutional rights of the clinic and its patients.
According to the Northern Illinois Women's Center's Oct. 28 answer to the suspension, the clinic disagrees that it posed any direct threat to the public interest, health, safety and welfare.
The Illinois Department of Public Health cited the Northern Illinois Women's Center, 1400 Broadway, for several health and safety violations in June and September.
According to records from the state, most of the violations observed in a June inspection report were corrected later that month. But some violations — such as not having a registered nurse in the operating room and directing patient care — remained, and new ones — like doctors not having surgical privileges with a licensed Illinois hospital and not having a written agreement with a local laboratory — were noted when the state reinspected the clinic in September.
In the clinic's answer, the clinic states the necessity of a registered nurse for certain procedures is not apparent, that it has an agreement with a Rockford physician with admitting privileges at a Rockford hospital if the need arises and that there is no evidence that the clinic's failures in these areas threatened the health, safety or welfare of its patients.
At a hearing last month, attorneys for the clinic and state said they were reaching a settlement in the case. The attorneys will return to court Monday morning.
Resolution could range from revocation of the clinic's license to allowing the clinic to reopen. The Northern Illinois Women's Center first opened in 1974.
Contact: Corina Curry
Source: Rockford Star
