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Maryland sanctions three abortion doctors


BALTIMORE (BP)–The state of Maryland has intervened against three abortion doctors after an investigation into a clinic resulted in the discovery of the bodies of or parts of 35 late-term unborn children.

The Maryland Board of Physicians took the following actions, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer Sept. 3:

— Ordered Steve Brigham, who is unlicensed to practice medicine in the state, to stop performing abortions in Maryland. Brigham operates 15 abortion clinics in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

— Suspended the license of George Shepard Jr., charging him with unprofessional conduct and with aiding Brigham in defying credentialing mandates. Shepard is a part-time medical director of Brigham’s Maryland clinics.

— Suspended the license of Nicola Riley, who received her license less than two months before. Riley has been traveling from Utah to Maryland every other week to perform abortions.

Elkton, Md., police launched an investigation into Brigham’s clinic in their town after a woman who was injured during an abortion there filed a complaint, according to The Inquirer. Riley sliced the vagina and bowel of the woman, 18 years of age and 21 weeks pregnant, during the Aug. 13 procedure. She declined to call an ambulance.

Instead, Brigham and Riley took the woman to a hospital emergency room. The woman’s injuries required that she be flown by helicopter to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Meanwhile, Riley returned to the Elkton clinic to perform another abortion.

An Aug. 17 police raid of the Elkton clinic uncovered frozen aborted babies as much as 36 weeks gestation.

Police also raided Brigham’s clinic in Voorhees, N.J., which is near Philadelphia. For years, Brigham has been starting abortion procedures in the Voorhees clinic and sending women to one of his clinics in another state to complete them, The Inquirer reported. New Jersey bars his clinics in that state from providing abortions after 14 weeks because they fail its safety standards.

Brigham has a long history of run-ins with state authorities, according to the newspaper. He has surrendered his medical license or had it rescinded or temporarily suspended in five states during the last 18 years. In July, the Pennsylvania Department of Health canceled approval for him to own clinics in the state because of his repeated use of unlicensed health care providers.

“Traditional means of discipline simply don’t work with this guy,” Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue said. “He has found that he can get away with just about anything without much more than a slap on the wrist. The only way to protect women from Brigham’s predatory and unsafe abortion business is to criminally charge him and order all his mills closed.”
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Compiled by Baptist Press Washington bureau chief Tom Strode.

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