Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health: Difference between revisions

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Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health (CRASH), at the time the largest freestanding abortion clinic in the world, opened in New York City after New York legalized abortion in 1970. It was run by Bernard Nathanson. Nathanson described his successful efforts to keep CRASH from being shut down by the state in his book, Aborting America.

However, in 1988 CRASH was closed by the New York Health department stemming from a patient death and licensing issues.^{[citation needed]}

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 '''Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health''' (CRASH), at the time the largest freestanding [[abortion clinic]] in the world, opened in [[New York City]] after [[New York]] legalized [[abortion]] in 1970. It was run by [[Bernard Nathanson]]. Nathanson described his successful efforts to keep CRASH from being shut down by the state in his book, ''[[Aborting America]]''.
+However, in 1988 CRASH was closed by the New York Health department stemming from a patient death and licensing issues.{{fact}}
-The problems Nathanson had corrected, however, resurfaced over a decade later.  On August 10, 1988, a 19-year-old patient identified as "K.B." was given anesthesia for a 14-week abortion. Shortly after the procedure, she showed signs of distress, but emergency measures were not instituted for almost an hour. K.B. was transported to Cabrini Medical Center where she was pronounced dead from complications of anesthesia.
-After K.B.'s death, the health department investigated and found a mystery: K.B.'s chart listed her post-operative condition as "pink, responsive, alert," even though she had gone into full cardio-respiratory arrest by the time indicated on the assessment. Investigators eventually learned that the note had been entered into the chart before the abortion was even performed.
-The inspectors noted that CRASH "did not employ proper monitoring equipment or procedures," "had no working EKG machine," and didn't have a cardiac defibrillator. They noted that no one on staff was qualified to perform CPR. No one on staff was qualified to administer anesthesia, and they did not use proper procedures or equipment. Anesthesia was administered "by eye," with no means of accurately measuring the dose. Inspectors estimated that the dose actually administered to patients was twice that recommended in the procedure manual.
-The operating rooms were found to be ill-lit, and there was no soap or paper towels at the scrub sink. The scrub sinks were stained, the walls and floors dirty, trash was stored in the scrub room. There were red make-up stains on the oxygen masks and nitrous oxide masks, dusty tubing on the suction machines, and blood on the wheels of the operating table.
-CRASH had no documentation verifying the credentials or qualifications of medical director David Gluck. Gluck had been previously convicted of felony charges related to the sale of 48,000 [[Diluadid]] tabets to pay off gambling debts. His license had actually been revoked two months before K.B.'s death, but had been restored by judicial stay.
-There was no evidence at the time of the investigation, two weeks after K.B.'s death, that Gluck had reviewed her chart, or the charts of 18 other patients identified as having suffered complications, in order to identify and attempt to correct problems.
-The state closed CRASH for 60 days, but the facility never re-opened.<ref>New York Health Department Order No. 83383136, Case No. 11097; Associated Press 9/30/88; New York Medical Board Statement of Charges and other documents, Calendar No. 12022 & 11018</ref>
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