Kansas abortion doctors work to stop new patient safety regulations

Three Kansas doctors are suing the state to prevent the implementation of new measures that will ensure the safety of women seeking abortions. The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights is representing two of the doctors. 

TOPEKA, KA (Catholic Online) - The physicians have identified themselves as, Dr. Herbert Hodes, Dr. Tracy Nauser (Hodes' daughter), and Dr. Ronald Yeomans. They continue to sue the state despite already being placated by a Federal judge who already blocked some provisions of the state's new abortion law. 

The previous set of patient safety guidelines specified what drugs and equipment abortion clinics needed to keep on hand as well as codifying size requirements for procedure and recovery rooms. The doctors balked at those provisions, and only one made an effort to comply. Instead of compliance, they simply sued over the new rules. The state eventually revised the rules, eliminating size requirements for rooms and shortening the list of critical drugs and equipment a clinic needed to keep on hand.

A second set of rules, due to take effect on November 14, are now in their sights. 

Bonnie Scott Jones, an attorney for the Center of Reproductive Rights said, "They made some important changes, which is good, but unfortunately, they have left a lot in that is unacceptable. They're still extremely burdensome in multiple ways, so they still do need to be challenged."

The new challenge focuses on a rule, which requires that only physicians dispense drugs to patients. Attorneys challenge that the drugs are of the "over the counter" variety, so other staff should be permitted to dispense them. 

The abortion doctors are also opposing a requirement that their records be made available to health Department officials upon request. They claim that subjecting their records to review could invade a patient's privacy. 

Finally, they are challenging a safety requirement that mandates patients spend a minimum of time in recovery, up to an hour based on how far along their pregnancy was. 

Right to Life advocates have defended the regulations that the new regulations as reasonable and "state of the art" for patient safety. 

Meanwhile, Kansas health officials are saying their will follow the letter of the law, but that letter may soon change, to the detriment of patient safety. 

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'