Background

On January 6, the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund and Pro-Life Wisconsin exposed secret plans of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics (UWHC) and Meriter Hospital to provide a full range of second-trimester abortions (on healthy moms and healthy babies) at the Madison Surgery Center located at 1 South Park Street. The Madison Surgery Center is a joint venture of UWHC, the UW Medical Foundation, and Meriter Hospital. UW Health physician Caryn R. Dutton, Obstetrics and Gynecology, will perform these late-term abortions. Dr. Dutton is affiliated with Meriter Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. Dutton also serves as the associate medical director on Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s board of directors.

On February 4, the UWHC board of directors voted 11-3 to proceed with the plan and two days later the Madison Surgery Center board of directors gave unanimous, final approval for the late-term abortion practice. Both healthy and disabled babies 19 through 22 weeks old will be “terminated” by dilation and evacuation (D&E), the standard abortion method used after 13 weeks whereby the cervix is dilated and the unborn child is dismembered with plier-like forceps. Force is needed to pull the baby apart.

Pro-Life Wisconsin is appalled that our own publicly-funded University of Wisconsin hospital and medical foundation will directly participate in the dismemberment of second-trimester babies – babies that can suck their thumbs, turn somersaults in their mother’s wombs, and whose hearts are pumping gallons of blood every day. It is likely these babies will become an in-house source of fresh and cheap fetal body parts for UW research activities, as has occurred in the past.

Pro-Life Wisconsin questioned how the UWHC/Meriter plan could accommodate existing state and federal laws that prohibit public funding of abortions and protect the conscience rights of our medical professionals. The Alliance Defense Fund made a detailed open records request demanding the UW explain how its abortion scheme conforms to federal and state statutes, doubting it in fact can.

Through an open records request, the Associated Press obtained a detailed powerpoint presentation developed by two UW doctors promoting the plan. A slide that contains a UW logo and is titled "Benefits" puts "increased departmental revenue" at the top of the list.

How did Pro-Life Wisconsin respond to this horror?

A petition, supported by a coalition of pro-life groups in Wisconsin, was circulated for people to sign. An amazing 20,000 pro-life people signed the petitions, which have been delivered to Meriter Hospital. Close to 2,000 people participated in a pro-life rally on the UW-Madison Library Mall on January 31. Speakers included Shawn Carney, co-founder of 40 Days for Life; Haywood Robinson, a former abortionist and current pro-life activist; Matt Bowman, an attorney from Alliance Defense Fund; Steve Karlen of Madison Vigil for Life, Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Council, Doreen Shirek of Wisconsin Right to Life, and PLW’s state director Peggy Hamill. After the speakers, there was a march down to the Madison Surgery Center.

On the legislative front, two separate letters, spearheaded by pro-life champions State Senator Glenn Grothman and State Representative Rich Zipperer, were signed by 41 legislators and sent to UW Hospital and Clinics President and CEO Donna Katen-Bahensky. One group of legislators asked her to “immediately use your influence with the Madison Surgery Center to reverse any plans to perform barbaric late-term abortions at its Park Street clinic.” Other legislators reminded the UW of the legal protections in place for employees who object to being involved in abortions and how UW’s reputation would be tainted if the plan is approved. State Representative Dan LeMahieu attempted to amend the budget repair bill to prohibit Medicaid funding of Wisconsin hospitals and clinics that perform second and third trimester abortions.

Pro-Life Wisconsin demands answers and accountability from all partners of the Madison Surgery Center. We strongly urge them to abandon this morally reprehensible, potentially illegal plan. If it proceeds, the medical offices at 1 South Park Street can be assured of a continual pro-life presence outside their building as long as the killing continues.