Atlanta Women’s Medical Center

Clinic is Limited to fetal heartbeat detection/6 weeks

• Abortionist perforated the uterus of the patient, stopped the abortion and called EMS.  The patient went to recovery waiting on EMS with no documentation of ongoing monitoring of hemorrhaging, blood pressure, meds, condition of pt at transfer. -There is no elevator in the building and the clinic is located on the second floor. Women walk down 19 stairs after receiving IV sedation and a surgical procedure to leave the facility. There is a back staircase used to transfer patients in the “event of an emergency”. This also means there is no handicap access.
• Expired supplies
• The center’s license was sanctioned (suspended indefinitely) under a Category III violation meaning that over time the violation is likely to have an adverse effect over the physical and emotional health and safety of a person in their care. The AWMC appealed this ruling, rather than correct the issue by putting in an elevator, stating that they have operated for 18 years this way
• The governing body failed to establish effective mechanisms for quality assurance and ensure the accountability of the medical staff. There were no peer reviews done on a routine basis, only when there was a complication. The medical record reviews were done by the physicians themselves, not by a peer.
• Failed to keep complete and accurate medical records:
  • Some of the medical records reviewed had no physical examination and family history.
  • Some of the records did not have a treatment order from the physician.
  • None of the records contained pre-operative orders.
  • Half of the records did not contain post-operative or discharge orders.
• There was no facility policy regarding physician orders.