'Abortion clinic to the stars' shuts down

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, February 09, 2021

Pro-Choice Medical Center, located in Beverly Hills, closed Dec. 31, 2020, according to a report from the pro-life group Operation Rescue. | Google Maps

An abortion clinic known as the "abortion clinic to the stars" has ceased operations at its Beverly Hills location, according to a report from a pro-life group.

The business certificate for the Pro-Choice Medical Center in Beverly Hills, also known as Sinai Women's Center and Sinai Surgical Center, was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. According to a document obtained by the pro-life group Operation Rescue, the business record lists the "reason for closure" simply as "business closing."

The facility, which was located at 99 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 303, will be available for lease in April, according to the commercial real estate website LoopNet. A city official who spoke with Operation Rescue said "the office was vacated over the weekend" of Jan. 30-31.

According to Operation Rescue, "The Beverly Hills facility catered to the upper class of society, charging the exorbitant sum of $1,200.00 for a routine first-trimester abortion — almost twice (the) national average cost of 2020 of $620.00." The clinic's website, which remains online, lists its sole services as "first-trimester abortion, second-trimester abortion and late-term abortion."

Dr. Josepha Seletz, the abortionist who owned the Pro-Choice Medical Center, was frequently referred to as "abortionist to the stars" in light of the clinic's proximity to Hollywood as well as its location in an upscale neighborhood. Seletz previously worked at the Eve Surgical Center, a now-closed Los Angeles abortion clinic where the practice of partial-birth abortion was invented.

Over the years, Operation Rescue has kept track of the number of women who've been injured during abortion procedures at Pro-Choice Medical Center. Between November 2015 and May 2018, eight women were transported to the hospital in an ambulance as a result of medical emergencies that transpired while they were undergoing abortions.

The contents of 911 calls made by the Pro-Choice Medical Center, obtained by Operation Rescue, featured several redactions. Arguing that "redactions are covering up the truth," the pro-life group maintained that "transparency is needed to protect the public from abortion dangers that exist at this and other outpatient abortion mills."

An Operation Rescue report published in January revealed that 45 abortion clinics nationwide either closed or halted abortion procedures in 2020.

While the number of abortion clinics across the U.S. has decreased, more clinics are opening that offer chemical abortions (pills) instead of surgical abortions.

Chemical abortions save the clinics money because they're not responsible for the costs associated with disposing of the aborted babies — what is deemed "medical waste" — or coordinating the transfer of the babies' remains to a cemetery for cremation or burial in states that require it.

"The number of surgical abortion clinics continues to decline with six fewer today than last year at this time," Operation Rescue added. "In fact, the number of surgical abortion clinics has fallen each year for at least the past decade from 713 in 2009 to a record low of 458.

"That represents a decrease of 255 surgical facilities — 36 percent — over the past 10 years."

The data used in the report was collected between Nov. 16 and Dec. 16, 2020, meaning that it might not reflect the closure of Pro-Choice Medical Center at the end of the year. Although the state saw eight abortion clinics close in 2020, California was one of 12 states where the number of abortion facilities increased over the past year.

A subsequent report based on the same data listed Pro-Choice Medical Center as one of eight abortion facilities that perform abortions up to birth, despite the fact that it has a stated limit of 24 weeks in accordance with California law. The report acknowledged that the abortion facility "limited abortions to under 11 weeks for a portion of 2020 due to the China virus" but later resumed the procedures on a "limited availability" basis.

"I thank God this notorious abortion business is closed. No more babies will die, and no more women will suffer traumatic injuries there. That is a victory worth celebrating!" Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, said in a statement.

The Christian Post reached out to the Pro-Choice Medical Center for comment about its operation status. A response was not received by press time.