Virginia Suspends Abortion Clinic's License After 52-Page Report Reveals Numerous Violations

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, April 28, 2016

Anti-abortion protestors celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down a Massachusetts law that mandated a protective buffer zone around abortion clinics, outside the Court in Washington, June 26, 2014. On a 9-0 vote, the court said the 2007 law violated the freedom of speech rights of pro-life protesters under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in preventing them from standing on the sidewalk and speaking to people entering the clinics. | (Photo: Reuters/Jim Bourg)

A Virginia abortion clinic has had its license suspended after an inspection found 26 violations using dirty equipment on women (patient after patient), workers not changing blood-stained scrubs between operations, and not changing scrubs after plunging a clogged toilet.

Earlier this month, the Virginia Health Group of Fairfax had its license suspended when an unannounced state inspection found several code violations in its facility.

In a 52-page report, investigators found a variety of problems that included poor maintenance of the facility regarding its structure.

"Upon entrance to the facility on April 4, 2016, at 2 p.m., the survey team observed the patient waiting room to have chipped and peeling paint on the walls and … panel boards hanging loose around an air conditioning unit," noted the report.

"The area was unclean. There was graffiti scratched into the wall on the left side of the room and black smudges on the paint in multiple places on the walls of the entire room."

Investigators also found toilets that frequently stopped up, poorly repaired doors, and equipment that lacked proper testing of its safety.

"The vacuum suction machine used for the surgical procedures contained a sticker which documented no preventative maintenance check since 2012," continued the report.

"The survey team also observed that there was no call system located in the patient bathroom which could be used in the event a patient required assistance."

Of great concern were the failures in hygiene, with the investigators finding that staffers were known to use blood-stained scrubs in multiple procedures.

"Staff #1's gloves were observed to be visibly soiled with blood. After the procedure, Staff #1 removed his/her gloves and used hand sanitizer. The surveyor did not observe Staff #1 wash his/her hands with soap and water after exiting the procedure room," added the report.

"The surveyor noted that the rolling exam light which was touched by Staff #6 while wearing contaminated gloves during the procedure was not cleaned, the ultrasound machine sitting in the room beside the patient was not cleaned, neither the can of Hurricane numbing spray nor the bottle of Monesl's solution were wiped off after having been used, and only the top of the vacuum suction machine was cleaned."

In another incident, a staff plunged a toilet and did not change their scrubs before observing a procedure.

Virginia Health Group's license suspension comes several months after Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's administration attempted to gut some abortion clinic regulations.

Last September the Commonwealth's Board of Health voted to reverse certain measures that would have given abortion clinics the same regulations as hospitals.

"Today's vote is an enormous step forward in the fight to get extreme politics out of decisions that should be between women and their doctors," stated McAuliffe last year.

"I applaud the Board of Health for ending this disturbing chapter in our history and for heeding the advice of experts, medical professionals and Virginia women about the best way to provide safe access to healthcare."

Regarding the report's findings, Victoria Cobb, president of the social conservative advocacy group The Family Foundation, wrote Wednesday that were it not for the safety standards in place the clinic would have never been held to account.

"In fact, in 2011 when the General Assembly adopted legislation requiring abortion center health and safety standards, the abortion industry opposed a bill (HB 1428) that would have required only licenses for, inspections of, and emergency equipment at abortion centers," wrote Cobb.

"Clearly, the industry was afraid of inspections of its facilities and lied when it said abortion centers were well maintained. It is an industry that simply cannot be trusted."

This is not the first time that Virginia Health Group has been guilty of health violations. In August of 2012 the facility was found "out of compliance" on several issues, including similar problems to the ones described in the recent report.