Latest news with #EquityClinic
Miami Herald
01-04-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Doctor leaves half a fetus inside woman after abortion in Illinois, lawsuit says
A woman is suing an Illinois doctor after she says he performed an abortion on her and left half a fetus behind. The lawsuit was filed March 21 against Equity Clinic in Champaign and the doctor who performed the procedure. McClatchy News was unable to reach anyone at Equity Clinic and is not naming the doctor since he has not been criminally charged. On April 1, 2023, the woman went to Equity Clinic to start the process of an abortion, according to the lawsuit. The woman returned to the clinic the following day and continued the abortion procedure. After it was completed, the doctor wrote a note saying the uterus was empty and '[p]roducts of conception were visibly inspected and confirmed to be complete,' the lawsuit said. On April 3, the woman called Equity Clinic to report she was having heavy cramping. She was told to take Ibuprofen, but she called the clinic back five hours later to report that it didn't help much and 'her bottom has a lot of pressure and it is hard to breathe,' the complaint said. The doctor instructed the woman to take a laxative, the lawsuit said. The next day, the woman called the clinic again and told them the laxative did not help and her cramping had increased. She was then told to take an enema and visit an urgent care, according to the complaint. The woman went to an emergency room, and hospital staff discovered the remains of 'half of a deceased pre-born human being' in her right pelvis, the lawsuit said. A surgery was then done to remove the fetal remains. The complaint said pieces of the fetal skull were removed from the woman's intestine one piece at a time. The following day, the surgeon contacted the doctor who performed the abortion to notify him of the fetal remains found inside the woman, but the doctor refused to answer any questions, the lawsuit said. Additionally, the lawsuit said after the abortion and surgery, the woman asked the doctor what the sex of the fetus was, and the doctor told the woman he would 'look again.' However, this was after the doctor knew the fetal remains had already been discarded. The woman is suing for a minimum of $50,000 in damages.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawsuit alleges Illinois abortion doctor left half a fetus inside Indiana patient, requiring emergency surgery
An Indiana abortion patient has accused a Champaign, Illinois, physician of perforating her uterus during the procedure and leaving half of a fetus inside her body, requiring emergency surgery afterward, according to a recent lawsuit. The medical negligence lawsuit was filed March 21 in the Circuit Court of Champaign County against abortion provider Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle of Equity Clinic by a woman identified as Jane Doe, according to court records. Reisinger-Kindle did not immediately return Chicago Tribune requests for comment on the lawsuit. The patient, a mother of four, was about 22 weeks pregnant when she traveled to the clinic for a two-day procedure that ended April 2, 2023, the complaint states. Reisinger-Kindle said in his notes that the 'products of conception were visually inspected and confirmed to be complete,' after the abortion and the patient was discharged, the lawsuit stated. But the next day, the woman called the clinic to report heavy cramping and she was advised to take an over-the-counter pain reliever, according to the complaint. About five hours later, she called the clinic again saying she had taken Ibuprofen with limited relief and that she was feeling pressure and that it was hard to breathe. That message was relayed to Reisinger-Kindle, who advised her to take a laxative, according to the complaint. The patient called a third time, saying she took two doses of a laxative but the abdominal cramping increased, the suit said. She was advised to take an enema and 'consider presenting at an urgent care facility or to an emergency room,' the lawsuit stated. On April 4, 2023, the patient was admitted to the emergency room of Community Hospital South in Indianapolis where the fetal remains were discovered and surgically removed from her pelvis, according to the complaint. Parts of the fetal skull had adhered to her intestines and were taken out, the lawsuit said. A hole in her uterus roughly the size of a quarter or half-dollar was also treated, according to the complaint. The day after, Reisinger-Kindle would not answer questions or provide information to a surgeon who had assisted with the surgery, allegedly claiming lack of consent from the patient, the lawsuit states. However, when he spoke to the woman later that day, he did not request permission to discuss the abortion with the surgeon, the suit contends. A report by an obstetrician-gynecologist included in the court filings stated that 'had Dr. Kindle performed an adequate exam of the remains, it should have been obvious that fetal parts were left behind.' The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and more than $50,000 in damages. Reisinger-Kindle and Equity Clinic were profiled in a June 2023 Tribune story about a wave of new abortion providers coming to Illinois from other states after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending federal abortion rights. 'The only reason I went to medical school was to be an abortion provider,' Reisinger-Kindle told the Tribune, adding that providing abortions has a greater impact on the lives of patients than delivering babies. 'Everyone's excited about a baby,' he had said. 'People in this space, unfortunately, are often shunned and shamed and really stigmatized. In this space, one person saying, 'You're strong, this is a hard choice but we're here with you,' is life-changing. Because you're probably the only person giving them that message.' Equity Clinic was founded in February 2023 by Reisinger-Kindle, who at the time was based in Ohio and had been traveling roughly 500 miles round-trip from Dayton to provide medication and surgical abortions in Champaign on the weekends. Reisinger-Kindle has been licensed in Illinois since 2022 and has never been disciplined, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. He had been licensed in Ohio from 2020 to 2024 and had never been disciplined there, according to Ohio state records. As of mid-2023, roughly 95% of Equity Clinic's patients traveled there from other states, Reisinger-Kindle had told the Tribune. Out-of-state abortion patients have skyrocketed in Illinois since the end of Roe, amid increasing abortion restrictions and bans in other states. Roughly 37,350 patients from other states came to Illinois to have an abortion in 2023 — the first full year since the end of federal abortion rights — more than triple the nearly 11,150 in 2020, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-reproductive rights research group. That was more out-of-state abortion patients than any other state in the nation that year, the data showed. _____
Chicago Tribune
01-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Lawsuit alleges Champaign abortion doctor left half a fetus inside Indiana patient, requiring emergency surgery
An Indiana abortion patient has accused a Champaign physician of perforating her uterus during the procedure and leaving half of a fetus inside her body, requiring emergency surgery afterward, according to a recent lawsuit. The medical negligence lawsuit was filed March 21 in the Circuit Court of Champaign County against abortion provider Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle of Equity Clinic by a woman identified as Jane Doe, according to court records. Reisinger-Kindle did not immediately return Tribune requests for comment on the lawsuit. The patient, a mother of four, was about 22 weeks pregnant when she traveled to the clinic for a two-day procedure that ended April 2, 2023, the complaint states. Reisinger-Kindle said in his notes that the 'products of conception were visually inspected and confirmed to be complete,' after the abortion and the patient was discharged, the lawsuit stated. But the next day, the woman called the clinic to report heavy cramping and she was advised to take an over-the-counter pain reliever, according to the complaint. About five hours later, she called the clinic again saying she had taken Ibuprofen with limited relief and that she was feeling pressure and that it was hard to breathe. That message was relayed to Reisinger-Kindle, who advised her to take a laxative, according to the complaint. The patient called a third time, saying she took two doses of a laxative but the abdominal cramping increased, the suit said. She was advised to take an enema and 'consider presenting at an urgent care facility or to an emergency room,' the lawsuit stated. On April 4, 2023, the patient was admitted to the emergency room of Community Hospital South in Indianapolis where the fetal remains were discovered and surgically removed from her pelvis, according to the complaint. Parts of the fetal skull had adhered to her intestines and were taken out, the lawsuit said. A hole in her uterus roughly the size of a quarter or half-dollar was also treated, according to the complaint. The day after, Reisinger-Kindle would not answer questions or provide information to a surgeon who had assisted with the surgery, allegedly claiming lack of consent from the patient, the lawsuit states. However, when he spoke to the woman later that day, he did not request permission to discuss the abortion with the surgeon, the suit contends. A report by an obstetrician-gynecologist included in the court filings stated that 'had Dr. Kindle performed an adequate exam of the remains, it should have been obvious that fetal parts were left behind.' The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and more than $50,000 in damages. Reisinger-Kindle and Equity Clinic were profiled in a June 2023 Tribune story about a wave of new abortion providers coming to Illinois from other states after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending federal abortion rights. 'The only reason I went to medical school was to be an abortion provider,' Reisinger-Kindle told the Tribune, adding that providing abortions has a greater impact on the lives of patients than delivering babies. 'Everyone's excited about a baby,' he had said. 'People in this space, unfortunately, are often shunned and shamed and really stigmatized. In this space, one person saying, 'You're strong, this is a hard choice but we're here with you,' is life-changing. Because you're probably the only person giving them that message.' Equity Clinic was founded in February 2023 by Reisinger-Kindle, who at the time was based in Ohio and had been traveling roughly 500 miles roundtrip from Dayton to provide medication and surgical abortions in Champaign on the weekends. Reisinger-Kindle has been licensed in Illinois since 2022 and has never been disciplined, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. He had been licensed in Ohio from 2020 to 2024 and had never been disciplined there, according to Ohio state records. As of mid-2023, roughly 95% of Equity Clinic's patients traveled there from other states, Reisinger-Kindle had told the Tribune. Out-of-state abortion patients have skyrocketed in Illinois since the end of Roe, amid increasing abortion restrictions and bans in other states. Roughly 37,350 patients from other states came to Illinois to have an abortion in 2023 — the first full year since the end of federal abortion rights — more than triple the nearly 11,150 in 2020, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-reproductive rights research group. That was more out-of-state abortion patients than any other state in the nation that year, the data showed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Botched late-term abortion spurs lawsuit in blue-state court: 'Horrific'
An anonymous woman filed a rare medical negligence lawsuit last week against an Illinois abortionist after a late-term abortion took a "horrific" turn when an emergency hospital visit revealed "half of a deceased pre-born human being" was found left inside her. Chicago injury attorney Richard Craig filed the lawsuit on behalf of Jane Doe from Indiana, naming both the Champaign-based Equity Clinic and its founder, Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle, as defendants. Craig told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday he's "never been presented" with a case like this. Defund 'Big Abortion' Industry That Thrived Under Biden, 150 Pro-life Groups Urge Congress The suit alleges that during a 22-week abortion performed in April 2023, Reisinger-Kindle left parts of the fetus inside the woman's body, leading to severe complications. After the procedure, when the woman reported persistent cramping, Reisinger-Kindle allegedly advised her to take over-the-counter pain relievers and laxatives. She later underwent emergency surgery to remove the body parts. Doe is seeking damages for medical negligence and emotional distress. "This is someone who performed an abortion that at 22 weeks of gestation – which at that point renders a two-day process – and then on the second day, when most of the work is done, at the culmination of his work, he entered a note, saying, these are his words, 'products of conception were visibly inspected and confirmed to be complete,'" Craig said. "That's his note. Well, clearly that didn't happen." Read On The Fox News App "When she presented to the emergency room two days later, they found what they described to be as a half of a pre-deceased fetus," Craig said. "And the films that are in the records actually suggests more like two-thirds. So, how could he say that he visibly inspected her?" Doe, a mother of four, also alleged that Reisinger-Kindle refused to provide pertinent information to the attending surgeons without her consent. In a medical report included in the lawsuit filings, an obstetrician/gynecologist asserts that Reisinger-Kindle "deviated from a reasonable standard of care" during the abortion by perforating the plaintiff's uterus and failing to recognize the injury. Doge Must 'Defund' Planned Parenthood, Mike Pence's Watchdog Group Urges Musk The report also states that Reisinger-Kindle "failed to adequately examine the fetal parts" after the procedure. According to the lawsuit, there was a hole in the woman's uterus roughly the size of a large coin. The report notes that if Reisinger-Kindle "performed an adequate exam of the remains, it should have been obvious that fetal parts were left behind." In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving it up to states to decide on abortion, Illinois has solidified its position as a haven for the procedure, enacting a series of legislative measures to shield both providers and out-of-state women seeking abortion services from lawsuits. Feds Gave $700M To Planned Parenthood During Year Of Record Abortions Reisinger-Kindle, who was featured in a Chicago Tribune article, was one of many providers who opened abortion clinics in the Midwest following the high court's ruling. Craig – who said taking the case won't make him "any friends in Illinois" – also alleged Reisinger-Kindle didn't administer any pain-relief medication to the fetus, which would have stopped its heartbeat, prior to its dismemberment. "The current laws would prevent me, for instance, from pursuing a claim against this doctor on behalf of the child for what had to be excruciating pain that the child underwent while he was being dismembered piece by piece, without any pain relief," Craig said. "And so those laws do, in fact, prevent me, or anybody from taking that position and seeking redress for that on the behalf of the child." Fox News Digital has reached out to Reisinger-Kindle for comment but did not hear back by time of article source: Botched late-term abortion spurs lawsuit in blue-state court: 'Horrific'
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Botched late-term abortion spurs lawsuit in blue-state court: 'Horrific'
An anonymous woman filed a rare medical negligence lawsuit last week against an Illinois abortionist after a late-term abortion took a "horrific" turn when an emergency hospital visit revealed "half of a deceased pre-born human being" was found left inside her. Chicago injury attorney Richard Craig filed the lawsuit on behalf of Jane Doe from Indiana, naming both the Champaign-based Equity Clinic and its founder, Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle, as defendants. Craig told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday he's "never been presented" with a case like this. The suit alleges that during a 22-week abortion performed in April 2023, Reisinger-Kindle left parts of the fetus inside the woman's body, leading to severe complications. After the procedure, when the woman reported persistent cramping, Reisinger-Kindle allegedly advised her to take over-the-counter pain relievers and laxatives. She later underwent emergency surgery to remove the body parts. Doe is seeking damages for medical negligence and emotional distress. "This is someone who performed an abortion that at 22 weeks of gestation – which at that point renders a two-day process – and then on the second day, when most of the work is done, at the culmination of his work, he entered a note, saying, these are his words, 'products of conception were visibly inspected and confirmed to be complete,'" Craig said. "That's his note. Well, clearly that didn't happen." "When she presented to the emergency room two days later, they found what they described to be as a half of a pre-deceased fetus," Craig said. "And the films that are in the records actually suggests more like two-thirds. So, how could he say that he visibly inspected her?" Doe, a mother of four, also alleged that Reisinger-Kindle refused to provide pertinent information to the attending surgeons without her consent. In a medical report included in the lawsuit filings, an obstetrician/gynecologist asserts that Reisinger-Kindle "deviated from a reasonable standard of care" during the abortion by perforating the plaintiff's uterus and failing to recognize the injury. The report also states that Reisinger-Kindle "failed to adequately examine the fetal parts" after the procedure. According to the lawsuit, there was a hole in the woman's uterus roughly the size of a large coin. The report notes that if Reisinger-Kindle "performed an adequate exam of the remains, it should have been obvious that fetal parts were left behind." In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving it up to states to decide on abortion, Illinois has solidified its position as a haven for the procedure, enacting a series of legislative measures to shield both providers and out-of-state women seeking abortion services from lawsuits. Reisinger-Kindle, who was featured in a Chicago Tribune article, was one of many providers who opened abortion clinics in the Midwest following the high court's ruling. Craig – who said taking the case won't make him "any friends in Illinois" – also alleged Reisinger-Kindle didn't administer any pain-relief medication to the fetus, which would have stopped its heartbeat, prior to its dismemberment. "The current laws would prevent me, for instance, from pursuing a claim against this doctor on behalf of the child for what had to be excruciating pain that the child underwent while he was being dismembered piece by piece, without any pain relief," Craig said. "And so those laws do, in fact, prevent me, or anybody from taking that position and seeking redress for that on the behalf of the child." Fox News Digital has reached out to Reisinger-Kindle for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.
