Latest news with #Reisinger-Kindle
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.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘The worst thing I've ever seen': Lawsuit says abortion doctor left half a fetus behind
She had scheduled the abortion once before, at another clinic, and then backed out. So by the time the then 32-year-old mother of four found her way from her home in Indianapolis to the Equity Clinic in Champaign, Illinois, in April of 2023, she was somewhere between 22 and 23 weeks along. 'Pressure was applied — 'What are we going to do about this?' — in my mental space and my environment,' said the woman, who asked that I not use her name out of concern for her privacy. 'The weeks were going by, and I had to consider a lot of things.' Finally, she decided to go through with it, and after she had the procedure, almost immediately felt 'a bit of a relief — less drama up there' in her head, followed by excruciating pain in her abdomen. What a surgical team at Community Hospital in Indianapolis found two days later, according to the lawsuit she filed on Friday against Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle and his Equity Clinic, is that he'd somehow left more than half of the fetus inside her. She says Reisinger-Kindle answered her many panicked calls to his hotline by telling her to take some Tylenol and then to take a laxative, but 'I didn't agree with that. It was not supposed to be that bad.' The doctor did not return a call seeking a response to the suit. 'Even for the CAT scan' in the ER, 'I could not move' from the pain, she told me. 'They said, 'You have a baby in there, and you need emergency surgery.' ' 'We knew from the CAT scan that she could have a perforated uterus,' one of the surgeons told me, 'because you could see what looked like a human body. You could see a spine.' And what the operating team found was 'this — baby in the pelvis. This is the worst thing I've ever seen at surgery and I've been doing this for over 30 years.' If I quoted from the legal filing's absolutely gruesome medical report and expert testimony, from a doctor who has himself performed more than 1,000 abortions, you would not be able to eat today. But the suit and the Indianapolis hospital surgeon who spoke to me said he 'delivered' all but the child's legs and parts of the arms. This is an extremely hard story to hear, one much easier to turn away from. Because it is so awful, I suspect that some of you are going to say this couldn't have happened at all, and that others may think such horrors happen all the time, and I don't think either is true. But if it happened this one time, and I believe that it did, then we should know that, and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again. That would for one thing mean offering more help to low-income pregnant women instead of cutting Medicaid like Congress is getting ready to do. We know that poor women and women of color get significantly lower quality health care in general, and the woman who is suing the Equity Clinic is both. She was working two jobs, as a server in a restaurant and a phlebotomist in a clinic, at the time this happened. She now drives a bus. According to the glowing profile of Reisinger-Kindle that ran in the Chicago Tribune a month after her emergency surgery, the Ohio-based doctor opened the Champaign clinic, where he practices on weekends, after the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the legality of abortion to individual states. 'Unfortunately, we do know that pregnancies are being terminated later because of access' being limited, Reisinger-Kindle told the Tribune. 'That of course means slightly more risk.' That would not explain what this woman says happened to her, though. The piece also said that 95% of Equity's patients are from out of state — mostly from Indiana, Ohio and Missouri. 'Our patients are coming from states that lost access.' To all of you lawmakers in Jefferson City who are so dedicated to making it impossible for someone like her to get an abortion in Missouri, what I would ask is when you are going to get around to making the kind of investment that really would make it easier for women to give birth instead, as this woman now says she wishes she'd done? Because it seems like the answer is never. Another thing that infuriates me is that this woman says she had a hard time finding a lawyer who would take her case. Some told her that she'd be seen as unsympathetic as someone who'd had an elective abortion, and as someone who had survived. I'm not going to put the 16 exclamation points after that last sentence that it deserves, but I guess they thought it was hardly worth the trouble to get a cut of a lesser settlement because the injured party was still breathing. 'Most lawyers preferred if my family members had reached out due to my death,' she said. Richard Craig, the Chicago-based lawyer who did take the case, said yes, the abortion was elective, 'but I don't think anybody elects to have half of her baby left behind; that's a bone-chilling event. How a doctor misses half of the fetal remains is completely beyond me. How could you look and not see? He sent her on her way and the community hospital had to clean up his mess.' She filed this suit, she said, in the hope of helping some other woman. Whatever our politics or views on abortion rights, can we not all want better for her, and anyone else who could find herself in that situation? Maybe you think that could never be you, or someone you love, but she never thought that could be her, either. 'This is something I don't do,' is the first thing she told me. I have no judgment for her, and hope you won't either, because as she says, 'things can happen that surprise you.' A doctor's diligence, though, is something that we should be able to count on. 'For us to confide (trust) in someone to take care of us,' at such a moment should never be taken lightly, she said. 'You're a doctor. My doctor, and I don't understand.'
