An abortion facility that was previously denied a license to open by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) should be given one, according to a state administrative judge who sided with the facility.
July Medical Services, which does business as Hope Medical Services, sued to have the AHCA’s decision overturned, and Judge Yolonda Green agreed, in her 40-page ruling. However, the decision will ultimately go back to the state agency for final action.
July Medical Services once operated in Louisiana under the name “June Medical Services,” and also operated under the name “Hope Medical Group for Women.” Numerous safety issues with the facility were noted, including reports of “[u]nsanitary, expired, missing, or improperly stored instruments, medications, and medical supplies.” The Louisiana Department of Justice also accused the business of engaging in criminal activity, claiming the facility repeatedly failed to report instances of child rape for girls as young as 11.
In her ruling, Green acknowledged the problems with the facility in Louisiana, but said the new one should open anyway.
“The operation history of June Medical raises some concerns about their compliance with state regulations,” Green wrote. “It also raises concern about the safety of patients. However, based on the evidence of record, there was no threat or actual harm to patients. All the deficiencies proven were corrected. Based on the foregoing, the competent substantial evidence establishes that June Medical’s Louisiana deficiencies did not establish a pattern of deficient performance.”
In Florida, the facility is owned by Michael Rothrock, whose mother, Robin, owned the Louisiana facility. Kathaleen Pittman, who served as the medical director in Louisiana, will also serve as the medical director of the Florida facility — calling into question how safe women and girls can possibly be at a business which seemingly has no problem flouting safety standards and laws.
Green noted one instance of unreported child rape in her ruling, as well as citations which “consisted of lack of documentation in personnel files, lack of board meeting minutes, and inadequate documentation to verify physician’s orders failed to demonstrate diligence. Most of these violations were non-repeated offenses.”
Yet because the current owner was not the owner in Louisiana, Green said he cannot be held accountable for the previous failings.
