Former Rockford, IL abortionist Dennis Christensen
By Cheryl Sullenger -
MILWAUKEE, WI - An abortionist who routinely posted vulgar signs mocking Christianity and pro-life supporters has been denied admitting privileges at three hospitals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he relocated after the State of Illinois shut down his filthy abortion business in Rockford citing serious health and safety violations.
Dennis Christensen, now of Affiliated Medical Services (AMS) in Milwaukee, reported that his applications for hospital privileges were denied after U.S. District Judge William Conley ordered him to follow up on his applications as part of a suit challenging the 2013 Wisconsin law that requires abortionists to maintain hospital privileges within 30 miles of their abortion facilities.
Christensen’s associate at AMS and co-plaintiff, Bernard Smith (photo right), was also denied hospital admitting privileges.
The two abortionists joined with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in pursuing a legal challenge to the new law and earlier received an injunction that has so far kept them in business. The trial in the case concluded on May 30. A ruling from Judge Conley is pending.
The State asked the U.S. Supreme Court last December to set aside the injunction so the law could be immediately enforced, however, on Monday, June 23, the Supreme Court declined to hear their appeal, most likely because a ruling in the case is imminent.
Both Christensen and Smith were denied privileges by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Aurora Healthcare and Froedtert Health Inc. The hospitals noted that Christensen and Smith “do not qualify for admitting privileges” because they and AMS “are not subject to review by a professional board to make sure their practices meet hospital standards.”
“Christensen and Smith have long histories of abortion abuses and are the kind of abortionists that the law was meant to weed out. If they are not fit to practice in a hospital setting, they aren’t fit to practice anywhere,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and a strong advocate of the hospital privilege requirement. “When abortionists have such abominable track records when it comes to patient safety that hospitals do not want to be associated with them, they certainly shouldn’t be allowed to continue placing the lives and health of women at risk.”
Christensen’s Rockford, Illinois, abortion business that was located in a former church building, was inspected on September 15, 2011, when inspectors found that all three of the abortion rooms “failed to ensure a sanitary environment.” Surgical instruments were not sanitized, and “brown substances” were found on surgical equipment and gloves. Inspectors also discovered that Christensen had no hospital privileges and failed to have a registered nurse present during invasive procedures as required in that state. The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a closure order five days later.
Christensen’s abortion facility was known to display sacrilegious images, including a rubber chicken dangling from a cross, and signage mocking pro-lifers and Christianity. In 2009, pro-lifers filed suit against the clinic for video-taped a rant by an operative of the clinic that included racial slurs and attacks.
Smith’s safety record is also questionable. He was involved in two medical emergencieson the same day in April, 2011. A previous complaint lodged in 2007 concerning other medical emergencies at AMS involving Smith went unheeded.
If the Wisconsin hospital privilege requirement is allowed to be enforced, it would close two out of four of Wisconsin’s remaining abortion businesses, including AMS in Milwaukee and a Planned Parenthood facility in Appleton.
Cheryl Sullenger writes for Operation Rescue
