Florida Department Of Health Suspends Abortion Provider Pendergraft's License; Health Care Agency Closes Five Abortion Clinics

The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued an emergency order that suspended state abortion provider James Pendergraft's license because he allegedly showed a "flagrant disregard for the laws of the state of Florida and a willingness to endanger the lives and health of pregnant patients," the Washington Times reports. Third-trimester abortions are illegal in Florida except to "save the life or preserve the health of the pregnant woman," in which case the law requires the procedure to be certified by two physicians and that it be performed in a hospital. According to the state, Pendergraft in 2004 and 2005 "endangered two female patients by performing third-trimester abortions outside a hospital setting and without concurring certification from a second physician." Pendergraft's attorney Robert Buonauro said Pendergraft "operated within the (medical) guidelines and protocol" of the state and "had the appropriate certification" for the abortion he performed in July 2005. Buonauro added that the woman involved in the 2004 abortion was in her second trimester. Buonauro said Pendergraft in the next two days plan to appeal the suspension (Howard Price, Washington Times, 8/18). The suspension means that Pendergraft cannot practice medicine until the state Board of Medicine reviews his case, according to the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In addition, the state Agency for Health Care Administration indefinitely restricted two clinics that Pendergraft partially owns from performing abortions and has restricted until Wednesday three others that Pendergraft partially owns, according to agency documents (Gresko, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/17).

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