Action Alert! Correct False Testimony by the Texas Hospital Association Representative

This is a rare Action Alert: Contact the Texas Hospital Association (phone number, 512-465-1000) about the completely false testimony of their representative, Ms. Stacy Wilson who testified against Section 2 of House Bill 2 before the House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday, July 2, 2013.

You can see Ms. Wilson’s testimony on the July 2, 2013 video of the House State Affairs Committee, available at the House video site beginning at 2:02/8:38.

Ms. Wilson testified as the Associate Counsel for the Texas Hospital Association, against Section 2 of HB 2. That section requires the physicians who perform elective abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the place where he or she does the abortions. Section 4 of the Bill, against which Ms. Wilson did not testify, requires abortion facilities to meet the same standards as State-regulated Ambulatory Surgical Centers. Ms. Wilson falsely argued that hospitals would not grant admitting privileges to doctors who perform elective abortions outside the hospital because the hospital wouldn’t allow elective abortions within the hospital: “If you have a physician that is only practicing in a clinic . . . the hospital is unlikely to give privileges.”

Ms. Wilson is apparently unaware that the reason a doctor would have admitting privileges would be to treat complications of the abortion, including hemorrhage, uterine and bowel perforations, and infections after the abortion. There is no reason to claim that the purpose of those privileges would be to allow performing the abortion itself within the hospital walls.

Ms. Wilson repeatedly said that she doesn’t know whether any Texas doctors who perform elective abortions have admitting privileges in Texas hospitals: “It is possible, I mean, say, it’s unlikely, but it’s possible,” and, “I don’t know of any.”

She also repeatedly stated that it would be wrong for the hospital to be required to grant privileges, while the Bill carries no such requirement: “My testimony is that requiring a hospital to grant privileges for procedures that occur outside the hospital, is an inappropriate.”

Sylvester Turner pounced on Ms. Wilson’s testimony, claiming that Section 2 would outlaw abortion in the State of Texas, since no doctor would be able to get hospital privileges: “We can’t get past this . . . This witness’ testimony is very critical.”

Ms. Wilson doesn’t see any benefit in the usual standard of continuity of medical care: “It seems to me that if a woman has complications, she’s going to come to the Emergency Department, whether her doctor has admitting privileges is irrelevant.” And, “I said that what the woman should do is come to the emergency room where the emergency personnel would render aid.”

Please call the Texas Hospital Association and demand that they correct the misrepresentations of Ms. Wilson.

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