Madison Surgery Center
Protect Women's Health


Background
The retirement of an abortion provider in Madison has left a gap in the availability of some second trimester abortion services. Planned Parenthood provides abortions earlier in pregnancy, but strongly believes that women should also have access to additional abortion care later in pregnancy. The Madison Surgery Center has stepped up to provide those critical services.

Abortion remains safe and legal, but it must be accessible so all of women's reproductive health care options are available to them.
Planned Parenthood Applauds Vote to Maintain Abortion Access in Dane County Planned Parenthood salutes the leaders of the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority Board for voting 11-3 in favor of a proposal to provide abortion care at their jointly owned Madison Surgery Center. This positive vote showed the leaders' compassion and their commitment to public health for providing comprehensive and safe reproductive care in a medical setting.

In a public meeting held February 4, several testimonies were given by community members explaining why access to comprehensive abortion care is critical to women's health and lives. Pam Scott, a clinic manager for Planned Parenthood in Madison, has been a licensed medical assistant for 30 years. Scott testified, "When abortion care becomes limited or restricted, women's health and lives suffer, and so does the health and life of our community. The medical fact is that there will always be women who develop dangerous pregnancy complications and need to terminate to protect their life or health."

The other Surgery Center partners, Meriter and UW Medical Foundation, have already voted to support this proposal.

We applaud the actions of the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority Board who stood up for the health and lives of Wisconsin women. Because of their efforts, we are one step closer in preserving abortion care in south central Wisconsin.

Support Abortion Access at the Madison Surgery Center

  • This decision by the Madison Surgery Center, UW Hospital and Clinics, Meriter Hospital, and the UW Medical Foundation should be applauded and supported.
  • Women should have access to comprehensive reproductive health services in South Central Wisconsin.
  • The health care providers and professionals, who took the initiative in making sure abortion services are available and accessible to women, sometimes in the most tragic situations, take care of tens of thousands of patients throughout this state, identified a gap in women’s reproductive health care that simply must be met so that women are not abandoned and their health and safety not jeopardized.
  • The efforts of these health care entities and professionals reflects the strong commitment of the health care community to fulfill their public health responsibility to provide comprehensive health care to their patients and to the women of south-central Wisconsin.
  • Patients 20 weeks and up in their pregnancy are best served to have an abortion in hospital setting with the resources of a hospital readily available.
  • Without these services, women in certain untenable situations, such as those experiencing health problems in pregnancy, would have no where to go in our community. Though only 1% of abortions are performed after 20 weeks, these patients need to be taken care of in the most compassionate, comprehensive medical setting, which is what is being proposed by this initiative.
  • Concerned physicians and many medical leaders brought this issue forward and recognized a gap in care after the retirement of Dr. Christensen. The UW Hospital and Clinics, Meriter Hospital, and the UW Medical Foundation have stepped in to fill that void to ensure women have access to comprehensive health care.
  • The Madison Surgery Center will be providing abortion services from 13-22 weeks.

UW Health Statement Regarding Madison Surgery Center Plans

Capital Times Editorial 1/28/09: Expand reproductive health options in Madison

Factsheet [.pdf]
It's important to note that participation by physicians, other care providers, students or trainees will be strictly voluntary. Those with religious or moral objections are free to opt out and will not be penalized in any way for doing so; and no state funds (other than legal Medicaid exceptions) will be authorized or paid to physicians or Madison Surgery Center for the performance of an abortion. Payment will come from patients, private insurance and/or other private sources.