by Jeremy Kryn
ANCHORAGE, AK, August 11, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Reports have emerged of an Alaska abortionist maintaining a family planning clinic on Catholic hospital grounds, days after pro-life leaders protested similar ties at a Colorado hospital.
Alaskan pro-life blogger Joseph Koss reported on Sunday that a Catholic hospital in his home state has a tenant that provides contraception, emergency contraception, and sterilization, and is staffed by an abortionist.
Providence Hospital, a Catholic hospital in Anchorage, is home to the Alaska Women’s Health, P.C. clinic (AWHPC), including one of its head physicians, abortionist Jan Whitefield. AWHPC’s website announces their July 11 opening of a new office in “a larger, newly renovated space on the Providence Hospital campus.”
During legal action against the State of Alaska regarding the parental notification law, Whitefield stated that he along with other colleagues had perform over 500 first trimester abortions per year at Alaska Women’s Health Services, a separate clinic in Anchorage.
Abortions are not listed as a service at AWHPC; however, emergency contraception, which can kill newly-conceive human life, is offered there.
It is unclear whether Whitfield receives payment for any services from Providence directly. A provider search on the Providence website lists Whitefield’s organization as AWHPC.
Blogger Joseph Koss told LifeSiteNews (LSN) that his report on the scandal has been gathering steam on the Internet.
“The main issue here is what does it mean to be Catholic in the public sphere,” he said. “The fact that Whitefield is allowed space and a clinic to operate inside of Providence degrades the Catholic identity of the hospital.”
Kirsten Schultz, communications director for Providence Health & Services Alaska, said that “Providence Alaska Medical Center adheres to the Ethical & Religious Directives, and we remain faithful to our Catholic tradition.”
“Every physician who is credentialed to practice at Providence Alaska Medical Center must sign an agreement that requires they abide by the ethical standards of the Catholic Church in treating patients in our facilities,” Schultz added.
As previously reported by LSN, the Providence health system was sued in April 2005 for helping a teenage girl get an out-of-state abortion two year earlier.
The girl’s parents alleged that a social worker colluded with hospital officials to transport the girl to Seattle, WA at public expense for an abortion without informing her family.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schweitz’s office did not respond to requests for an interview by press time.
The news follows on the heels of last week’s protest against a Catholic Colorado hospital for maintaining its affiliation with a Planned Parenthood abortionist.
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