Reproductive Equity Now Urges MA Dept. of Public Health to Investigate Worcester Anti-Abortion Center, Clearway Clinic
The organization also called for an investigation into Your Options Medical anti-abortion mobile van last month
BOSTON (December 4, 2023) — Reproductive Equity Now today filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, urging the state to investigate Worcester anti-abortion center, Clearway Clinic, for alleged deceptive advertising, out-of-scope medical practice, and improper delegation of medical services. The call for investigation comes after a Worcester woman, Jane Doe, filed a class action lawsuit this summer after Clearway allegedly misdiagnosed her ectopic pregnancy, forcing her to receive life-saving, invasive surgery that resulted in the loss of her fallopian tube.
“Anti-abortion centers like Clearway pose a serious threat to the health and safety of pregnant people seeking abortion or basic pregnancy care. We need to use every tool in our toolbox to ensure these facilities, including those that are licensed by the state, are held accountable for their dangerous and deceptive practices,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “Jane Doe deserves justice for the life-altering mistreatment she received at Clearway, and we have a responsibility as advocates to ensure no other patient is faced with the same dangerous lies or deception. That’s what this call for investigation is about: truth, accountability, and justice.”
Reproductive Equity Now’s complaint raises concerns about alleged out-of-scope medical practice occurring at Clearway. According to Jane Doe’s attorneys, while at Clearway, the patient was only seen and treated by a nurse, who performed and misdiagnosed her ultrasound. Registered nurses (RNs) are not permitted to diagnose ultrasounds, raising questions about whether RNs may be routinely operating outside of their scope of practice at the facility. The letter also calls for investigation into improper delegation of medical services by Dr. Erin Kate Dooley, who signed Jane Doe’s medical paperwork, yet according to Jane Doe’s attorneys, never treated the patient. Any such delegation of medical services is impermissible under Board of Registration in Medicine regulations.
Reproductive Equity Now is also calling for investigation into the facility’s deceptive advertising practices. Clearway advertises that its services are provided by a “team of board certified doctors and nurses.” However, according to Jane Doe’s attorneys, she was seen only by a registered nurse, despite being given treatment paperwork signed by Dr. Erin Kate Dooley. This advertising and documentation practice gives patients the false impression of who is providing their treatment.
This October, Reproductive Equity Now sent a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services calling for an investigation into another anti-abortion center, Your Options Medical licensed clinics, and specifically, the group’s new mobile unit that is preparing to operate on Cape Cod. The call for investigation into Your Options also surrounded the facility’s alleged deceptive advertising and potential out-of-scope medical practice.
Both complaints come after Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Robert Goldstein wrote a letter to the Boston Globe encouraging those who have concerns about the “qualifications or safety of care delivered by a nurse or physician” to file a formal complaint to initiate an investigation. People who have had a negative experience with anti-abortion centers can call Reproductive Equity Now’s Abortion Legal Hotline at 833-309-6301 to report their case and be referred to pro bono attorneys. Patients can also file a report with the Attorney General Office’s Civil Rights Division online or at 617-963-2917.
For patients in need of legitimate abortion, reproductive, and sexual health care services, Reproductive Equity Now’s New England Abortion Care Guide identifies your nearest reproductive health care clinic and flags dangerous anti-abortion centers to avoid in your area.
BACKGROUND:
Anti-abortion centers, also known as "crisis pregnancy centers," are not legitimate health care providers. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, anti-abortion centers present themselves to be pregnancy health care providers but “actually aim to dissuade people from accessing certain types of reproductive health care, including abortion care and even contraceptive options.” The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office notes that “CPCs do NOT provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare. CPCs are organizations that seek to prevent people from accessing abortion care.”
Anti-abortion centers more than double the number of legitimate abortion clinics in Massachusetts. Reproductive Equity Now’s New England Abortion Care Guide identifies 19 abortion clinics and 39 anti-abortion centers in the Bay State. Anti-abortion centers often position themselves directly next to legitimate clinics to confuse patients.
Massachusetts has allocated major funding to educate residents on the harms of anti-abortion centers. In February of 2023, Governor Maura Healy approved $1 million for a public education campaign to illuminate the dangers of anti-abortion centers for Bay Staters.