GREEN BAY, Wis. — A medical clinic that's the sole abortion provider in Green Bay will stop offering the procedure when it is sold next month, according to federal court documents.
Starting Aug. 1, OB/GYN Associates of Green Bay will belong to Bellin Health Systems, owner Dr. Robert DeMott said in the court documents obtained by WLUK-TV (http://bit.ly/17BU7LW ).
DeMott said after Aug. 1, he will not provide abortions. He said in the documents that he is the only physician in Green Bay to provide abortion services.
His comments are part of the record in a federal lawsuit by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which is attempting to block provisions of a new state law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges to hospitals within 30 miles of the clinic. The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of U.S. Court in Madison, says only two abortion clinics will remain in operation in Wisconsin — one in Madison and one in Milwaukee.
"So it is already very limited for women especially women who live in a community live Green Bay," Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Nicole Safar said. "We know when women don't have access to safe abortions overall their health care suffers."
Planned Parenthood said its main focus is on its 20 Wisconsin health centers that offer birth control, emergency contraception and pregnancy tests.
Bellin Health officials said they won't comment on matter because the business transaction is not officially closed.
A federal judge this month refused to lift a temporary hold on a new requirement that Wisconsin abortion providers have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The new law also requires women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion. That mandate remains in effect.
