Mississippi's Sole Abortion Clinic in Danger of Closing

In 2012, when Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed an anti-abortion law, he instituted a sort of catch-22 for physicians who perform abortions. In order to work in a clinic, doctors are required to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, but many hospitals don't want to be involved in the state's fierce women's health battle and will not grant them. The Daily News reports that Bryant has repeatedly offered that "he wants Mississippi to be abortion-free and that he'd shut the clinic if he had the power to do it." On Friday, the state's health department delivered a notice to the Jackson Women's Health Organization declaring its intention to revoke their operating license.

Under a state administrative procedures law, the clinic can remain open while it awaits a hearing by the department. That could be more than a month away.

Clinic owner Diane Derzis said this week that she expected the notice about a possible license revocation.

Health Department workers inspected the facility Jan. 16 to see if it had complied with a 2012 state law that requires anyone doing abortions at the clinic to be an OB-GYN with hospital admitting privileges.

Derzis said local hospitals would not issue privileges to out-of-state physicians who do most of the abortions at the clinic.

Read more at the Daily News.

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