Abortion foes plan to go high-tech outside Englewood clinic

NorthJersey.com ^ | 03.16.07 | RUTH PADAWER

[Coleus]

Chris Slattery waiting for clients in his mobile ultrasound center along a street in the Bronx. He hopes that pregnant women will forgo abortions after seeing ultrasound images of their fetuses.

Antiabortion activists are unveiling the newest weapon in their arsenal: a motor home with an ultrasound machine, which they plan to park outside Englewood's abortion clinic when it reopens.  The goal is to persuade women to abandon their scheduled abortions after seeing the visual image of the growing life within them.  "When women later see ultrasounds of babies that are at the same stage as their baby was, they always say, 'I didn't know! I wouldn't have had an abortion had I known,' " said Chris Slattery, who runs 15 crisis-pregnancy centers in the metropolitan area. "It's that reaction that we're after."

Along with a counselor and a certified ultrasound technician, Slattery will have a malpractice attorney aboard, offering free consultations for women who believe they were injured from an abortion. "It's quite an enterprising strategy, a new way to create a sense of doubt in a woman's mind," said Debra Dodson, formerly with Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics. "Ultrasounds make the moral quandary palpable and raise questions. Everything depends on who provides the context for the answers."  Slattery's 32-foot-long ultrasound motor home -- which hit the streets two weeks ago -- brings the battle over abortion to a new level. His is one of the few mobile ultrasound vehicles used nationwide.

A veteran, high-profile abortion opponent, he was one of the pioneers using ultrasound for the cause, more than 20 years ago.  He says his counseling centers in New Jersey and New York -- called Expectant Mother Care -- have won over 17,000 women in the last 22 years, more than half of them with the use of ultrasounds.  Once Slattery heard about the Feb. 24 closure of Metropolitan Medical Associates abortion clinic for health and safety violations, he decided Engle Street was his next stop. He plans to bring his mobile unit to Englewood once or twice a week.

Metropolitan Medical's attorney, Frank Capece, had no comment on Slattery's plans. He said he was unsure when the clinic would reopen, adding, "It is the intention of the facility to be in full compliance with all health and safety requirements."  NARAL Pro-Choice New Jersey also had little to say about the antiabortion activist's ultrasound-on-wheels.  "At the end of the day, NARAL New Jersey is for the right to choose," said Courtney Wicks, the group's leader.

Whether the Department of Health will have any say in the actions of Slattery's mobile unit is unclear.  "Until we know exactly what procedures they will be doing in that bus, or if they're making any diagnoses, we can't determine whether state health regulations and statutes cover it," said department spokesman Nathan Rudy.  Slattery's centers are typically near high-volume abortion clinics, to lure away prospective patients. The South Bronx facility is right across the street from an abortion clinic. In Manhattan, it's around the corner from one. And in Brooklyn, it's in the same building. Metropolitan Medical performs 10,000 abortions a year.Slattery said he has no plans to open a center in Englewood, because real estate prices are too high. Besides, why pay rent when he can simply feed a parking meter and move on?

The motor home, 10 years old with 19,000 miles, was donated by supporters. Already outfitted with a bathroom and sinks, it was easy to retrofit into an examination room. He paid $35,000 for the ultrasound machine.  On the outside, it announces: "ICU: Image Clear Ultrasound" and in smaller letters says, "Pregnancy. Diagnosis. Immediate results." There is no mention of abortions or the group's opposition to the procedure.  The technician sends the ultrasounds electronically to an off-site radiologist, to confirm the pregnancy and diagnose any noticeable abnormalities.  Slattery says it costs $300 a day to run the mobile "office," between gas bills, auto insurance, and wages for a counselor and ultrasound technician. Slattery is the driver, which has had its own costs.  "I've already hit one parked car," he says. "I clipped it. I'm still getting used to driving this beast."

For the last two weeks, the motor home has sat outside a busy abortion clinic in the South Bronx, drawing in -- by Slattery's report -- two to three women a day. Slattery says after seeing their ultrasounds, about half decide not to terminate their pregnancies.  By this summer, Slattery intends to convert two donated mini-buses into two new soldiers in his battle, this time with 3-D ultrasound machines -- if he can find any that his group can afford.  "I firmly believe that if we in the pro-life movement spent our resources on expanding abortion alternative services, we would cut the American abortion numbers in half," he said. "We think ultrasound gives us a tremendous added edge that will make a significant impact on more women choosing life."  In his view, the ultrasound mobiles offer another perk to the movement: Antiabortion protesters tend to show up at clinics no matter the weather, and the pregnancy center on wheels would offer them respite, Slattery said cheerfully.   "We have coffee, bathrooms and climate-controlled comfort with our onboard furnace and air conditioning."

[CGTRWK]

Slattery will have a malpractice attorney aboard

Just a matter of time till one of these is parked outside every hospital in the country.

[MHGinTN]

Give me an address to send a check. LIFE, the foundation of this nation, the hope of humankind.

[Coleus]

Chris Slattery, President
Expectant Mother Care
61 Lewis Parkway
Yonkers, NY 10705
Tel: (914) 224-5773
E-mail: SlatteryNY@aol.com

[MHGinTN]

You raised a thought: given how often abortuaries have sexual predators and abusers associated with them (see Lime5 by google search), it is only a matter of time until someone in the death/killer society creates a 'sexual sting' to get a leftists judge to close them down.

[MHGinTN]

Thanks so much ... check will be in the Saturday mail.

[miliantnutcase]

My wife is an ultrasound technologist and I can't tell you how many times she probably prevented someone from getting abortion by showing her the film of her child.
I'm kind of surprised they were able to do this because these are half million dollar machines and top of that the techs that use them like my wife are very highly trained don't come cheap. They must be donating their time I would think.

[AndyTheBear]

The story says the machines only cost $35,000 plus $300 a day for the operation. But they mentioned a desire for "3-D" machines when they can afford it--perhaps those are more like the half million $ type your wife uses?

[miliantnutcase]

The 35k machines are probably the portable system that hook up to a laptop. The 3D machines run closer to a million, maybe more.

[beaversmom]

ping

[beaversmom]

This image was taken off the internet--not one of my babies. Wish I had one of these done though--with the last baby at least.

[cpforlife.org]

"The 35k machines are probably the portable system that hook up to a laptop. The 3D machines run closer to a million, maybe more."

My group has helped to get 6 Ultrasounds placed in the last two years. The first one was the GE 4D Unit, which is real time video in 3D. The unit retails new for 100 – 120 thousand depending upon options. This one was 1 year old, hardly used and was 55,000. Three more were 3D through Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program, http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003942.cfm where they paid 80% of the costs and the CPC paid the balance and training costs. Costs vary widely from the many different manufacturers. It gets complicated.

Oddly one of the centers told us the success rate was virtually the same using the old 2D black and white versus the new 3D, that it was the age of the baby and how well trained the sonographer counselor is in dealing with the mother. It was one person’s opinion based on their experience but it seems most are going 3D which seems best --short of 4D.

[cpforlife.org]

Pro-Life PING

Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[kimmie7]

What a wonderfully creative idea! As soon as we're out of our present crunch, I'll be sending a check along to the addy you provided MHG.

Thanks for posting and pinging!

[ken5050]

I don't know if you've seen this video "On Eagles' Wings, A Memorial" but it is marvelous, very inspirational. It will bring tears to your eyes. And it's one of my favorite hymns as well.

BTW..if anyone knows how to find out who made this, and who is the vocalist, I'd be most appreciative. Regards...