Archdiocese's Hospitals Dispensing Abortifacient Contraception
Pittsburgh internist makes discovery while on sabbatical
(from the January/February 1999 issue)

According to a Pennsylvania medical doctor, nine Catholic health facilities in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including six Catholic hospitals, are violating Church teaching by allowing the dispensation of oral contraceptives or Depo-Provera and/or allowing the dispensation of the "morning after pill" or a prescription for it, through their emergency rooms to women who were allegedly raped.

Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, an internist from Pittsburgh, came to the Dayton, Ohio, area on sabbatical primarily to organize what he calls a "Life Prayer Vigil," an effort to have at least two people praying in front of a local partial-birth abortion facility every hour of the day and night until the clinic is closed forever.

While living in the Dayton area he incidentally discovered that three major Catholic hospital systems in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati—Good Samaritan, Franciscan, and Mercy—are routinely violating Church teaching.

"About nine months ago," said Kahlenborn, "a doctor and a nurse mentioned to me that some of the Catholic hospitals in the Dayton-Cincinnati area were routinely dispensing abortifacient contraceptives.

"I was incredulous," admitted Kahlenborn, "and decided to investigate the claims myself." After several months of careful inquiry, Kahlenborn found that every Catholic hospital and every major Catholic-run medical clinic at which he inquired in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas were violating Church teaching with regard to contraception.

Beyond the well-known fact that any type of contraceptive or "morning after pill regimen" is clearly at odds with basic Catholic teaching (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2370), Kahlenborn explained why this should be a major concern for area Catholics.

Both the birth control pill and Depo-Provera are known abortifacients: "that means that women who take them for contraceptive purposes will, at times, experience an early abortion, a phenomenon that is admitted by even the most ardent pro-abortion groups," explained Kahlenborn, citing a New York Times article from April 27, 1989, page A1.

According to research Kahlenborn has seen and believes to be most credible, it is estimated that a woman who is taking the birth control pill will have one early abortion for each year that she takes the oral contraceptive.

"In other words," said Kahlenborn, "instead of acting as a contraceptive, abortifacients will sometimes chemically induce an abortion of a baby in the earliest stages of a pregnancy, should conception have occurred."

The "morning after pill regimen" sometimes given to rape victims in the emergency rooms at Catholic hospitals also has the potential to cause early abortion if the rape victim has already conceived, Kahlenborn added.

Inquiries not welcome
During his inquiries at the various area Catholic hospitals and clinics, Kahlenborn’s questions were not well received.

An inquiry to the Franciscan Hospitals in Cincinnati and Dayton, for instance, prompted a letter in return threatening Kahlenborn with a lawsuit should he decide to make his allegations public.

Kahlenborn had sent the hospital documentation of the fact that Franciscan hospitals and clinics distribute the three contraceptive products.

Kathleen K. Burns, attorney for Franciscan Health System, wrote: "In response to your allegations, both hospitals would like to affirm that they are serious in their intent to follow the ethical and religious directives of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, which includes observance of the Church’s teaching about contraception."

Burns admits that the Franciscan pharmacies do indeed provide contraceptive items and products but, she says, "they are not prescribed for purposes of contraception, but for other medical reasons such as cancer treatment, osteoporosis, hormonal imbalances and dysfunctional bleeding problems."

Concluded Burns: "if your allegations about Franciscan are made public they will constitute libel and will be prosecuted accordingly."

Despite Franciscan’s denial, Kahlenborn says he knows women who have received the Depo-Provera shot into their buttocks—for contraceptive purposes—from Franciscan clinics such as St. Elizabeth’s. "It was brought to my attention," said Kahlenborn, "that even post-partum patients received Depo-Provera while in the hospital."

Dr. Anthony Foley, the head of Franciscan’s family practice program in Dayton, confirmed that hormonal contraceptives were given out by noting that "if St. Elizabeth’s stopped ‘doing it’ they would lose patients to the other hospitals." Foley said that he had never received an official policy statement on the matter of the birth control pill or Depo-Provera.

More denials
Kahlenborn experienced the same pattern of denial with almost all other hospitals when he presented each with incontrovertible evidence that the hospital’s contraceptive policies and/or practices were not in line with Church teaching.

The only hospital that formally admitted that Kahlenborn’s allegations were, in fact, true was Cincinnati’s Good Samaritan Hospital. Dr. Thomas Saladin, Good Sam’s Medical Director, responding in writing to Kahlenborn:

"The investigation [of your allegations] so far indicates that some of the practices that you have described have in fact occurred here. We are trying to discover the depth and breadth of this deviation from policies. The pharmacy stocks depo-provera and oral contraceptive pills, but by policy is not supposed to give them for birth control purposes. We believe that there have been some misunderstandings about the policy and about the details of the use of the drugs…"

A final appeal
After all but one of the nine Catholic medical facilities denied Kahlenborn’s allegations—which are substantially documented—and made no indication that they would reconsider their current policies regarding contraceptives, he brought his evidence to Cincinnati’s Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk.

Pilarczyk’s response? "The allegations that you make have been made before," wrote the archbishop, who has been a bishop in Cincinnati since 1974. "I have investigated them, and in every case found that the hospital was in compliance with Catholic belief and practice. I do not think that any further response from me would be appropriate."

Kahlenborn subsequently contacted the archbishop, asking him for a personal meeting to discuss the issue with him as a medical expert. Kahlenborn says has received no further response.

"I am very disappointed with the failure of the archbishop to respond to the problem," Kahlenborn told SCR. "I hoped that now, after one of the largest Catholic hospitals has admitted to violations, he would take action. For every day that passes without concrete action, tiny, unborn babies are being destroyed in Catholic hospitals and in Catholic clinics in Dayton and Cincinnati through the use of abortifacients such as the pill, Depo-Provera, and the ‘morning after pill regimen’ which rape victims received."

Kahlenborn added that he, as a medical doctor, has never seen this degree of abuse at any of the Catholic hospitals he has been in, either in Pittsburgh or Harrisburg.

A List of Hospitals In Question

The following is a list of the Catholic hospitals and clinics in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati which are allegedly dispensing the birth control pill, Depo-Provera and/or the ‘morning after pill regimen.’

Good Samaritan Hospital—Dayton: 2222 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton OH 45406, Phone: (937) 278-2612. Director: Sr. Carol Bauer. According to personnel within the hospital and its affiliated clinic, Life Stages: Samaritan Center for Women (phone 937-277-8988), Good Sam has dispensed the birth control pill and Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes. In addition, the "morning after pill regimen" has been dispensed to rape victims.

Good Samaritan Hospital: 375 Dixmyth Ave., Cincinnati OH 45220, Phone: (513) 872-1400. Director: Mr. John Prout. According to employees of the hospital and family practice clinic (phone: 513-872-2563) and an emergency room physician, Good Sam dispenses the birth control pill and Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes. In addition the "morning after pill regimen" may be given by the ER physician to rape victims. This hospital has admitted in writing that it is violating Church teaching and is reportedly looking into the problem.

Franciscan Medical Center: One Franciscan Way, Dayton OH 45408, phone: (937) 229-6035. CEO: Mr. James Strieby. According to employees of the hospital and family practice clinic (Dr. Anthony Foley, phone: 937-229-6463) Franciscan dispenses the birth control pill and Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes through its hospital and clinic. In addition "hormonal therapy" is used to "treat" rape victims.

Franciscan Hospital—Mt. Airy: 2446 Kipling Ave., Cincinnati OH 45239. President: R. Christopher West, CEO: Sr. Arlene McGowan. Phone (513) 853-5000. According to physicians in the family practice clinic (phone: 513-853-4300) and emergency room, Franciscan’s Mt. Airy campus dispenses the birth control pill and Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes through its hospital and clinic. In addition the "morning after pill regimen" may be given by the ER physicians to rape victims.

Mercy Hospital—Anderson: 7500 State Rd., Cincinnati OH 45255. Phone: (513) 624-4500, President: Fred Kolb. Mercy Anderson did not deny that it has distributed the birth control pill and Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes either through the hospital or its clinic. Dozens of telephone calls were made to the administrative office (513) 735-8965 and to the family practice clinic at (513) 624-4937. They would not deny that they had distributed these contraceptives. According to an ER physician the "morning after pill regimen" may be given by ER physicians to rape victims.

Mercy Hospital—Fairfield: 3000 Mack Rd., Fairfield OH 45014. Phone: (513) 870-7000. Vice-president: Brook Sutton. According to the head physician of the ER, Mercy Fairfield’s policy is to allow the individual emergency room physician to dispense the "morning after pill regimen" to rape victims. In addition, Morton Paul Hibbert, an abortionist, has hospital privileges here. This can be confirmed by calling their main switchboard number, (513) 870-7000.

Mercy Medi Center: 796 Cincinnati Batavia Pike, Cincinnati OH 45245. Phone: (513) 752-9610, Dr. Jerry Tassett. According to a physician at the Mercy Medi Center an individual doctor may write a prescription for oral contraceptives if "that is what he thought the patient’s doctor would do." Inquiries called into Mercy Medi Center concerning contraception were referred to Planned Parenthood.

Mercy Medi Center: 7770 West Chester Rd., West Chester OH 45069, Phone: (513) 777-2273. According to an employee at this Mercy Medi Center "there is no prohibition against giving out oral contraceptives." When asked if patients had ever received birth control in the past the employee stated "I cannot answer that."

Mercy Medical Associates: 7593 Tylers Place Blvd., West Chester OH, 45069, Phone: (513) 755-4700. According to a Mercy administrator, physicians could dispense oral contraceptives if he felt that it was "medically indicated." Inquiries placed to this Mercy facility concerning oral contraceptives were answered: "come on down and get a prescription."

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