Planned Parenthood Exec Says Four Florida Clinics Entirely Lawful, Correct

Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Executive Director Laura Goodhue said Wednesday the governor is playing games, all Planned Parenthood centers "are operating in full compliance with Florida law."

By changing the rules, Goodhue said, Gov. Scott's agents are making the organization seem guilty of something they are not.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration had said earlier in the day it would take action against Planned Parenthood clinics in four of their 16 Florida locations. The agency released a report saying clinics in St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and Naples were performing second-trimester abortions when they were only licensed to perform first-trimester abortions. The report also stated that a Pembroke Pines clinic was not following its own procedures for the labeling and dating of the disposal of fetal remains.

Goodhue quickly and uncategorically denied ACHA's charges.  

“I can state unequivocally that all of our health centers are operating in full compliance with Florida law as well as best practices in reproductive health care," she said. "The claim that any of our health centers are performing procedures we are not licensed to perform is false and seemingly stems from AHCA flip-flopping on their own rules and definitions of gestational periods.

“In the health centers AHCA reported on we only perform first trimester abortions, which we measure according to accepted medical guidelines and in accordance with Florida regulations as up to 13 weeks and six days from a woman’s last menstrual cycle. This, as defined by rules, is still the first trimester. AHCA has never before indicated any different interpretation of this -- including at inspections performed as recently as two weeks ago.

“AHCA’s new interpretation is grossly inconsistent with years of previous inspections and outside of both the regulations and accepted medical standards.

“Planned Parenthood is the most trusted women’s health care provider in this country, and we have provided high-quality care for nearly 100 years. Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our patients, which is why we will continue to fight back and call these attacks what they are -- part of a decade-long campaign of deceiving the public, making false charges, and terrorizing women and their doctors, all in order to ban abortion and cut women off from care at Planned Parenthood.

“This is a transparent attempt to discredit the care we provide, and to prevent women from accessing essential health care services. In 34 percent of Florida's counties, women don't even have an OB/GYN. In fact, Gov. Scott signed five pieces of anti-women’s health legislation into law during his first term in office, and it's outrageous he's using what should be routine inspections as an opportunistic way to further restrict women's access to health care.”