Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health

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Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health (CRASH), at the time the largest freestanding abortion clinic in the world, opened in New York City after New York legalized abortion in 1970. It was run by Bernard Nathanson. Nathanson described his successful efforts to keep CRASH from being shut down by health officials in his book, Aborting America.^[1]

However, in 1988 CRASH was closed by the New York City health department stemming from a patient death and licensing issues. Among other findings, the inspectors discovered that the deceased patient's post-operative note, describing her as "pink, responsive, alert," had been entered into the chart before surgery had been initiated.^[2]

Other shortcomings were similar to those Nathanson had described correcting during his own tenure, for example, ill-lit operating rooms and generally dirty conditions.^[1]^[2]

CRASH was also found to have no documentation verifying the credentials or qualifications of medical director David Gluck^[2], who had been previously convicted of felony charges related to the sale of 48,000 Diluadid tabets to pay off gambling debts. His license had actually been revoked two months before the patient death, but had been restored by judicial stay.^[3]^[4]

There was no evidence at the time of the investigation, which took place two weeks after the patient death, that Gluck had reviewed her chart, or the charts of 18 other patients identified as having suffered complications.^[2]