Some Ohio hospitals may have failed to report abortion procedures to the state after an inquiry by a news organization found one hospital failed to do so for several years.
The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati informed the state it performed 59 abortions in the past five years, according to media organization Gannett Ohio.
In November, Christ instituted a new abortion policy that permits physicians to perform abortions only if the woman's life is at risk. Ohio state policy is the same.
Under state law, Ohio hospitals are required to report monthly and annually how many abortions its physicians perform. Physicians are also required by law to report abortions within 15 days after the woman is discharged.
Kendall Herold, a spokeswoman at Christ Hospital, said in a prepared statement that the health system complies with state procedures.
“Like all hospitals, The Christ Hospital is routinely surveyed by regulatory agencies to assure we're in compliance. The Christ Hospital has made the necessary regulatory filings. Understanding that these are periodic filings, the state may not have had the opportunity to process them,” Herold said.
The Ohio Health Department has since informed all hospitals to submit required abortion data from Jan. 1, 2015, to Jan. 1, 2016, by March 1. In accordance with Ohio law, all hospitals must submit a form even if the facility has not performed any abortions.
Russ Kennedy, a department spokesman, said implementing the deadline was not directly in response to Christ Health, but “other Ohio hospitals not submitting the required reports either.”
In 2014, 21,186 abortions in Ohio were performed, and 84 were completed at a hospital, according to a report by the Ohio Health Department (PDF).
