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October 23, 1999
Chicago Sun-Times

"O'Malley quits hospital board"
by Molly O'Sullivan

State Sen. Patrick J. O'Malley (R - Palos Park) has resigned from Christ Hospital's governing council in protest of the hospital's new policy scaling back abortions, which he said doesn't go far enough.

"I'm a big cheerleader for Christ Hospital, but you have to draw the line somewhere," O'Malley, an abortion opponent, said Friday.

Under the policy that goes into effect Jan. 1, abortions will be limited to two of Advocate Health Care's six area hospitals - Christ and Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge - and allowed only in cases of rape or incest, when continuing the pregnancy would pose a "serious threat" to the mother's health or when the fetus cannot survive.

In a letter to the council chairman, Dr. William Hopkins, O'Malley said the policy adopted by Advocate Health Care, Christ's parent company, "is unacceptable to me personally" and "contrary to community standards."

The new policy was unveiled last week following protests outside Christ by anti-abortion groups.

O'Malley also had hoped that the council would have pushed Advocate to let the council make the decision about the abortion policy. The council did not, he said, so that "leaves me with no choice but to submit my resignation."

Hospital executives sent a letter to O'Malley on Friday in which they thanked him for four years of service on the council and said they have "great appreciation for your personal views on pregnancy termination and respect your choice to resign."

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