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The Daily Southtown
Sunday, September 2, 2001
Anti-abortion activist nurse fired from hospital job
By Paige Fumo Fox, Staff writer
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/02-ds6.htm

Jill Stanek, an outspoken nurse who spoke out against the abortions performed
at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn where she worked, was fired Friday.

Stanek reported to work at the hospital Friday night, her first day back
after a two-week vacation. When she arrived, her manager and the human
resources department head told her she no longer had a job, Stanek said.

Stanek was profiled in a Daily Southtown article published Aug. 19 while she
was on vacation. The article illustrated Stanek's opposition to induced-birth
abortions, which are allowed at Christ Hospital under limited circumstances.

"I find it too much of a coincidence" that the termination came on her first
day back since the article appeared, Stanek said.

Mike Maggio, the spokesman for the hospital, confirmed that Stanek "is no
longer an employee" at Christ. He would not further discuss the date or
circumstances of her departure, citing Stanek's right to have her employment
records kept confidential.

"The Southtown article was no precipitating factor. I can tell you that much.
... The article is a non-issue," Maggio said. "She no longer works at Christ
Medical Center. How that decision was reached, I was not involved." Stanek
said she had been on "final warning" at Christ because she had encouraged
people to picket a doctor who performed abortions.

"I suppose it was a surprise and not a surprise," Stanek said.

Stanek declined to further discuss what her manager or the human resources
department head told her Friday until she has a chance to talk with her
attorney.

The labor and delivery nurse's fight against abortion has led her to organize
prayer vigils outside the hospital and to testify before Congress and in
Springfield about induced-labor abortions.

Her fight also has led her to face discipline complaints by the hospital for
leaking internal memos to the press.

Hospital officials have said elective abortions of healthy babies were never
offered at Christ Hospital. Since Stanek began drawing publicity to the
hospital, its policy regarding abortions has been tightened. The hospital
says it will only perform abortions when the health of the mother is at
stake, in cases of rape or incest, or when the fetus shows signs of fatal
anomalies.

Stanek said that her fight against abortions at Christ Hospital will not
end."I will continue to speak out on behalf of the babies who were aborted
alive at Christ," she said. "I'll continue to do what I can to stop the
abortions there."

Paige Fumo Fox may be reached at [email protected] or (708)
633-5965.

******************

RFM NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Chicago, Illinois
(708) 388-0552
[email protected]

Whistle-blowing nurse fired by Advocate Christ Hospital

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, September 1, 2001 (RFM NEWS) A labor and delivery nurse at
Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois, was fired from her position
late Friday night.  Nurse Jill Stanek, who was the first to bring the
controversial abortion procedure, called induced labor abortion, to public
attention was told she was no longer employed at Christ Hospital, as she
attempted to enter her department for her shift which began late Friday
evening.

Stanek, who many are calling a whistle-blower, was ushered into a manager's
office where she was informed of her termination and then asked to leave the
facility.

Advocate Christ Hospital has been at the center of a national controversy
over the facility's use of an abortion procedure many are calling "live-birth
abortion."  Stanek has traveled the country giving sworn testimony concerning
the abortion technique used by the hospital, located in Oak Lawn, Illinois. 
Live-birth abortion, or the induced labor abortion method, is a procedure
where a pregnant woman is pharmaceutically induced into labor.  The
administered drugs enlarge the woman's cervix, thereby allowing the baby to
prematurely pass through the birth canal.  According to sworn testimony given
by Stanek and Allison Baker, another labor and delivery nurse who was
formerly employed by Christ Hospital, the abortion is completed after birth
is given.  Controversy has arisen because, at times, live newborns have
survived the process, but are then left to die, without medical
intervention.  Allegedly, some of these live newborns--who can be in as late
as their 24th week of gestation--have lived for hours before dying.

Stanek recently testified in front of the United States Congress and has
appeared before the Illinois General Assembly, giving testimony about her
knowledge of the live-birth abortion process.  Legislation, titled the
Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, is currently pending, in congressional
conference, and is expected to be signed into law by President George W.
Bush.  In Illinois, a similar package of bills, sponsored by state Senator
and gubernatorial candidate Patrick O'Malley (R-Palos Park) passed the
Illinois Senate, but was defeated in the Illinois House Judiciary Civil 1
Committee before ever reaching the floor of the full legislative body for a
vote.

Advocate Christ Hospital had previously given Stanek official reprimands over
her activism involving this issue, the most recent being in late June of
2001.  However, Stanek has continued her mission to bring an end to the use
of the live-birth abortion method and denied Advocate's charges that she
violated Hospital policy.  At the time, Stanek refused to comment on whether
she would seek legal action against Advocate Health Care Systems which
control nine hospitals in the Chicagoland area.  Stanek told RFM NEWS she
would not have a comment on her termination until she has a chance to speak
with legal counsel.

********************

Crusading Nurse Fired  (City News Exclusive!)
OAK LAWN, IL September 1, 2001 (CN)--Jill Lynn Stanek, the Crusading Nurse
who told the nation about the horrendous consequences of the live birth
abortion procedure at Christ Hospital... has been fired from her job at the
Oak Lawn facility. 
City News first broke the story nearly three years ago, and was subsequently
joined by other networks in recognizing the significance of the issue.  A
major turn of events took place in February of 2000 when Nurse Stanek was
forced to appear before a hospital Board of Review where she it was alleged
that she had, "...contributed to a negative working environment because of
her pro-life activism."  She responded that hospital policy, "...limited her
rights and entitlement to free speech."  She won that round when the board
agreed to revise her evaluation, but let stand an admonishment.

More recently, Stanek's actions have drawn widespread attention with
testimony before the U. S. Congress, and appearances on nationally televised
interview programs.  Less than two weeks ago she was featured in a front page
article in the Tinley Park Daily Southtown which detailed the extent of her
commitment to the cause. Also in January protesters picketed the hospital
denouncing the abortions.  "Our picket was intended to stir up the conscience
of the public against the killing of the unborn that takes place at Christ
Hospital," said Monica Miller, the Director of Citizens for a Pro-Life
Society at that time.

Nurse Stanek's eleventh hour termination notice was suspiciously served to
the Labor Room Nurse late Friday night, at the commencement of the Labor Day
weekend.  A confidential source told City News, "The timing may have been
coordinated to occur during a time period when most media centers are lightly
staffed for the holiday, thus dampening the response of public opinion."

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