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DAILY SOUTHTOWN,  September 2, 2001
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/letters/x02-fd1.htm
Hospital's position on abortions

We were surprised to see the prominent role that Advocate Christ Medical
Center played in your newspaper's series of abortion articles on Aug. 19,
especially since our medical center's pregnancy-termination policies are
highly restrictive, resulting in a very small number of procedures, and much
more conservative than the practices of many other hospitals, both in the
Chicago area and throughout the country.

Two important facts that your newspaper failed to deliver to readers:

1. Christ Medical Center does not provide abortions on demand. Pregnancy
termination is restricted to those rare cases in which a mother's life is in
danger, the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, or a team of physicians
and other health-care professionals has determined a fetus has anomalies that
make sustained life after birth impossible. A mother may elect termination of
the pregnancy only in such difficult and tragic situations.

2. The public debate on abortion is neither a legal issue nor a
quality-of-care issue. The care provided at Christ Medical Center meets and
exceeds the guidelines and recommendations of all governmental, professional
and accrediting agencies and is fully supported by our two faith-based church
sponsors.

We recognize the rights of your newspaper to highlight the opinions of
individuals. We merely ask that the legitimate rights of others, including
those of our patients, institution and staff, also be recognized and
protected. For the newspaper to publish stories that feature unsubstantiated
allegations and suggest our institution is engaging in immoral and
inappropriate practices is gross and unfair misrepresentation.

Rev. Larry Easterling
Vice president, mission and spiritual care
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn

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