by Brian Gibson, Executive Director, Pro-Life Action Ministries, www.plam.org

Great News!

Regions Hospital, bowing to the pressure brought by prayer and the presence of thousands of Christians, announced November 25 that the abortion facility within the hospital would close on December 9, 2011. This comes after seven 40 Days for Life campaigns involving thousands at the hospital, petition drives, phone calling and emailing campaigns, and millions of dollars in lost business for HealthPartners over its ownership of the hospital and the abortion facility. We cannot express properly the waves of joy we are experiencing with this victory.

There is little doubt that the reason for this announcement being made on the Friday after Thanksgiving was to minimize the publicity of the closing and to give a "Regions only" spin to the news. But it matters little as to the claims of the hospital; we know how much prayer and labor has gone into convincing hospital officials to close their abortion mill.

This is the first abortion facility to close in Minnesota in more than two decades and the first to ever close due to pro-life pressure.

We thank God first and foremost for this great victory. It is the Lord of Life who has moved hearts and changed minds to close this abortion facility. We also thank all those who prayed ardently, kept vigil or stood in witness at Regions, who signed petitions, sent correspondence, picketed at HealthPartners clinics and annual meetings, and who aided the boycott of HealthPartners medical insurance these past six years. And special thanks to the pro-life employees at Regions who courageously worked for the closing of this abortion facility.

It is of great significance that Regions is closing this abortion facility. But this is not a complete change of heart for either Regions Hospital or HealthPartners. Regions is still willing to commit abortions for "emergency" reasons. This may equate to fewer than a dozen per year, but it remains evil to kill defenseless human beings. All of the abortionists remain on staff at the hospital and will continue killing children at Planned Parenthood and other abortion facilities. And the referral and network systems at HealthPartners, which has fed the abortion facility at Regions for years, remains intact, switching to other abortion facilities for these referrals.

A Partial Time line:

Late Winter 1988 - St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital’s (forerunner of Regions Hospital) gruesome abortion practices are revealed in a Catholic Bulletin newspaper (forerunner of the Catholic Spirit) investigative report.

Spring - Summer 1988 - The public board of the hospital votes to close the abortion facility after a coordinated boycott by the pro-life movement. Two days later, the hospital board effectively reverses its decision bowing to pro-abortion political pressure led by Planned Parenthood of Minnesota. Instead of closing the abortion facility, the hospital creates a “super board” to “study” the situation for 90 days. During that 90-day period, more than a thousand attend a series of rallies outside the hospital and more than 200 individuals commit to keeping a prayer presence and leaflet the hospital on a two-by-two basis. At the end of the “study” period, the “super board” predicably votes to keep the abortion facility open.

October 2006 - “Save HealthPartners” campaign is undertaken after much prayer and discernment leads us to believe the abortion facility inside Regions Hospital can be closed.

October 2006 - February 2008 - The “Save HealthPartners” campaign includes prayer rallies at HealthPartners headquarters and its annual meetings. Bi-weekly prayer and informational leafleting is conducted at more than 20 of the HealthPartners clinics around the Twin Cities Metro area. A petition drive gains thousands of signatures and HealthPartners members are encouraged to inform the health care company of their serious displeasure over the ownership of the abortion facility within Regions Hospital. On several occasions, Mary Brainerd, CEO of HealthPartners is respectfully confronted at public meetings regarding the abortion facility.

February 2008 - November 2011 - Seven 40 Days for Life campaigns are held in front of Regions
Hospital. More than 3,500 individuals and three dozen churches join in the prayer efforts there. Prayer services during these campaigns range from several dozen to more than 500 in attendance. 24-hour-a-day vigils are kept for most of each of the 40 day campaigns. Pro-life hospital employees report they are encouraged by the presence and prayers of those attending the vigils to work to close the abortion facility. Behind the scenes a “quiet” boycott of HealthPartners health insurance costs the company millions of dollars in lost business because of the abortion facility.

March 2011 - Now confirmed, head of the Ob/Gyn Department at Regions Hospital announces the impending closing of the abortion facility “in six months.” At this meeting, he blames the pro-lifers for this closing.

April 2011 - It is confirmed that abortion training for University of Minnesota medical students was to end in July 2011.

November 6, 2011 - At the closing prayer service for the seventh 40 Days for Life campaign at Regions Hospital, the email address of Brock Nelson, CEO of Regions, is made known and all are encouraged to pray for him and to communicate a strong, civil request for the closing of the abortion facility.

November 25, 2011 - Regions announces the impending closing of the abortion facility. December 9, 2011 - GYN Special Services, the abortion facility within Regions Hospital, where more than ten thousand defenseless unborn children had lost their lives, closes.

Special Note:

It is of great significance that Regions is closing this abortion facility. But this is not a complete change of heart for either Regions Hospital or HealthPartners. Regions is still willing to commit abortions for “emergency” reasons. This may equate to fewer than a dozen per year, but it remains evil to kill defenseless human beings. All of the abortionists remain on staff at the hospital and will continue killing children at Planned Parenthood and other abortion facilities. And the referral and network systems at HealthPartners, which has fed the abortion facility at Regions for years, remains intact, switching to other abortion facilities for these referrals.

http://youtu.be/TFBE8MFlBKc