"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman, Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Sun-Times article titled, "Making a Killing in Michigan Av. Clinics." Written by Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick as part of the "Abortion Profiteers" series.

Media History

The reporting was intended for these media types: Newspaper

XV-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick -Chicago Sun-Times

Inside story of city's pro-life movement

1978-11-28

They marched around the clinic, swinging their rosaries, screeching Hail Marys and howling the Lord's Prayer. Among them was Sun-Times reporter Pamela Warrick - the only marcher without rosary beads. Armed with a pseudonym and a prayerbook, she joined Chicago's pro-life movement to get an inside look at the hardcore opposition to legalized abortion. After several weeks as a volunteer at the Illinois Right-To-Life headquarters and a weekend showing gory movies on the group's traveling Life-Mobile, Warrick was referred to the office of Joseph M. Scheidler - considered one of the most radical and powerful U.S. anti-abortion leaders.

XIV-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Ellen Warren - Chicago Sun-Times

The politics of abortion - a big business

1978-11-27

Washington - The nationwide battle over abortion has become a giant business. Organization on both sides of the controversial question spend millions of dollars and incalculable hours to elect candidates, defeat others, influence legislation and stir the national conscience with their points of view.

XIII-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Found: safe, compassionate care

1978-11-26

During a five-month investigation by the Sun-Times and Better Government Assn., reporters and researchers worked undercover in six of the city's 13 clinics. In four of those clinics - the Michigan Av. abortion mills - we have documented how women's lives are endangered by people who care more for profits than patients. But working undercover in two other clinics, and working in co-operation with a third, we found that abortion doesn't have to be an assembly-line operation. We found that in clinics like these, women may find safe and compassionate medical care.

XII-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Hot line deceptions sell most abortions

1978-11-25

During a five-month investigation, the Sun-Times and Better Government Assn. found that some abortion profiteers advertise under a number of deceptive names to entice women into their Michigan Avenue clinics. In those clinics, telephone sales techniques are monitored more carefully than a doctor's operating techniques. New counselors or nursing assistants learn quickly that the telephone is the clinic's most important instrument.

XI-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Counseling the patient: Buy this abortion

1978-11-24

During a five-month investigation of the Chicago abortion business, The Sun-Times and Better Government Assn. discovered that in some Michigan Av. abortion mills, women who are hired to counsel don't - they're paid to sell.

X-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Pregnant or not, women given abortions

1978-11-22

Nine out of 10 times, a simple urine test accurately diagnoses pregnancy. And, unless there is other proof of pregnancy, medical experts say, women with negative tests are not candidates for abortions. But working undercover at the Water Tower Reproductive Center, 840 N, Michigan, BGA investigator Mindy Trossman counted 81 abortion procedures performed on women with negative pregnancy tests. That was 12 per cent of all women who received abortions during the two months Trossman worked there.

IX-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Infamous doctor is Detroit Connection

1978-11-21

It happened in the Rucker Memorial Medical Center, the little brick building in Detroit where at least two Chicago referral agencies send women more than 12 weeks pregnant for cheap, fast abortions. The center is owned by Dr. Joseph W. Rucker, who performs abortions there with his wife - and on at least one occasion, his dog - assisting him. During a five-month investigation of the Chicago abortion business by the Sun-Times and the Better Government Assn., we heard from a number of women who were sent to Rucker's clinic by these referral agencies - women with tales as ghastly as that of the Joliet couple who saw the dog in the operating room.

VIII-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Big kickbacks to abortion mills (POOR SCAN - REDO)

1978-11-20

Chicago's abortion profiteers are padding their profits with Medicaid funds illegally obtained through kickbacks and fraudulent billing schemes. During a five-month investigation of some abortion clinics and referral agencies, the Sun-Times and Better Government Assn. have documented massive abuse of the Medicaid program and flagrant violations of federal law.

VII-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

12 dead after abortions in state's walk-in clinics

1978-11-19

At least 12 women have died following legal abortions in Illinois walk-in abortion clinics. Although state health officials knew of not a single clinic death just a week ago, the Sun-Times and Better Government Assn. have learned of a dozen women who suffered fatal infections or bled to death after undergoing abortion procedures in state-regulated clinics.

VI-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Soft voices, hard sells - twin swindles

1978-11-17

They are identical twins with identical cons. They bill themselves as "counselors." But their business is sales, and they use every trick in the book to peddle abortions to confused and frightened women. Victoria Sanders and Valerie McCullough operate competing abortion referral services out of fancy suites and between them advertise half a dozen "abortion hot lines" in four states.

V-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Nurse to aide: 'Fake that pulse!'

1978-11-16

We were hired off the street as aides, medical assistants and counselors. Without checking our references or credentials, four of Chicago's abortion clinics gave us jobs we were unqualified to hold and tasks we were untrained to perform. The clinics asked us to do everything but perform abortions. They wanted us to remove IVs, administer injections, give psychological counseling and assist in surgery.

IV-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Dr. Ming Kow Hah: Physician of pain

1978-11-15

Dr. Ming Kow Hah, who has already lost his medical license in one state and faces revocation in Illinois, may give the fastest abortions in Chicago. According to a five-month investigation by the Sun-Times and the Better Government Assn., Hah may also give the most painful abortions in the city.

III-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

The Abortion Lottery: Women take chances with 'tryout' doctors

1978-11-14

On Michigan Av., women entrust their bodies to doctors who may be mere mechanics on the abortion assembly line. They may be moonlighting residents, general practitioners with little or no training in women's medicine, or even unlicensed physicians. While slick clinic brochures promise only board-certified obstetrician-gynecologists, few have earned that accreditation.

II-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Meet the Profiteers: Men who profit from women's pain

1978-11-13

Meet the biggest profiteers of Chicago's multimillion-dollar abortion business. One used to sell cars. Another sold caskets. Two sold "welfare" medicine. They all jumped on the bandwagon to make a killing, selling abortions on the Magnificent Mile. During a five-month investigation of Chicago's legalized abortion trade, the Sun-Times and Better Government Assn. identified the men who run the four Michigan Av. abortion mills. And working undercover, we watched how they do it.

I-"The Abortion Profiteers" - Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick - Chicago Sun-Times

Making a Killing in Michigan Av. clinics

1978-11-12

Five months ago, the Sun-Times and the Better Government Assn. began the first in-depth investigation of Chicago's thriving abortion business since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on Jan. 22, 1973. We found: - Dozens of abortion procedures performed on women who were not pregnant and others illegally performed on women more than 12 weeks pregnant.