Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic |
Dr. John Biskind arrives at the Madison Street Jail in Phoenix after his arrest on January 12, 1999, in connection with the death of Lou Anne Herron, who bled to death after an abortion.
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In the past decade, the only doctor to have his license revoked due to the death of a patient was Dr. John Biskind of Cleveland, who held an Arizona medical license. He faces criminal manslaughter charges in the death.
During an abortion at a Phoenix clinic in 1998, Biskind ruptured Lou Anne Herron's uterus with a sharp medical instrument. Herron, 33, was left alone and bleeding for nearly three hours before being taken to a hospital, records show.
The medical board revoked Biskind's license Aug. 20 of that year amid a maelstrom of media publicity. Medical officials cite the decision as an example of the quick action the regulatory agency takes to protect the public from a bad doctor.
But before Herron died and his license was revoked, Biskind was involved in the death of another patient who bled to death after an abortion. After the first death, Biskind was issued a "letter of censure" by the medical board.
When informed of the second death, the board took no action for two months. During that period, Biskind continued to practice medicine and attempted an abortion on a nearly full-term baby, fracturing her skull while using forceps to pull the head out of the womb.
Herron's father, Mike Gibbs, said his daughter would still be alive if the medical board had revoked Biskind's license earlier.
"You have to wonder what they were thinking," he said. "Did they realize what they were doing?"
