Biskind's Arizona days done

Abortion doctor gives up state medical license

By Susie Steckner and Jodie Snyder
The Arizona Republic Aug. 14, 1998

Phoenix abortion doctor John Biskind has agreed to give up his Arizona medical license, officials said Thursday.

Biskind faced a hearing next month on whether he should be allowed to continue practicing after one of his patients bled to death in April and he nearly aborted a full-term baby in June.

In the agreement, reached Wednesday, Biskind admitted to allegations made by the state about his role in both the death and near-abortion, records show.

His Arizona license will be revoked, and Biskind won't be allowed to reapply.

The agreement does not affect a pending criminal investigation into the two incidents.

The Arizona Board of Medical Examiners, which regulates the state's doctors, will meet next week to take formal action.

"Biskind has signed away his license," said Melissa Cornelius, deputy director of the medical board.

Biskind could not be reached for comment. His attorney declined to say why Biskind, who initially denied the state's allegations, entered into the agreement.

"You're not entitled to know that," Lawrence Kazan said.

Biskind, 72, lives in the Cleveland area and has a winter home in Scottsdale. Kazan would not say whether his client intends to continue practicing medicine in Ohio.

An attorney representing the family of LouAnne Herron, who died April 17 at the A-Z Women's Center in Phoenix, expressed relief that Biskind won't practice here.

"We would have been more pleased if he had stopped practicing before April 17," said Paul Lazarus. "We believe there was sufficient evidence prior to April 17 for his license to be revoked."

The examiners board had previously taken action against Biskind three times. The board issued a letter of concern in 1990 after the near-abortion of a full-term baby, a letter of concern in 1991 for inappropriately prescribing drugs and a censure in 1996 after a patient in his care bled to death.

In the 1996 case, Biskind was admonished for gross negligence and harmful conduct to the patient but was allowed to keep his license.

In June, Biskind attempted to abort a fetus that was 37 weeks along and instead ended up delivering a baby girl. Biskind told authorities he believed the fetus was 23 weeks along.

The girl suffered lacerations and other injuries during the procedure. She is reportedly being adopted by a Texas couple.

Just three months earlier, Herron, 33, bled to death from a punctured uterus after an abortion. State officials say that Herron didn't get emergency medical care for more than three hours. There was no nurse in the recovery room, and Biskind had left the clinic.

On July 20, board members called an emergency meeting and suspended Biskind's license. Biskind faced a hearing before the state Office of Administrative Hearings on Sept. 1 to answer allegations about the death and the near-abortion.

Next week, if the board agrees to the revocation, the information will be forwarded to the National Practitioner Data Bank, a database of disciplined doctors maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ohio health officials have said that if Arizona revokes Biskind's license, his Ohio license could be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, a criminal investigation into the death and near-abortion is pending.

"The incidents are under investigation, and we're working very closely with the county attorney to see exactly where we go from here," said Phoenix police Detective Mike McCullough. "They (county prosecutors) will ultimately review all of the facts that we find."

The A-Z Women's Center at 10th Street and McDowell Road was closed by its owner, Moshe Hachamovitch, on Aug. 1. The New York-based doctor closed two other clinics in Phoenix and Scottsdale.