Category: Press Releases

Written by Operation Rescue

Albuquerque, New Mexico – Operation Rescue has released documentation which shows that the Sandia Foundation acts as landlord for Southwestern Women’s Options, a late-term abortion clinic owned and operated by Curtis Boyd and his wife, Glenna Halvorson Boyd. The Sandia Foundation is a respected non-profit corporation based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with roots in the Catholic Church.

“This puts the Sandia Foundation squarely in the abortion business. They profit from the lease and therefore are enablers and collaborators in Boyd’s grisly late-term abortion business,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Southwestern Women’s Options has been in the news recently for ten life-threatening botched abortions that resulted in calls for emergency assistance. The New Mexico Medical Board has confirmed that is it currently investigating Southwestern Women’s Options and another abortion clinic based on complaints filed by Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life.

Bernalillo County records show that Sandia owns the land at 522 Lomas Boulevard, Northeast, in Albuquerque, and continues to pay taxes on that property and some improvements. Curtis Boyd only pays property taxes for personal property located at that address.

The document released today is an “Assignment and Assumption of Lease” signed by the Boyd’s and Sandia President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Goodman, who acts as “Landlord” for the Boyd’s abortion business.

Sandia originally made a “ground lease” on the property with Neurosurgery Partners in 1983. That company transferred their lease to the Boyd’s on July 15, 2008. On December 16, 2010, Goodman signed a transfer of the lease from Curtis and Glenna Boyd to 522 Lomas, LLC, a limited liability company controlled by the Boyd’s.

“Sandia was founded ‘to aid and assist educational, scientific, benevolent, religious and charitable institutions’, not to profit from the shedding of innocent blood though abortion,” said Newman. “We urge Sandia to get out of the abortion business and return to the noble purpose that group was founded upon.”
Members of the Sandia Foundation’s Board of trustees are as follows:

• Vaden Bales, CEO of Wrangler Properties LLC, a commercial real estate development and investment company.

• Bernard “Gig” Brummell, a Branch Manager for Dean Whitter and former UNM baseball star who serves on the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Finance Council.

• Don Chalmers, owner of Don Chalmers Ford dealerships in Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and Albuquerque

• Rod J. Pera, who has been deeply involved in the Hershey Chocolate empire.

• Robert M. Goodman, an Albuquerque banking executive and former president of Sunwest Bank.

• Suzanne Barker Kalangis, Executive Director of the Thornburg Charitable Foundation and Manager of Barker Properties real estate companies.

• Annette S. Parker, Vice President and Treasurer of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

• John Perovich, former President of the University of New Mexico.

We urge those who have concerns about the Sandia Foundation’s involvement in profiting from dangerous, late-term abortions to contact them at gail@sandiafoundation.org, or call them at 505-242-2684.

Written by Operation Rescue

Albuquerque, NM – A confidential informant has come forward and told pro-life groups that a woman died from abortion-related injuries at the UNM Center for Reproductive Health in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last month. In a related development, the New Mexico Medical Board is now sending mixed signals concerning a promised investigation into 13 life-threatening abortion injuries revealed by a series of 911 emergency calls.

The informant spoke several times with Tara Shaver of Project Defending Life and expressed concern about the death. According to the informant, an emergency vehicle picked up the body and transported it to an unknown location. Clinic workers who were visibly upset and shaken at the time of the incident were told not to discuss the situation with anyone. Other details provided by the informant gave credibility to the story.

Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life have attempted to independently corroborate the patient death, but HIPAA laws have so far prevented the groups from doing so.

The alleged abortion death has been reported to police.

“We have seen several abortionists, such as Rapin Osathanondh and Kermit Gosnell, criminally charged and sent to jail after abortion deaths. Because of the fact that a death is involved, and because there appeared to be an attempt to cover up the death by ordering workers not to talk, it became our duty to report this to the police,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

The informant came forward after hearing news reports concerning a 911 call placed by the UNM Center for Reproductive Health that had been released by Operation Rescue. During that disturbing call, the patient in the background could be heard groaning and struggling for life.

Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life both filed complaints with the New Mexico Medical Board concerning that call and 12 others from UNMRCH and Southwestern Women’s Options (SWO), a late-term abortion mill operated by Texas abortionist Curtis Boyd. (Listen to the calls.) A letter from the Board dated July 14, 2011, notified Sullenger that an investigation of three SWO abortionists had been initiated.

Last week, complainants Tara Shaver and Operation Rescue’s Cheryl Sullenger received troubling, factually inaccurate letters from a Board attorney that improperly demanded that they supply information that is protected by patient privacy laws.

Sullenger asked Board Executive Director Lynn Hart last week by telephone to clarify whether there would be an investigation. Hart spoke rudely with Sullenger, often interrupting and raising her voice.

“Ms. Hart was unprofessional and accusatory, reiterating the demand that I ascertain patient names and other private information before the Board would proceed with any investigation. Her language revealed to me a radical pro-abortion mindset. At one point she told me there would be no investigation of any complaint filed by me,” said Sullenger.

“To add confusion, Hart followed up with a letter restating her demand for private patient information. It is improper for the Board to ask us to do their investigation for them. The Medical Board has all it needs to investigate the thirteen abortion-related injuries in our complaints. Hart is trying to tank this investigation by making demands that are above and beyond what are actually needed to investigate why women are being injured and possibly killed at two Albuquerque abortion clinics at the rate of one every ten weeks. For the Board to not investigate this medical crisis is to shirk their duty to protect the public from negligent medical practices. Hart is putting her pro-abortion political agenda ahead of the health and safety of women and in doing so has made New Mexico the most dangerous state in America for women.”

Sullenger and Shaver plan to submit additional information as appropriate to the Board this week in an attempt to satisfy some of Hart’s demands. However patient privacy and safety concerns would best be served by a confidential Board investigation instead of asking private citizens to discover patient identities.

Contact Lynn Hart and demand that she put patient safety above her radical pro-abortion agenda.

The New Mexico Medical Board needs to know people are watching this case and will hold them accountable. Without public scrutiny, these cases will likely be swept under the rug. Now is the time for those concerned about innocent life and injustice to contact Lynn Hart and ask her to move forward with investigations into serious abortion injures in New Mexico.

Lynn Hart
Executive Director, New Mexico Medical Board
505-476-7221
lynns.hart@state.nm.us