The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today revoke the license of Hope Medical Group for Women and ordered the clinic to immediately cease performing abortions.

The clinic was found to be in violation of several aspects of a  new Louisiana law governiing abortion clinics. Several violations were noted during a recent investigation of the facility, including the facility’s failure to ensure that a physician performed and documented a physical exam on each patient prior to a procedure, failure to properly monitor vital signs of patients under anesthesia, failure to have proper procedures in place for administering anesthesia and failure to have properly trained professionals performing certain medical procedures related to the administering of anesthesia.

This is the first time DHH has issued an immediate suspension of an abortion facility’s license under the new law. Governor Jindal signed regulations into law earlier this year.

Act 490 of the 2010 Louisiana Legislature, sponsored by State Rep. Fred Mills of St. Martinville, allows for the immediate suspension of an abortion facility’s license if the DHH “secretary determines that the violation or violations pose an immediate threat to the health, welfare, or safety of a client or patient.” Prior to Act 490, an abortion facility under licensure revocation would be allowed to continue performing abortions pending appeal of such revocation, which can take months.

Letters notifying the abortion facility of the revocation action and immediate suspension were faxed to the facility this afternoon.