KNOXVILLE (WATE) - A Knoxville that provided abortions has closed, citing a newly enacted state law. Volunteer Women's Medical Clinic closed on Thursday.
A law that went into effect on July 1 called "The Life Defense Act," made it illegal for the clinic's local, board-certified OB-GYN physician to perform abortions, according to a posting by Executive Director Deb Walsh on the Abortion Care Network.
The law requires doctors who perform abortions to have local hospital admitting privileges and it applies exclusively to abortion, Walsh said.
"One of our doctors, Morris Campbell, was actually able to reinstate his privileges a few weeks before the law went into effect. Sadly, he had a stroke and died a few days after receiving the news about his hospital privileges," she wrote.
"We've been working on legal remedies, injunction, etc., but I was unable to bridge the financial gap of paying the monthly lease and operating expenses without knowing when we could resume seeing patients," she added.
The clinic at 313 S. Concord Street has been open for 38 years. Walsh worked there for more than 30 years.
Volunteer Women's Medical Clinic
