According to medical board documents, Brigham failed to perform even routine testing in this high-risk patient. Instead, he inserted laminaria, and sent Jessie to her home over an hour away, instructing her to return next day.

He inserted new laminaria the next day, rupturing Jessie's membranes. He sent Jessie home again, with instruction to take oral antibiotics and go to his New York facility next day to complete procedure. The medical board faulted Brigham with failure to admit Jessie to a hospital due to the risk of infection or life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Not surprisingly, Jessie developed a fever and was admitted to a hospital via the emergency room.

Board documents also say Brigham claimed that if Jessie had been adequately dilated, he would have accompanied her to his NY office to complete the abortion. The board noted of Brigham, supposedly an expert in such cases, "He claimed to have performed the abortion as a 'charity case' and was 'surprised' ... that a patient presenting with an intrauterine fetal demise at 23 weeks would have received appropriate care at any area hospital without regard to her ability to pay." Nevertheless, Brigham "acknowledged that he charged J.K. a 'small fee,' '$200, $300, $400.'"

Brigham testified that he did not feel Jessie suffered "a significant complication" in that she was hospitalized only two days and did not require a transfusion.

For more on Brigham, see Abortionist Steven Chase Brigham

Source: New Jersey medical board Interim Decision and Order

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