Showing God's Love in a Tangible Way (by Trudy Johnson)
Choices Medical Clinic of Wichita, Kansas is the only pro-life medical clinic in the United States located next to the office of a late-term abortionist. With the purpose of saving babies and the goal of saving souls, this newly built clinic opened its doors beside those of abortionist Dr. George Tiller in December 1999.
Choices Medical Clinic offers extensive prenatal medical care, including physician examinations, pregnancy testing and OB ultrasound examinations - all at no charge. The clinic also serves as a community health rotation for the Via Christi Family Practice Residency Program, the second largest in the nation. Physicians specializing in family medicine rotate through the clinic, learning the difference between providing obstetrical care and intervening on behalf of an abortion-vulnerable patient. Unlike the neighboring physician across the fence, these resident physicians learn to honor life. To date, more than 60 physicians have been involved with the clinic.
Since opening, Choices Medical Clinic has taken existing technology to a new level with the addition of 3-D ultrasound. It allows abortion-vulnerable women to see detailed views of the baby in-utero, further establishing and strengthening the bond between mother and child. A 24-hour help line is also available for after-hour needs.
Additionally, a perinatal hospice has been created at Choices Medical Clinic. Perinatal hospice offers support for the parents of children with fetal anomalies as an alternative to abortion. Parents get helpful care from the time of diagnosis of a lethal anomaly until the death of the infant and subsequent counseling. Since the program's inception, 10 babies, their parents and families have been helped.
It has been an exciting two years for executive director Tim Wiesner, ARNP, MSHA, and medical director Scott Stringfield, M.D. Their vision of "showing God's love in a tangible way" has touched more than a thousand abortion-vulnerable women and their families. Choices Medical Clinic's sign - Free Ultrasounds Today - faces the abortion clinic parking lot, beckoning women from across the fence. When asked about the clinic's strategic location, Wiesner says, "If you want to save people from drowning, you have to go out in the deep water.