By Jyoti Thottam
State health officials halted operations last week at a Long Island City abortion clinic that had hired a doctor who carved his initials in a patient at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.
Choices, at 29-28 41st Ave., was ordered to immediately stop performing abortions until health and safety violations at the clinic were corrected. New York State Department of Health inspectors found “serious systemic problems that pose a significant risk to welfare and safety of patients,” health officials said last Thursday.
Choices hired Allan Zarkin, an obstetrician and gynecologist, as its medical director Nov. 1 after he had been fired from Beth Israel. Zarkin has admitted to a Sept. 7 incident in which he carved his initials with a scalpel on the abdomen of a woman on whom he had just performed a Caesarean section. After the incident came to light, the state revoked Zarkin's license to practice medicine in New York.
Zarkin was indicted on criminal charges Tuesday and was expected to surrender to authorities, according to published reports.
The woman is suing Zarkin and Beth Israel for $5.5 million in damages. Zarkin has admitted to the incident, and his lawyer, Kenneth Platzer, defended his actions on the grounds that the physician suffers from a brain disorder called Pick's disease, which can cause inappropriate or bizarre behavior.
“One of his doctors alerted them (Choices) to his condition, and recommended that he should work under supervision,” Platzer said.
State inspectors found that Zarkin's psychiatrist sent a letter Nov. 4 notifying Choices about his brain disorder that could impair his clinical judgment, but “no supervisory measures were initiated,” according to the Health Department report.
Officials from Choices could not be reached for comment this week, but they have denied that they were aware of Zarkin's misconduct when he was hired.
“We knew that he had some issues, some counseling issues,” said clinic spokeswoman Joy Silver in an interview last week.
Zarkin was also allowed to perform laparoscopic surgeries, which use a special instrument inserted into the abdomen, at Choices although he was not qualified to do so, the Health Department said.
In addition to inadequate screening procedures for doctors, the clinic was cited for several other violations:
