As medical professionals across Wisconsin who are concerned about the health, well-being, and freedom of our patients, we call on Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels to cease his promotion of abortion bans and halt any further contributions to anti-abortion causes.

As health care professionals and Wisconsinites, we are compelled to point out the immense harm that enforcing Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, as Tim Michels has said he supports, will have on our patients and women across the state. We’re already seeing the devastating impact of this ban, as pregnant women in Wisconsin are being forced to delay life-saving health care because doctors rightfully fear criminal prosecution.

Continued enforcement of this ban by Tim Michels, were he governor, would force more victims of rape and incest to carry pregnancies to term and relive their trauma; pregnant cancer patients to forgo life-saving treatment, women with fetal anomalies to deliver dead babies; and so many more tragic, preventable outcomes.

Yet we also worry that Tim Michels would go further to put women in harm’s way. His large financial contributions to the Pro-Life Wisconsin Education Task Force are particularly concerning, since Pro-Life Wisconsin supports banning abortion outright — even if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger.

Wisconsin women shouldn’t have to continue to suffer because of this cruel abortion ban or worry that they could die from pregnancy under even more draconian restrictions. Medical professionals should be able to do our jobs to ensure the best outcomes for our patients. Tim Michels should rescind his support of Wisconsin’s cruel abortion ban and stop donating to dangerous extremist anti-abortion organizations.

Signed:

Kristin Lyerly, MD & Member of the Committee's Reproductive Freedom Taskforce; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Green Bay)

Ann Helms, MD & Wisconsin State Lead for the Committee; Critical Care Neurology (Milwaukee)

Andreea Anton, MD; Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine (Racine)

Rosalind Batley, MD; Retired Pediatrics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Madison)

Laura Berghahn, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Shorewood Hills)

Joyce Brehm, MD; Internal Medicine (Stoughton)

Sandia Brekke, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Appleton)

Aaron Carrel, MD; Pediatric Endocrinology (Madison)

Jean Carstensen, MD; Internal Medicine, Pediatrics (Madison)

Steven Cohen, MD; Allergy & Immunology (Mequon)

Jill Cousino, DO; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Janesville)

Robert Freedland, MD; Ophthalmology (La Crosse)

Lisa Frey, RN; General Surgery (Madison)

Angela Gibson, MD, PhD; Surgery (Middleton)

Julie Gocey, MD, MS; Pediatrics (Verona)

Judith Green, MD; Retired Head & Neck Surgery (Verona)

Kay Gruling, MD, FAAFP; Family Medicine (Wausau)

Carolyn Haerr, MD; Radiology (Oregon)

Kent Hartung, MD; Family Medicine (Fond Du Lac)

Jennifer Heinemann, PhD; Health Psychology (Pewaukee)

Manny Hernandez, MD; Emergency Medicine (Glendale)

Paula Hobson, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Reedsburg)

Paula Hubert, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Combined Locks)

Elisabeth Hying, RN; Orthopedics (Madison)

Jennifer Koop, PhD; Neuropsychology (Whitefish Bay)

Adel Korkor, MD; Internal Medicine (Delafield)

Rachael Laberee, RN; Pediatrics (New Glarus)

Ruthell McKinney, MSN; Family Medicine (Milwaukee)

Donna Moberg, RN; Retired Rehabilitation (Shorewood)

Joshua Modder, MD; Urology (Appleton)

Jackie Nehls-Feucht, DO; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Hortonville)

James Nosal, MD; Family Medicine (Sun Prairie)

Chasity Prucha, RN; Family Medicine (Reedsburg)

Nancy Ranum, NP; Retired Adult, College Health (Madison)

William Reed, MD; Cardiothoracic Surgery (Holmen)

Art Rein, MD; Internal Medicine (Tichigan)

Paula Rogge, MD; Family Medicine)

Donell Rognesd, RN, BSN, MSN; Education (Madison)

Cathy Sandmayr, RN, MSN; Retired Medicine (Milwaukee)

Heather Schedler, LPN; Long-Term, Sub Acute (Beloit)

Amanda Schmehil Micklos, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Fitchburg)

Amanda Schwartz, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Madison)

Shefaali Sharma, MD, FACOG; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Madison)

Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick, MD; Integrative Medicine (Madison)

Ivan Stanko, MD; Neurology (Rothschild)

Danae Steele, MD; Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Appelton)

Madelaine Tully, MD; Family Medicine (Milwaukee)

Sonia Valdivia, MD; Radiology (Middleton)

C. Edwin Webb, PharmD, MPH; Retired Clinical Pharmacy, Pediatrics and Neonatology (Waunakee)

Robin Wilson, MD; Ophthalmology (River Hills)

Sarah Yanke, MD; Obstetrics & Gynecology (Madison)