This morning activists verified that the Center for Women's Health in Cleveland, whose closure was announced in September, had in fact shut its doors.

Its abortionist, Dr. Martin Ruddock, specialized in late-term abortion. According to Abby Johnson, Ruddock helped contribute to the development of the partial birth abortion technique and performed abortions up to 30 weeks gestation.

In 1997, a co-worker said the partial birth abortion method of dilation and extraction – in which a child is partially delivered, then has his skull punctured with scissors and brains suctioned out – was Ruddock's “surgery of choice” for women after 20 weeks gestation.

Ohio Governor John Kasich signed a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks if the child is found to be viable outside the womb, which undercut Ruddock's practice. Ruddock told associates he may move to another state with less restrictive laws.

Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said his departure reflected Ohio's mainstream values.

"The fact that this late-term abortionist closed down and moved out of this state demonstrates that common sense pro-life legislation saves lives," he said. "Ohioans overwhelming oppose late-term abortions and reject these despicable practices by so-called doctors like Martin Ruddock and the abortion industry."

The late-term abortionist has a long history of botched abortions, hurting women, and violating state regulations.

Last November, Ruddock's facility called 911 to report a patient had been hurt and was “bleeding bad.” Just weeks earlier, Ruddock personally dialed emergency personnel after a 26-year-old woman began having adverse effects from an abortion he performed.

Ruddock attempted to defend himself during 911 calls, telling one operator, “I'm a surgeon!”

In 2003, he complained of an “obese” patient's excessive bleeding, telling the 911 emergency responder the woman was stable. “I just can’t stop the bleeding,” he said. “I can’t see what I’m doing, and I want her out of here.”

In 2006, the Ohio Department of Health temporarily closed Ruddock's suburban Cleveland business for more than a dozen violations of the state code, including not taking patients' vital signs before surgery and lacking an emergency transfer agreement with a local hospital.

"It appears that Martin Ruddock had a consistent track record for disregarding health standards and putting women's lives in danger," Gonidakis said. "Women are safer today in Cuyahoga County, because this abortion clinic is closed.”

Despite – or perhaps because of – his record, Ruddock has fought additional safety and health regulations from the state for more than a decade. In 1999, he said that, as "a private physician's office, we don't need to qualify as an ambulatory facility.” He added that more stringent measures to protect women "are burdensome and unnecessary regulations that have nothing to do with quality health care."

The closure of Center for Women's Health, located in the tony suburb of Shaker Heights, is the state's third in six months.

Another facility where Ruddock plies is trade, the Center for Choice located in Toledo, was closed in June after none of its practitioners could not win admitting privileges at local hospitals, as required by a new Ohio law.

Cleveland's Capital Care Network also closed this year.

Nationwide, CWH was the 44th abortion business to close this year, according to Operation Rescue.

“When abortionists like Ruddock shut down, it takes us one step closer to an end to abortion,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue.

Gonidakis hopes Newman is right. He said, “We hope that more abortion clinics will close, innocent lives will be saved, and that the abortion industry will continue to be exposed for what it truly.”