AAPLOG Colorado
standing for women and babies in Colorado
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AAPLOG CO is the first in the nation state chapter of the American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNS. Our foundation is based on the fact that all human beings deserve optimal healthcare at every stage of their life, starting at fertilization.
Our mission is to equip pro-life medical professionals in our state with the tools they need to provide evidence-based/scientifically sound information:
- To promote and defend life-affirming care for both the pregnant mother and her unborn child;
- To be drivers in the development of strategies and healthcare legislation that improves safe/effective obstetric and perinatal care, thereby enhancing overall outcomes for pregnant women and their unborn child.
- To make abortion unthinkable.
First in the nation: History of AAPLOG CO
July 2024 marks one year since we proposed making Colorado the first-in-the-nation state chapter of the American Association of Pro-life OB/GYNs (AAPLOG). Though the chapter officially launched following the March for Life in Denver, in April 2024, a lot work took place prior to AAPLOG CO becoming a reality.
Background
Colorado has a long history of pro-abortion activism that has led to our current extreme abortion laws, which have made Colorado an abortion “refuge” state. Going back as far as 1967, Colorado passed a law allowing for abortion in the setting of rape, fetal abnormality, incest or to protect the mother’s life. Between 1975-1998 all anti-abortion laws failed. Of note, in 1984 Colorado Voters approved a constitutional amendment to prevent the use of public funds for abortions. Even under Republican Governor Bill Owens, 4 attempts to ban abortion failed. In 2008 and again in 2010 a “personhood” ballot initiative launched by the Colorado Right to Life failed. The Reproductive Health Equity Act which passed in 2023 established a right to unrestricted abortion in Colorado law, and removed all rights from the preborn baby. Measures passed in 2023 opened the door for women and girls to travel across state lines for unfettered access to abortion. Governor Polis has signed laws that shield abortion providers, people who seek abortion or gender-affirming care, and made it unprofessional conduct to prescribe progesterone as abortion pill reversal. This has not happened in a vacuum or overnight….
One year ago, it became clear that efforts were underway to launch a petition to codify Colorado’s progressive abortion laws into the state constitution and to move toward taxpayer funding. In July 2023, three friends, Catherine Wheeler, MD, OB/GYN, Tom Perille, MD and President of Colorado Pro-life Democrats, and Wendy Smith, ACNP-retired, met to brainstorm over efforts to block this initiative. One of the barriers had been a fractioned approach, not only among pro-life organizations, (who are now uniting their efforts), but there was a critical need build a stronger coalition of pro-life medical providers within Colorado. We needed be able to identify these providers and to build an army of medical professionals who could speak to the science and facts surrounding life, who would testify against pro-abortion laws, educate their peers and the public within their sphere of influence, and perhaps most importantly, those who would be willing to write Letters to the Editors, opinion pieces, and articles about life and our egregious abortion laws. Our hope was that AAPLOG CO’s efforts would be instrumental in educating about Initiative 89 (to put unrestricted abortion in the state constitution and removing the ban on tax-payor funding) and exemplify a model for healthcare professionals in other states in countering the abortion activists.
We wrote a proposal to AAPLOG to see if they would be willing to establish a state chapter with us. Dr. Christina Francis joined us for three days in September 2024 to meet with groups of interested medical professionals (MDs, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Medical Students, Pharmacists and nurses) in three different geographic areas: Denver, Grand Junction, and Colorado Springs. Following her visit the board of AAPLOG agreed to make Colorado their first chapter.
One year later
Over the past year a lot of work has been done and a lot remains to be done. Since AAPLOG CO officially launched in April, members have participated in AAPLOG media/expert witness training, networked with other pro-life organizations, such as the Christian Medical & Dental Association and Catholic Medical Association, and AAPLOG CO represents the medical community as part of Pro-life Colorado, which is a coalition of over 50 pro-life organizations joining resources and expertise in order to prevent the abortion laws of Colorado from being enshrined into the state constitution. More and more professionals are hearing about AAPLOG CO and we now have an email list of over 400 medical professionals and medical students from across Colorado. Several of our members have hosted and participated in public educational programs, such as: Let’s Talk About Life in Monument CO and The Great Debate, a mock abortion debate in Denver, with more programs planned in August and September. Drs. Wheeler and Perille participated in weekly podcasts with Life Decisions through the Spring. Dr. Wheeler was also interviewed for the AAPLOG podcast. Members of our chapter have published Letters to the Editors in local media outlets such as the Colorado Springs Gazette, the Denver Gazette (paper and digital), Colorado Politics, the Colorado Sun and others. Dr. Wheeler represents our chapter on the Board of AAPLOG and participates in the medical advisory board for Save the Storks. We host educational Zoom meetings for members every other Monday evening, presenting topics on writing, how to host an educational program, neonatology and care of premature babies, psychological issues surrounding abortion, building relationships with editors and legislators, etc.
It has been a very busy, very productive year and as a result AAPLOG CO has made its presence known. We are becoming a resource for the pro-life community as well as a force in challenging the pro-choice advocate narrative.
Short Term Goals
- Defeat the Right to Abortion ballot initiative (89), which would enshrine extreme abortion law and removal of all human rights from preborn babies in the Colorado constitution, adding tax payer funding, and excluding parental notification or consent.
Long Term Goals
- Equip medical professionals with the scientific evidence and rationale to defend life and educate on the harms of abortion
- Provide prolife medical professionals with community and support
- Mentor and support the students in medical professions
- Collaborate with legislators as medical experts to develop and promote life-affirming legislation
- Partner with public and private entities to serve women facing unplanned and challenging pregnancies
We will be communicating regularly via:
- A 30-minute biweekly Zoom meeting. These will include 3 sections: a brief update from leadership, succinct education or preparation topic, and member sharing and questions.
- An email every other alternate week to update members and solicit ideas.
- To receive communication or contact: Colorado@aaplog.org
Articles/Media
immediate action steps
Action plans are never stagnant. Our main focus for 2024 is to defeat Initiative 89, the “Right to Abortion”. Therefore, we will update our call to action going forward after November to continue our momentum into the future.
- Join with us to build a network/community of life-affirming medical professionals.
- Intensify public education about the science surrounding fetal growth and development, the value and dignity of every human life, and to build a consensus in opposition to Initiative 89, the “Right to Abortion” amendment.
- Use every media platform available to inform the public and raise awareness about this initiative and to counter any false or misleading information against life-affirming care.
- Represent pro-life healthcare professionals in the Pro-Life Colorado Coalition, strengthening collaborative efforts in opposition to Initiative 89.
- Engage in efforts statewide to assist healthcare professionals who practice life affirming medicine in navigating Colorado’s medical and legal environment; efforts to remove barriers and enhance access to life affirming care (e.g. APR).
- Mentor the next generation of life-affirming medical professionals.
- Encourage voter registration.
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![](https://aaplog.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Wheeler-circle.png)
Catherine Wheeler, MD
Biography
Catherine J. Wheeler, MD, is an Ob/Gyn physician who practiced in Salt Lake City, Utah for 24 years. She was an originating shareholder of a private Ob/Gyn practice. Later in her career, she developed midlife women’s health clinic and educational programs at the University of Utah. She then developed a gynecology clinic with HCA St. Mark’s Hospital. Dr. Wheeler now lives in Colorado, where she is a frequent speaker for life and regarding the reality of abortion, provides testimony at the Colorado legislature, provides informational opinion pieces and interviews for media, and serves with prolife organizations to educate, to advance the defense of preborn human life, and to advocate for and provide support for women and families.
![](https://aaplog.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Perille-circle.png)
![](https://aaplog.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Perille-circle.png)
Tom Perille, MD
Biography
Tom Perille MD is a retired Hospitalist/Internist who practiced in Denver for over 35 years. He worked in peer review for his medical group, hospital and the state of Colorado. During his practice, clinical guideline development was a major focus. For all the years he practiced, he participated as part of the clinical faculty at the University of Colorado and Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver. Tom is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Fellow of Hospital Medicine. He currently serves as President of the Colorado chapter of Democrats for Life of America. Working with legislators, Tom has crafted many bills that promote a consistent life ethic and led opposition to bills that advanced a culture of death.
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Wendy Smith, ACNP-retired
Biography
Wendy J. Smith is a retired Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She completed her Nursing Diploma at St. Lukes in Bethlehem, PA; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA and her Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Hematology/Oncology (Hem/Onc) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, where she graduated Summa cum Laude. Her career included experience in both critical care and aeromedical evacuation as an RN in the US Air Force and has over 20 years in advanced practice in Hematology/Oncology. Wendy has presented at professional conferences (e.g Oncology Nursing Society/ONS, case study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Center Business Summit, JADPRO live), published in professional texts and journals. She has a diverse background which includes, for example, serving as: a state health policy liaison for the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS); board member of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA); and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO). Wendy’s career has fueled her passion for protecting life and a deep appreciation for the value and dignity of life – the complexity and design of the human being. Besides her involvement in pro-life activities, she also volunteers with 3 different anti-sex trafficking organizations, focusing primarily on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and authored the joint committee opinion piece for APPLOG and ACP, entitled Pornography, Sex Trafficking and Abortion. Wendy is a Fellow of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. She and her husband live in Colorado.
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