West Palm Beach Fire Rescue officials who were investigating a fire that occurred late Monday at the... Presidential Women's Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., have labeled the fire "suspicious" after finding an accelerant at the scene, the Palm Beach Post reports (Isger, Palm Beach Post, 7/6). WPBFR spokesperson Phil Kaplan said no one was injured during the fire, but the facility, medical records and equipment sustained moderate smoke, fire and water damage. He said it appeared that lighter fluid or another accelerant was used to start the fire (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/5). The center, which serves many uninsured women and is the only clinic offering abortion services in Palm Beach County, was closed on Tuesday, forcing many clients to travel elsewhere in Florida for medical attention, according to Kathleen Mahoney, communications director for Planned Parenthood of the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Area (Palm Beach Post, 7/6). The clinic serves between 4,000 and 5,000 patients annually. WomenCare Center in West Palm Beach, which was Palm Beach County's only other clinic offering abortion services, was evicted in June. The fire investigation has been turned over to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the fire, attorney's office spokesperson Alicia Valle said (Fooksman/Franceschina, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/6). Law enforcement officials in May investigated an attempted arson at the center (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/5). There have been four cases of arson or attempted arson this year at abortion clinics in the United States and Canada, and between one and 19 clinics have been set on fire each year since 1992, according to the National Abortion Federation (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/6).

Palm Beach Post Examines Drop in Number of Clinics
The Palm Beach Post on Thursday examined the declining number of abortion clinics in Florida and nationwide. In 1992, Florida had 133 clinics providing abortion services, compared with only 108 in 2000 and 64 currently. However, the abortion rate in the state has increased from 29 abortions per 1,000 women in 1992 to 32 per 1,000 women in 2000. Nationwide, the number of abortion clinics has dropped from about 2,400 in 1992 to 1,800 in 2000, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (Isger et al., Palm Beach Post, 7/7).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . ?2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.