Banned Doctor Still Running Englewood Abortion Clinic, AG Says

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — An unlicensed abortion doctor who is banned from practicing in New Jersey is unlawfully controlling women’s clinics in New Jersey, the state attorney general has charged in a complaint.

Dr. Steven C. Brigham lost his New Jersey license in November 2014 after he illegally performed abortions in Maryland, officials said.

The state then directed Brigham to divest all financial interest in the chain of several clinics he owned known as American Women’s Services, which has a location in Englewood, to another abortion doctor who worked at the clinic and subsequently became its medical director after Brigham’s suspension, the state alleged in its complaint. The other locations are in Elizabeth, Englewood, Hamilton, Phillipsburg, Galloway, Toms River, Voorhees, and Woodbridge. There are also four clinics in Maryland and two in Virginia.

“We are arguing that the transfer of ownership was a sham and that through the management services agreement, Brigham is still exerting control over the practice that ought to be exercised by an owner,” said Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Loriquet said that there is no evidence Brigham is engaging in any clinical practice.

Authorities investigated Brigham’s alleged transfer of ownership to Vikram H. Kaji, a board-certified obstetrician and Gynecologist, who served as medical director at all the clinics.

Kaji began working for Brigham as an independent contractor in 1996. He took over as medical director in 2010 when Brigham’s license was temporarily suspended and the state would not allow him to serve as medical director, according to a complaint the state filed against Kaji in 2015.

Kaji denied being the owner when he testified under oath to a board panel in May 2015, the state complaint states.

Kaji said Brigham continued to fulfill his obligations as owner for all clinic locations and testified that there was, “no other person around, [Brigham’s] the only one who runs the show,” the complaint stated.”

The ownership transfer, Kaji said during testimony was just a “paper transaction so the business could go on,” the complaint states.

Kaji allegedly “aided and abetted the unlicensed practice of medicine in allowing Brigham to maintain ownership of AWS, a professional service corporation, an activity for which a medical license is required.”

There is a hearing scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13 on the decision to suspend Kaji’s license.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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