Trump administration accuses Vermont hospital of forcing nurse to participate in abortion

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Trump administration accuses Vermont hospital of forcing nurse to participate in abortion

By Amy Goldstein August 28 at 1:27 PM

Federal health officials are accusing an academic medical center in Vermont of violating the civil rights of a Catholic nurse by calling on her to assist with an abortion although she had put her name on a list of staffers who objected to participating in the procedure.

The notice of violation, sent Wednesday to the University of Vermont Medical Center, is the latest example of the Trump administration’s focus on protecting “religious freedom” — a core value for antiabortion activists and other social conservatives who are key to the president’s political base.

The action against the UVM medical center is the third enforcement action taken in the 1 1/2 years since the Department of Health and Human Services created a conscience and religious freedom division within its civil rights office. It is the first that deals specifically with a health-care worker’s objection to participating in an abortion.

The nurse is represented by Francis Manion, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative organization that works on religious freedom issues and whose chief counsel, Jay Sekulow, is a personal attorney to President Trump.

In his daily podcast Wednesday, Sekulow announced the center had uncovered “coerced abortion at the University of Vermont.” He portrays HHS’s action as a victory, and urges donations to a fundraising campaign for the group.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/trump-administration-accuses-vermont-hospital-of-civil-rights-violation-related-to-abortion/2019/08/28/092b12a8-c9a2-11e9-a4f3-c081a126de70_story.html

[Kali]

1. wonder if people will start having religious problems with keeping rightwing fucks alive?

[procon]

2. What is "forced"?

Did the hold a gun to her head or threaten to harm her family? Sure maybe she was reluctant to do that job, but maybe the money spoke louder than her beliefs. Or maybe this was a pre planned event intended to boost the power of organized religion.

If she has a lawyer and she's demanding a monetary compensation there's only one logical explanation.

[mr_lebowski]

3. I'm looking forward to when the first Muslim doctor refuses to treat someone sick from alcoholism

Refuses to perform a liver transplant, that sort of thing.

Or maybe refuses to save them after they've wrecked their car due to drunk driving.

And hopefully it's some brain-dead Trumpist that suffers ...

[Hekate]

4. Silly man. Don't you know "religious freedom" only applies to Christians? And only certain types...

...at that?

[Runningdawg]

5. I began my nursing career at the height of the AIDS crisis

We had to put up with silly twits like her who loved to inform people which patients they would and would not care for, including women who needed to have gynecological procedures performed to remove failed products of conception. There was never any shortage of professionals who would step up the the plate. We made sure the patient got the care they deserved. Charge nurses and unit directors don't get those jobs because they let their teams carry dead weight. I've never known one to be prosecuted for refusing to care for a patient, they usually just go away quietly, stuck working the night shift on the geriatric wards. That aspect needs to change.