WHY SO MANY OF US ARE CONCERNED:A CHI hospital outside of Chicago refused to end the pregnancy of a woman whose water broke well before the fetus was viable. By the time she was transferred to an alternative hospital with better reproductive healthcare, she had a fever of 106 degrees and was close to death from sepsis. The delay in ending the pregnancy resulted in the patient suffering an acute kidney injury requiring dialysis and a cognitive injury due to the severity of the sepsis.Another CHI hospital in Michigan sent a pregnant woman, whose water broke at 18 weeks, home with two Tylenol without telling her that there was virtually no way she could give birth to a healthy baby. Ending the pregnancy would have been the safest course of action for her, but the hospital's policy forbade the disclosure of this information. The woman returned to the hospital twice more, each time in excruciating pain and bleeding, with signs of infection. On the third instance, the hospital began filling out her discharge paperwork and only provided care when she began to deliver the baby. This policy of withholding important reproductive health information violates established principles of informed consent and prevents patients from choosing treatment options that are the medical standard of care. |
Dear Dignity RNs,
Dignity Health and Catholic Healthcare Initiatives are in the process of merging, creating what would be among the largest health systems in the nation.
We now have a date for the California Attorney General's Ventura County hearing:
September 20, 2018, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Oxnard College Performing Arts Building Conference Center 4000 S. Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033
Click here to let us know you plan to attend!
Let's urge the Attorney General to extend the hospital's guarantees to a minimum of 15 YEARS for hospital operation and all its current services.
Many of us have grave concerns about this merger and what it will mean for reproductive health services, services for transgender patients and services for low-income patients.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is holding 17 public meetings across the state to address the merger. Those of us who care about quality healthcare are invited to speak out about our concerns.
Many of us have personally witnessed the effects of healthcare restrictions at our hospitals. In fact, the ACLU has sued Dignity Health twice in California over denial of reproductive health services and healthcare for transgender patients. This proposed merger, affecting Dignity Health hospitals across California, could further restrict access to essential healthcare.
I urge concerned RNs to attend this public meeting and speak out about the impact this merger could have on our patients.
Also, please note that you don't need to RSVP in order to attend the public meetings. You can just show up and speak out!
In unity, Gayle Batiste, RN, CNOR President, SEIU Local 121RN