Emergency abortion denials by Catholic hospitals put woman in danger, lawsuit claims

A Californian woman continues the health of dignity, alleging that two hospitals have denied her emergency abortion services because of their Catholic guidelines, violating the law of the state and endangering her life.

During two separate pregnancies, Rachel Harrison water broke at only 17 weeks – a condition that can cause deadly complications. An abortion is generally the line of conduct recommended by doctors, but the two members of the staff of the health of dignity refused to act because they detected a fetal heart rate, according to the trial.

The second time has happened, Harrison has experienced potentially fatal septicemia and had to go to a hospital outside of its insurance network to receive a blood transfusion, the complaint said.

Harrison, 30, and his partner Marcell Johnson filed a complaint against Dignity Health before the San Francisco Superior Court on Friday. The complaint, reported for the first time by the courtthouse News Service, alleges that the subsidiaries Mercy San Juan Medical Center and Mercy General Hospital refused to provide its emergency abortion care for religious reasons.

The 24 Catholic hospitals in the dignity health network follow a set of “ethical and religious directives for Catholic health services”, which caused Harrison’s refusal of an emergency room when loss of high -risk pregnancy, according to complaint.

“While publicly praising the qualifications of their hospitals as reliable emergency service centers, Dignity Health has prioritized its own religious guidelines on the best interests of the health and well-being of Rachel,” said the trial.

Last September, the state filed a similar complaint against a Catholic hospital in Eureka after a woman whose water broke at 15 weeks was denied an emergency abortion. This hospital then agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman’s health is in danger.

Find out more: “ Do not let me die ” – California continues the Eureka hospital for having refused a woman an emergency abortion

A spokesperson for Dignity Health did not comment on the specific allegations contained in the Harrison trial.

“When the health of a pregnant woman is in danger, appropriate emergency care is provided,” the spokesman said in a statement. “The well-being of our patients is the central mission of our dedicated caregivers.”

On September 13, 2024, according to Harrison’s trial, she experienced a affection called premature premature premature rupture of membranes, or precoed PPROM, when its water broke at only 17 weeks of pregnancy.

This condition is fatal for the fetus and dangerous for the mother.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the norm of care is to inform the patient that pregnancy is not viable and recommend the installation as the safest option to reduce maternal risk. Makeing a miscarriage of the fetus naturally has a higher risk of infection and blood loss, which can cause permanent loss of reproductive or even death.

Last September, Harrison went to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael for emergency care, but doctors did not recommend abortion, according to the complaint.

“Instead, Rachel was informed that due to the Catholic affiliation of the hospital, there was nothing more than the hospital could do for her,” said the complaint. “Confused and in distress, Rachel was released and left to finish a high-risk miscarriage of a fetus” the size of a lawyer “- as the assistant of the doctor told him by herself and without medical supervision.”

She went to Kaiser hospital the next morning and received emergency care, according to the trial.

Find out more: A child dies. Two men disappear. Police investigate a secret Californian religious group

Last December, Harrison was delighted to learn that she was again pregnant, but “her worst nightmare” was repeated. At 17 weeks pregnant, she once again experienced a prevented PPROM, said the complaint.

Her insurance only covers OB / GYN care in the dignity health network, so she went to Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.

In a rehearsal of his past experience, lightened his trial, the staff members told him that they could not provide the care she was looking for because of the fetal heart rate. She was able to access the care in another hospital, says her complaint, but experienced a secticemia and heavy blood loss in the process.

The trial alleys that the refusals violated the California emergency service law, which requires hospitals to operate an approved emergency to deal with patients with emergency medical conditions, including the pre -pricted PPROM.

Harrison also alleges that Dignity Health violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act law, California illegal Competition Law and its right to private life under the California Constitution.

Harrison and his partner are looking for an order forcing dignity health hospitals to provide emergency abortions in accordance with state law, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.