In summary
A Catholic hospital in rural California has agreed to provide emergency abortions after the state sued it for refusing to treat a woman who had a miscarriage.
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Providence St. Joseph Hospital and the California Attorney General’s Office have reached a tentative agreement in a lawsuit alleging that a Catholic-owned hospital in Humboldt County violated multiple state laws by denying emergency abortion care to pregnant patients. .
Last month, Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka for illegally refusing to provide emergency abortion care to a woman who was 15 weeks pregnant and bleeding.
According to a stipulated agreement announced tonight, St. Joseph has agreed to fully comply with the state’s Emergency Services Act, which prohibits hospitals from denying patients emergency treatment.
The hospital will allow doctors to terminate a patient’s pregnancy if doing so could pose a serious risk to the patient’s health. The hospital also agreed not to transfer patients to another facility without first providing emergency stabilization care, including abortion if the patient needed it.
St. Joseph and its parent organization Providence do not accept liability under this provision. The provision must be approved by the court and will remain in place for the duration of the litigation.
“Providence St. Joseph should have complied with state law and avoided the harm and trauma it has caused Californians, and we are committed to ensuring that the hospital continues to fully comply with the law and ensure access to life. We are pleased that we have agreed to this agreement, which will result in savings on health services, including emergency abortion care,” Bonta said in a statement.
Representatives for Providence St. Joseph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a lawsuit against the hospital, Anna Nussrock, a local chiropractor, claims her water broke prematurely in February and she arrived at the hospital bleeding and in severe pain. Nasrok was pregnant with twins. Court documents say doctors at Providence St. Joseph Hospital were told one of the twins had a “detectable heartbeat” and could not be treated due to internal regulations.
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According to court documents filed by the state, Nusrok was given a bucket and towel “in case something happened in the car” and told to drive to the next closest hospital, 19 miles away. It is said that
That hospital, Mad River Community Hospital, will close its labor and delivery unit on Oct. 31, leaving Providence St. Joseph Hospital as the only operating maternity unit in Humboldt County.
The lawsuit alleges that Nusrok’s condition puts her at risk of permanent harm or death from infection or bleeding.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, California has enacted some of the strongest abortion protection laws in the nation, but the state has also made it difficult for religious groups to control hospitals and anti-abortion pregnancy centers. Struggles with how to navigate legal and personal belief exemptions.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, this is the first lawsuit filed against a hospital under the Emergency Act.
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