In a complaint filed with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the ACLU asked the state agency to investigate and stop enforcement of a policy of Mercy Regional Medical Center, a Catholic Hospital in Durango. The complaint asserts that the hospital is relying on the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives to prohibit physicians from discussing the option of pregnancy termination even when continuing the pregnancy threatens a patient’s life. The ACLU charges that the policy violates Colorado law by interfering with a physician’s professional medical judgment and violates federal law by depriving patients' of full information about their medical conditions and their medical options.
After investigation, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment concluded that the complaint fell outside of the agency's jurisdiction.
ACLU news release:
- "Catholic hospital illegally interferes with physician judgment, patient care," ACLU News Release, November 13, 2013
Media:
- "ACLU: Hospital illegally bans abortion discussion," The Denver Post, November 13, 2013
- "ACLU: Durango Hospital Illegally Bans Abortion Discussion," CBS News, November 13, 2013
- "ACLU: Mercy anti-abortion policy illegal," Durango Herald, November 13, 2013
- "At a Catholic Hospital, a Dispute Over What a Doctor Can Do – and Say," ProPublica, November 14, 2013
- "State will not punish Mercy for abortion policy," Durango Herald, February 13, 2014
Resources:
- "Do Bishops Run Your Hospital?", Mother Jones, November-December, 2013
- "Catholic Hospitals Grow, and With Them Questions of Care," ProPublica, October 17, 2013
ACLU case number
2013-18
