House Bill 5674 is grounded in medical science and puts patient safety above religious ideology. A medical emergency is a dire situation, no matter who you are or what you believe. But when a patient shows up in the emergency room of a Catholic-affiliated hospital, she doesn’t know whether she’ll be treated based on established medical standards of care or […]

One in six hospital beds are governed by rules set by Catholic bishops, not doctors, putting lives and health at risk. If Catholic health systems continue expanding their reach at the current rate, an alarming number of Americans won’t have access to the full spectrum of healthcare services considered standard of care at non-Catholic hospitals. In some cases, that lack […]

Response to ACLU lawsuit demonstrates, once again, that Catholic hospitals put ideology above patient safety. When you show up at an emergency room in need of urgent medical care, you have a reasonable expectation that you’ll be given the treatment you need — that the staff will do everything they can to save your life and protect your health. In […]

Complaint filed with state licensing agency demands investigation and discipline for failure to provide potentially life-saving procedure. After repeated refusals by Catholic-owned Genesys Hospital to adhere to medical standards and perform a potentially life-saving procedure on a pregnant woman, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has filed a formal complaint with a state licensing agency. The complaint, filed with […]

Catholic hospital systems don’t adhere to accepted medical standards, and the ACLU is demanding an end to this religious exemption with a federal lawsuit. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Michigan announced a federal lawsuit filed today on behalf of their members against Trinity Health Corporation, one of the largest Catholic health systems in the country, […]

Michigan woman with a brain tumor is denied care that would be standard at any non-Catholic hospital. A Catholic hospital in Michigan is denying a pregnant woman care on the basis of religious principles, ignoring the life-threatening implications of their refusal to adhere to medical standards. Jessica Mann, a pregnant woman with a life-threatening brain tumor, requested an exception to […]

This isn’t the first time Michigan’s Genesys Regional Medical Center has let religious doctrine override medical standards. Jessica Mann couldn’t be happier about the impending arrival of her third child in October. But having any more children could put her health at risk — in fact, carrying this child to term is downright dangerous, because the 33-year-old Mann has brain […]

The deal is done, but no word yet on the fate of reproductive health and other care standards Catholic-run hospitals are allowed to ignore. As reported in Crain’s Detroit Business on Monday, Crittenton Hospital in Rochester is now officially part of Ascension Health Michigan. Ascension Health is the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. — and a Catholic-affiliated health […]

June 24 event in Auburn Hills is open to the public — RSVP today to learn how to protect your rights. The ACLU of Michigan is hosting an educational event to help the community understand their rights at religiously sponsored hospitals. The June 24th event in Auburn Hills focuses on patients’ rights in hospitals operated by Catholic healthcare providers. As […]

Catholic health systems aren’t always held to the same medical standards as secular hospitals. This is the third post in an ongoing series. You can read the other installments HERE. When you go to a hospital, you have a reasonable expectation that you’ll receive the care you need — whoever you are, whatever your circumstances. After all, there’s a reason […]

If past experience is any indication, some healthcare services will no longer be available. This is the second in a multi-part series on the rise of Catholic health systems and the impact on patient care. You can read the first post in the series HERE. Refusal to treat patients on religious grounds in Michigan has made national news recently, with […]