The unending reach into the doctor-patient relationship. The article notes that Ascension’s operations stretch across 22 states, covering 113,000 facilities, so this is no small deal. The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on Monday that as a result of St. Louis-based Ascension Health’s acquisition of its parent company, gynecologists affiliated with Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville will no longer be allowed to issue birth control without diagnosing patients with a separate condition. ...The Nation reported that concern over the new rule prompted a social media campaign calling for medical care “that is free from religious agendas.” The outcry prompted St. John to release a follow-up statement late in the day on Monday. “St. John Health System operates in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, and therefore does not approve or support contraceptive practices,” the second statement read. “However, only physicians (not institutions) are licensed to practice medicine and make medical judgments. While our physicians agree to abide by the Directives, they also have the ability to prescribe medications, including hormonal medications, in accordance with their independent professional medical judgment. This includes informing patients when they are operating under their own professional medical judgment and not on behalf of St. John Health System.”
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:38:30 +0000
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