Readers React: Hoag Hospital and abortion
Re “The Hoag Hospital compact,” Editorial, April 18
There are moments when even nonprofit hospitals break the moral compact they have with the people they serve. Such a moment is playing out for Hoag Hospital as it discontinues legal elective abortion services to seal its partnership with the Roman Catholic St. Joseph Health System.
Even state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris’ deal to ensure that Hoag refers women to elective abortion providers doesn’t make Hoag’s actions smell a whole lot sweeter. This is, after all, a bargain by Hoag’s management to allow theology to trump one of the fundamental legal reproductive rights of women in order to cement a financial deal.
Left unsaid in the editorial is how Hoag defines “elective abortion.” Will Orange County women whose pregnancies result from rape or incest be turned away? Long term, will this decision contribute to a narrowing of access to legal abortion services in Orange County?
Lorraine Gayer
Huntington Beach
There are thousands of Catholic hospitals and surgeons in our country who believe that abortion is contrary to God’s law. Should they have to ensure that their patients have access to “safe” and “legal” abortion?
Hoag is now affiliated with St. Joseph Health System, whose core beliefs are Catholic. There is no reason its doctors and nurses should be forced to betray their convictions in favor of a perverse ideology that calls killing babies a “reproductive right.”
G.V. Climaco
Brea
Like many others, I was stunned by Hoag’s capitulation to St. Joseph on the abortion issue. Shame on Hoag for betraying its responsibility to the women of our community.
The painful truth is that these decisions have far-reaching consequences for the women who have the fewest options and support systems when forced to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. As a healthcare provider, Hoag should not be placing yet more obstacles in the way of women.
I hope Harris holds Hoag’s feet to the fire by closely monitoring its compliance.
Janis Salupo
Irvine
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