Covenant banning abortions at two hospitals is dropped.WOMEN'S health Women's Health Definition Women's health is the effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and psychosocial issues. advocates are calling it a big victory. The Sisters of St. Joseph
The Sisters of St. Joseph are a Roman Catholic order of women founded in Le Puy, France. , the former sponsors of the two Daniel Freeman hospitals, have agreed to drop their requirement that abortion and other reproductive health services not be offered at the hospitals in perpetuity Of endless duration; not subject to termination. The phrase in perpetuity is often used in the grant of an Easement to a utility company. in perpetuity adj. forever, as in one's right to keep the profits from the land in perpetuity. . The Sisters made the concession in order to settle a lawsuit brought against them by Attorney General Bill Lockyer in 2003 after the restrictive land covenant banning the services was recorded two years earlier. The restriction became an issue in 2001 when the Sisters sold Daniel Freeman Memorial and Marina hospitals to Tenet Healthcare Corp., which agreed in its contract to abide by To stand to; to adhere; to maintain. See also: Abide the restrictions, spelled out in the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract . Women's health advocates were upset that Tenet, a secular and for-profit company, agreed to follow the ethical directives as part of its purchase. Lockyer took issue with the covenant, which would restrict all future owners of the hospital--something that became an issue when Tenet got into financial trouble and sold the hospitals last year. Under a separate agreement with the Sisters, the new ownership of the hospitals, the Centinela Freeman HealthSystem Centinela Freeman HealthSystem operates three hospitals in located in the West Los Angeles area of California in the United States, collectively known as the Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center:
"This is extremely exciting," said attorney Susan Fogel, a member of the Coalition for Quality Healthcare, a patients' rights The legal interests of persons who submit to medical treatment. For many years, common medical practice meant that physicians made decisions for their patients. This paternalistic view has gradually been supplanted by one promoting patient autonomy, whereby patients and advocacy group. "It's a tremendous victory for human health and it's an outstanding precedent." Fogel said there are no other instances in California in which for-profit hospitals are under legal obligations to follow the Catholic directives, but she hopes the settlement will push other attorneys general in seeking to abrogate abrogate v. to annul or repeal a law or pass legislation that contradicts the prior law. Abrogate also applies to revoking or withdrawing conditions of a contract. (See: repeal) similar restrictions elsewhere in the nation. G. Michael Finnigan, chairman of the new Centinela Freeman ownership, said he helped broker the deal, including making an offer to require the new ownership to follow the directive, but only for a limited time. "When we got into this it was a mess. I think this was the middle ground that everyone found acceptable," he said. The new ownership is not yet sure what kind of reproductive services may be offered. That issue will be addressed as part of a larger strategic plan currently being developed, Finnigan said. John Hochhauser, an attorney representing the sisters, declined comment, while Lockyer said in a prepared statement that the settlement will ensure women get a "full range of health services" at the hospitals. Staff reporter Laurence Darmiento can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237, or at ldarmiento@labusinessjournal.com. |
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