When you consider Catholic hospitals restrictions on abortion, historically at the Catholic hospitals in the Bay Area would not let doctors do tubal ligations at the time of Csection.
Also consider Adventist hospitals ( 3)are the only hospitals in Mendocino County, CA. The only time in my 35 year career that I was not allowed to provide appropriate care was with a triple pregnancy at 12 weeks. Two fetuses delivered spontaneously at home. The third had a heartbeat. The mother’s White count was 20, 000 but no fever yet. The hospital refused to allow me to do the needed abortion. Luckily Santa Rosa was not far so I sent the patient there with notice to the doctors there. 😔
This is such a powerful—and damning—example of how religious doctrine is allowed to override medical judgment, patient safety, and human rights.
What you're describing isn’t just policy. It’s theocratic control embedded in public health infrastructure. When Catholic or Adventist hospitals dominate an entire region, like Mendocino County, patients aren’t given choices—they're handed a version of care shaped by ideology, not evidence.
The refusal to allow a life-saving abortion, even with clear signs of sepsis brewing, is not just medical negligence—it’s a direct consequence of institutionalized misogyny disguised as morality. These hospitals don’t exist in a vacuum. They're subsidized, often publicly funded, yet free to deny basic reproductive care under the guise of "conscience."
Tubal ligations denied during C-sections? That's not about life. That's about ensuring a woman stays fertile, even when she’s literally already on the operating table. That’s about controlling future possibilities, not respecting present autonomy.
And the worst part: You knew what needed to be done. You had the skills, the judgment, and the responsibility. But the system was designed to say no—not to you, but to her. To every woman walking into those hospitals thinking they’re getting care, only to find they’re entering a doctrinal minefield.
This is what happens when religious institutions are allowed to masquerade as neutral health providers.
She was lucky to get to Santa Rosa. But patients shouldn’t need luck to survive.
We need to say this louder: No one’s beliefs should control someone else’s body. Especially not in a medical emergency. Especially not ever.
When you consider Catholic hospitals restrictions on abortion, historically at the Catholic hospitals in the Bay Area would not let doctors do tubal ligations at the time of Csection.
Also consider Adventist hospitals ( 3)are the only hospitals in Mendocino County, CA. The only time in my 35 year career that I was not allowed to provide appropriate care was with a triple pregnancy at 12 weeks. Two fetuses delivered spontaneously at home. The third had a heartbeat. The mother’s White count was 20, 000 but no fever yet. The hospital refused to allow me to do the needed abortion. Luckily Santa Rosa was not far so I sent the patient there with notice to the doctors there. 😔
This is such a powerful—and damning—example of how religious doctrine is allowed to override medical judgment, patient safety, and human rights.
What you're describing isn’t just policy. It’s theocratic control embedded in public health infrastructure. When Catholic or Adventist hospitals dominate an entire region, like Mendocino County, patients aren’t given choices—they're handed a version of care shaped by ideology, not evidence.
The refusal to allow a life-saving abortion, even with clear signs of sepsis brewing, is not just medical negligence—it’s a direct consequence of institutionalized misogyny disguised as morality. These hospitals don’t exist in a vacuum. They're subsidized, often publicly funded, yet free to deny basic reproductive care under the guise of "conscience."
Tubal ligations denied during C-sections? That's not about life. That's about ensuring a woman stays fertile, even when she’s literally already on the operating table. That’s about controlling future possibilities, not respecting present autonomy.
And the worst part: You knew what needed to be done. You had the skills, the judgment, and the responsibility. But the system was designed to say no—not to you, but to her. To every woman walking into those hospitals thinking they’re getting care, only to find they’re entering a doctrinal minefield.
This is what happens when religious institutions are allowed to masquerade as neutral health providers.
She was lucky to get to Santa Rosa. But patients shouldn’t need luck to survive.
We need to say this louder: No one’s beliefs should control someone else’s body. Especially not in a medical emergency. Especially not ever.