David Stevens MD. and CEO of the 15,000 member Christian Medical Association
Photo Credit: Kristina Hernandez
Yesterday, a press conference was held at the National Press Club, organized by Freedom2Care and the Christian Medical Association, to talk about opposition to President Obama rescinding the "conscience clause."
The way the “Conscience Clause” is written currently, it allows Physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel to decline participation in procedures that are against their own personal moral values. The largest of these would be abortion in my estimation. This is a contentious issue for both medical personnel as well as non medical personnel, regardless if they are Christians or not. However, Obama has promised to change that.
Speakers at the Press Conference included:
David Stevens MD
Sandy Christianson, MD (FACOG)
Donald F. Thompson, MD, (MPH&TM)
Dr. John T. Bruchalski, F.A.C.O.G.
(You may view their Bio by clicking here)
The Press Conference was called to impress upon President Obama as to how important the current “Conscience Clause” is and that by changing it would have dire circumstances for many health care professionals. It has been noted by others that by not allowing this “Conscience Clause” option, many health care workers would be forced into other work environments therefore creating a shortage of personnel at hospitals, clinics and yes, even in the field of Family Practice.
In a recent survey, the question was asked: How important is it to make sure that health care professionals in America are not forced to participate in procedures or practices to which they have moral objections? The findings are quite startling in a positive way. You can see the in-depth poll results here.
Letters were sent to President Obama, Senator Bob Casey, Governor Tim Kaine, and RNC Chairman Michael Steele. (You may view the contents of the letters by clicking on their names)
If you have feeling either way on this issue it would be worth you while to look at each of these documents. Recently, I wrote two articles about this issue and may be viewed at these two links Obama-cares-not-for-the-conscience-of-America and Survey-shows-nearly-90-percent-approve-of-conscience-rights.
Comments
I have no problem with the “Conscience Clause” in theory, and I'm not sure how it's being used/abused currently to make people want to rescind it.
It's a doctors responsibility and a health care provider's responsibility to provide health care to their patients. They don't have to personally be the one who gives it, but as long as they provide their patients with the care and let their patients make their own decisions, that's fine.
A doctor shouldn't be influencing patients decisions with anything other than medical advice and facts, not with conscience, and shouldn't be making a patient jump through hoops because the doctor doesn't agree with the patients choice.
Hi Alex,
The "Conscience Clause" allows a doctor or any health care professional to "opt out" of certain procedures that they find immoral. In the past the patient was allowed to seek other professionals, or in many cases was referred by the objecting physician. In some states, this is a requirement.
But Obama wants to make it illegal (really) for any doctor or other medical professional to exercise his/her options based on their moral values. But what the heck, he can fire a 'private sector CEO'!
Why are people making such a fuss about returning to a set of rules that were in force throughout Bush's presidency? If these new rules were so important, why did Bush not enact them at the beginning of his presidency?
The new rules allow doctors to mislead patients about their treatment options; that is unprofessional. If you don't want to perform abortions, that's fine, but you have no right to take away someone else's legal right to choose by not telling them about the option or misrepresenting the medical risks.
"But Obama wants to make it illegal (really) for any doctor or other medical professional to exercise his/her options based on their moral values."
That is absolutely wrong. Obama simply wants to restore the same conscience clause that has been in effect throughout Bush's presidency and for several decades before.
I\'ve said it before, I really dislike this clause since it has no stipulations about religious practitioners helping people who are gay, lesbian, have AIDS, or other things they simply disagree with based on religious principle. They should be fired if they do that and the company requires equal service, protecting \"faith\" notwithstanding. If it\'s a religious institution, their rules, whathaveyou.
You cannot be against hate crimes legislation and for this clause. The two principles are inconsistent.
Peoples\' lives are more important and valuable than ideas.
I see that this issue can be just as heated for my Evangelical brethen as it is for many my Catholic ones. If interested in that debate see my reflection(Conscience Protection Regulation: Bush's Last Attack?). Bottom line, I believe the conscience protection regulation should stay in place.
Pax
Professionals need to be professionals and if they can't be, then they need to get out of the kitchen. I'm a newspaper editor. Suppose I just decided it was against my religion to cover a news event or write about something or someone in my community because it was against "my faith". Would I have a job for long? Noooooo. Restaurant workers and business owners don't get to pick and choose who they want to serve? Maybe they don't like blacks, Muslims or gays. Doctors, druggist, nurses don't get paid by their faith or what they believe in. They get paid, and very highly paid, to do a job they chose. If they don't like it they need to go to preaching or teaching Sunday School and leave real medical work to real professionals. Most people choose their professions because that it what they want to do - no one is forcing them to be medical providers. Apparently these medical providers want the money but really don't want to do the work and have the responsibility that comes with it so they use the "conscience" excuse. If their "conscience" is really bothering them they need to go get another job. Let's see how many white folks here in the South can use their "conscience" not to serve blacks. That foolishness ended years ago with Civil Rights laws so now we have so-called medical professionals trying to bring back those days!! NO we don't need a return to the past but it is amazing how many hypocrites will support such "conscience" clauses.
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