Lesbian couple fighting discrimination at Fresno hospital gets major support

June 15, 5:07 PMInternational LGBT Issues ExaminerKelvin Lynch

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        Fresno Community Regional Medical Center

A couple weeks ago, I reported on the ordeal suffered by Kristin Orbin and Teresa Rowe at Fresno Community Regional Medical Center in California.  Today, the couple got some major support from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA).

After an initial investigation into the matter, the ACLU and NCLR sent a letter to the hospital urging it to adopt policy changes respecting same-sex relationships.  Rowe alleges that hospital workers refused to acknowledge Rowe as Orbin's partner as required by law, repeatedly refused to take Orbin's medical information from her, and administered a medication to Orbin that Rowe told them caused Orbin unnecessary pain.

The letter sent by the ACLU and NCLR charges that it was a violation of state law for the hospital to discriminate against the couple based on their sexual orientation, as well as to refuse to recognize Rowe’s legal authority, which was authorized by Orbin’s advance health care directive. It also notes that hospitals must post and follow a patient’s bill of rights that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and grants patients the ability to designate visitors of their choosing and to decide who is able to make emergency decision about their care. The letter urges Community Medical Centers immediately to affirm their commitment to inclusive and sensitive medical care for LGBT patients, and to take a number of steps to carry out that commitment.

Rowe and Orbin were interviewed today by ABC news:

“Discrimination in healthcare settings is still far too common for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” said Jason Schneider, MD, President of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA). “No one is served when partners are barred from visitation and kept from participating in conversations about their loved one’s care. It’s bad for doctors who are kept from potentially life threatening information, it’s bad for partners who are left waiting hopelessly in the waiting rooms and it’s especially traumatic for patients who need the love and support that only their partners can provide to help them through health care emergencies.”

The hospital has been given until June 22nd to respond.  A copy of the letter is available here.

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