Discussion Thread 1
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School
Liberty University *
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Course
506
Subject
Medicine
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by ElderWombatPerson926
The situation and ethical issue:
St. Joseph Medical Center, operated by the University of Maryland Medical System, refused
to perform a hysterectomy on a transgender patient seeking care. According to the news
article published by Fox News on January 12, 2023, Jesse Hammons is a 33-year-old
biological woman who believes herself to be a man. As a part of the transition, he was
seeking a hysterectomy. However, St. Joseph Medical Center refused to perform the
operation and claimed it was due to guidelines set by the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center website states that “no Catholic health care
organization should require its personnel to carry out, promote, refer for, or otherwise
cooperate formally in procedures involved in gender transitioning, especially surgical or
hormonal intervention; require the use of pronouns or sex-specific identifiers that are
explicitly contrary to a person’s biological sex; or otherwise require the affirmation of a
false sexual identity for any persons who are planning on transitioning” (NCBC Ethicists,
2020). However, a judge ruled in favor of Hammons and stated that the hospital’s refusal
was discriminatory and stated that UMMS’s continued cooperation with the Maryland
government classifies it as a public entity, making its individual hospitals unable to claim
religious exemption from procedures contrary to Catholic ethics.
The ethical issue at hand is discrimination. According to Mason et al. (2022), transgender
and gender-independent individuals (TGI) experience direct and indirect forms of
discrimination in healthcare settings, including healthcare providers lack of knowledge
about gender identities and healthcare needs, physical and verbal harassment, abuse, and
denial of care.
Personal reflection
In this particularly sensitive situation, I would have prevented the situation by investigating
hospital policies and consulting the hospital’s quality department for guidance on handling
the situation. Because transgender and gender – independent populations are being
increasingly targeted by legislation, policies that make explicit the illegality of healthcare
discrimination must be enacted to give guidance to healthcare providers in these situations
(Mason et al., 2022). If I discovered that the hospital was acting under the National Catholic
Bioethics Center guidelines, I would have covered all bases by having correct
documentation about the policies regarding the denial of the procedure. If I had discovered
that the facility truly could not perform the procedure due to guidelines that it had to abide
by, I would have thoroughly investigated other ways to help the patient received the care
they set out to receive. Mason et al. (2022) states that healthcare institutions should ensure
that all healthcare teams involved in the facility are provided with the training necessary to
provide quality care of transgender and gender – independent populations.
Biblical integration
Galatians 3:28 states there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
no male and female, for you are all on in Christ Jesus (NIV, 2011).
Despite the ethical issues
of discrimination in the world, we are all children of Christ Jesus. If we could accept each
other as Christ Jesus has accepted each of us, we may not experience discrimination in this
world.
References
Barker, K. L. (2011).
Niv Study Bible
. Zondervan Pub. House.
Mason, K. L., Smout, S. A., Wall, C. S., Coston, B. E., Perrin, P. B., & Benotsch, E. G. (2022).
Exposure to childhood healthcare discrimination and healthcare avoidance among
transgender and gender independent adults during a global pandemic.
International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
,
19
(12), 7440.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127440
NCBC Ethicists. (2020, June 11).
Brief statement on transgenderism
. The National Catholic
Bioethics Center. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from
https://www.ncbcenter.org/resources-
and-statements-cms/brief-statement-on-transgenderism
Nerozzi, T. H. J. (2023, January 12).
Catholic hospital discriminated against trans patient by
refusing hysterectomy, US district judge rules
. Fox News. Retrieved January 18, 2023,
from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/catholic-hospital-discriminated-against-trans-
patient-refusing-hysterectomy-maryland-judge-rules
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