A Massachusetts hospital has instituted a policy that allows its healthcare workers to deny services to anyone who says something offensive.
Milford Regional Medical Center announced the new policy in both a video from chief medical officer Dr. Peter Smulowitz and in a blog post published on Jan. 4th.
The video may be seen below:
“Milford Regional Medical Center is committed to providing exceptional health care services to our community with dignity, compassion and respect,” Smulowitz said in the clip above. “Everyone should expect a safe, caring and inclusive environment in all our spaces. Our patient and visitor code of conduct helps us meet this goal. Words or actions that are disrespectful, racist, discriminatory, hostile or harassing are not welcome and will not be tolerated.”
“Examples of these include offensive comments about others’ race, ethnicity, accent, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other personal traits, refusal to see a clinician or other staff member based on these personal traits, aggressive or intimidating behavior, physical or verbal threats and assaults, sexual or vulgar words or actions, and disrupting another patient’s care or experience. Please recognize that body language and tone of voice are also important parts of communication,” he added.
“If we believe you have violated our code with unwelcome words or actions, you will be given a chance to explain your point of view. We will always carefully consider your response before we make any decisions about future care at Milford Regional. Know that we also have a similar code of conduct in place for our staff and providers. To review the full patient and visitor code of conduct, visit our website,” he continued.
He concluded the video by reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to so-called “inclusion.”
The blog post, seen here, contains much of the same rhetoric.
The video has triggered massive backlash.
Look:
This “doctor” should be refused his medical license to practice the way he’s refusing to care for patients.
— Liberacrat Media™️ (@Liberacrat_) January 17, 2024
This is in violation of the Hippocratic Oath. Anyone refusing care for a patient for any reasons is medical malpractice and should have their license revoked.
— Marauder Magazine (@MarauderMag) January 17, 2024
So if I ask for a female doctor who was “assigned female at birth” I would be in violation of their code of conduct? This is what you get when leftist government takes over an industry.
— FugitiveMama (@fugitivemama) January 17, 2024
Wow. So basically you have to be a communist otherwise they’re going to deny your care.
The GOP needs to begin to stand up against this. We cannot have people denied medical care because they aren’t “progressive”.
— Rebecca V Anti-Communist (@RebeccaAVelo) January 17, 2024
If you’re in Milford, Maine and need a hospital don’t go to Milford Regional.
Any doctor who thinks it’s wise to dictate the speech of other people isn’t a smart human or anyone you want to take health advice from.
This doctor probably said that masks and the jab worked.
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) January 17, 2024
While the hospital’s requirements may sound fair, critics worry that they’ll be abused to deny people care for ridiculous reasons.
Suppose, for example, that a patient accidentally “misgenders” a “transgender doctor”? Then what?
Something similar happened in real life just last year.
“[P]atient Marlene Barbera said her healthcare provider – Oregon Health & Science University – told her it’ll no longer treat her after she complained about its display of a transgender pride flag and made what it called ‘disrespectful and hurtful remarks’ about the LGBTQ community and staff at OHSU’s Richmond Primary Care Clinic in Southeast Portland,” The Oregonian reported in August.
“She said she’s fighting breast cancer, and although she has an oncologist who works for a different healthcare network, she now is scrambling to find a new primary care doctor. She said she’s scheduled for a double mastectomy later this month,” the paper added.
Ok-I was gonna try to get over this-but I am a liver transplant recipient with breast cancer facing double mastectomy at the end of August and now I have no primary care doctor.
A lawyer contacted me-i hesitated-
Nor more!
Would any lawyer out there help me?
Very scared. pic.twitter.com/mfkSOoeOz6— Lady Laughingloudley (@blah_blablather) August 1, 2023
The only good news is she’s since found an alternative primary care doctor:
So-saw the new primary care doctor this week. She was new and harried and looked very alarmed when I explained why OHSU banned me from treatment.
Later an older woman who has been at the clinic for 25 years called me to clarify whether I wanted to be ‘transphobic’ at the clinic..— Lady Laughingloudley (@blah_blablather) November 3, 2023
—when I explained I simply didn’t want to walk past hostile political messaging that is demeaning to adult human females?
She said, “Looks like we are on the same page,” and took me on personally as her own patient.
Most busy folk do not know what we are up against.
Shocks them.— Lady Laughingloudley (@blah_blablather) November 3, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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