A California woman, Rachel Harrison, has filed a lawsuit against Dignity Health, claiming that two of its Catholic hospitals denied her emergency abortion care, putting her life in danger. Harrison’s water broke at 17 weeks during two separate pregnancies, a condition known as previable preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), which poses significant risks to both the fetus and the mother. According to the lawsuit, the hospitals refused to provide an abortion due to the presence of a fetal heartbeat, despite the medical recommendation for termination to prevent serious complications.
During her second pregnancy, Harrison developed life-threatening sepsis and had to seek care outside her insurance network to receive a blood transfusion. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that Mercy San Juan Medical Center and Mercy General Hospital prioritized religious directives over patient safety and violated California’s Emergency Services Law, which mandates treatment for emergency medical conditions like PPROM. Harrison and her partner, Marcell Johnson, are seeking an order requiring Dignity Health to comply with state law, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
Dignity Health, which operates 24 Catholic hospitals, follows a set of Ethical and Religious Directives that influenced the hospitals’ decisions. In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Dignity Health stated, “When a pregnant woman’s health is at risk, appropriate emergency care is provided. The well-being of our patients is the central mission for our dedicated caregivers.” The case highlights ongoing tensions between religious healthcare providers and state laws regarding emergency abortion services.
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