Catholic hospital system sued for not providing ’emergency abortion’ as ‘standard of care’
Summary
California-based Catholic health system, Dignity Health (operating 41 hospitals), is being sued by a patient who alleges that after suffering pre-viable preterm rupture of membranes twice, she was not offered an abortion by two of the system’s hospitals. The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court on September 25 2025, accuses Dignity Health of violating state law governing emergency care, civil rights protection, and other statutes by not providing what the plaintiff claims is the “standard of care” in her condition.
Relevance
This case exemplifies a critical tension for Catholic healthcare institutions: balancing adherence to faith-based ethical directives against legal expectations for emergency medical services. It raises questions about institutional identity, provider conscience, public accountability, and the legal risks faith-based hospitals face when their religious mission conflicts with claims of standard medical practice.