Comments on: Hospital apologizes for ‘delay’ in allowing visit by lesbian partner

By: DazYaw

DazYaw — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:55:02 +0000

By: DazYaw

DazYaw — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:53:48 +0000

By: DazYaw

DazYaw — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:53:26 +0000

1) IF the partner was indeed denied visitation on the basis of being gay a complaint is valid and good. I’m sure this hospital won’t let that happen in the future! However it seems likely that the timing to emergency room, and Cole’s response to immediately feel victimized rather than ask why she wasn’t being allowed back, was key in the sequence and the interpretation of things. What was really said, who knows. But…wasn’t this as likely to be saying to the person on the other end of of the phone “Great, the patient is asking for family and they’re here right now to come on back!”
2) My partner and I, and other LGBT couples we know, have been to Washington Adventist on a number of occasions and never experienced this problem. IF this happened exactly as described, and the staff member’s statement actually indicated discrimination, this is clearly not a pattern at this particular hospital.
3) What is the relationship between these complainants and the HRC? This incident has been widely broadcast in the local media over the last week. HRC appears to have used every media connection they have to raise the red flag on this in a timely way given gay marriage rights will be on the state agenda in a couple of months. Is that a bad thing? Maybe not, but it’s clear this is a media circus.
4) The dramatization by Widerotter in articles and video clips, stating Cole is “terrified” now because of this, makes Cole seem hysterical and unstable. By the way, where is the main complainant, Cole, in all these interviews anyway? Why is Widerotter so busy being in the limelight “representing” Cole?

By: DazYaw

DazYaw — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:50:16 +0000

1) IF the partner was indeed denied visitation on the basis of being gay a complaint is valid and good. I’m sure this hospital won’t let that happen in the future! However it seems likely that the timing to emergency room, and Cole’s response to immediately feel victimized rather than ask why she wasn’t being allowed back, was key in the sequence and the interpretation of things. What was really said, who knows. But…wasn’t this as likely to be saying to the person on the other end of of the phone “Great, the patient is asking for family and they’re here right now to come on back!”
2) My partner and I, and other LGBT couples we know, have been to Washington Adventist on a number of occasions and never experienced this problem. IF this happened exactly as described, and the staff member’s statement actually indicated discrimination, this is clearly not a pattern at this particular hospital.
3) What is the relationship between these complainants and the HRC? This incident has been widely broadcast in the local media over the last week. HRC appears to have used every media connection they have to raise the red flag on this in a timely way given gay marriage rights will be on the state agenda in a couple of months. Is that a bad thing? Maybe not, but it’s clear this is a media circus.
4) The dramatization by Widerotter in articles and video clips, stating Cole is “terrified” now because of this incident, simply makes Cole look like an incompetent hysterical mentally unstable person. By the way, where is the main complainant, Cole, in all these interviews anyway? Why is Widerotter so busy being in the limelight “representing” Cole?
5) Does this advertisement of Cole as “damaged goods” have another purpose? Is it a transparent set-up for a money-grubbing lawsuit? Seems like a loser because it’s all in interpretation of one statement, also the hospital has no established pattern of this behavior and many seem willing to say so.
5) Yes this pair should get over themselves and wallowing in being “victims”. This received so much media coverage that they are are willing pawns for the HRC or they want money. Or both. Now they they should simply realize their 15 minutes of fame is over and move on.

By: rfky845

rfky845 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:21:49 +0000

perhaps you should get over your bigotry and “move on.”

By: rfky845

rfky845 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:20:01 +0000

this is a civil rights violation and they shouldn’t be required to lie. Some people have higher standards than that.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:06:00 +0000

And for how many other “minute” issues does the CEO of the hospital personally call and apologize?

These women are raising this issue, because the LGBT community is tired of being denied access to our spouses before they die in the hospital.

By: laurelboy2

laurelboy2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:17:32 +0000

@Eric and @Rob as replies to my comment above: The only reason these women are making a big deal of this minute incident is because they want to attract attention to themselves. I encourage them to get over themselves, and move on.

By: EdA

EdA — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:48:45 +0000

And it’s certainly an unfortunate coincidence that at the time of admission to the emergency room there were no “experienced employees” around to provide guidance to the “new employee” as to what the hospital claims its policy to be and it’s certainly an unfortunate coincidence that somehow the training provided to a “new employee” handling people accompanying accident victims didn’t mention the new federal regulations, or that the “new employee” forget and didn’t think to ask for guidance.

By the way, I still don’t know what happened to the nurses, including many long-term nurses, who were fired by Adventist Hospital following Snowmageddon.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:40:37 +0000

Why should a patient or their spouse have to lie about anything, in order to receive proper medical care? The hospital should comply with the law and industry standards of care.