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POLITICAL
Jackson Memorial Hospital
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SAVE Dade has teamed up with a coalition of gay advocacy groups to form the Committee for Fair Visitation at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The Committee was formed in light of the current lawsuit against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice Langbehn, who was denied visitation of her lesbian partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, as she lay dying in a hospital bed. The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) has begun working with the Committee and has issued a letter to Jackson Memorial requesting a meeting to discuss the hospital’s strict visitation policies and practices.
The Langbehn case demonstrated the harm same-sex partners face when hospital policies don’t recognize their relationship. When Janice Langbehn and her children attempted to see Lisa Pond, they were told that they were in an “antigay city and state,” and that her relationship would not be acknowledged. Langbehn was only able to see her partner for a few minutes under the wing of a Catholic priest who performed Pond’s last rites, nearly eight hours after their arrival at the hospital.
The Public Health Trust has motioned to dismiss the Langbehn’s lawsuit against Jackson Memorial Hospital on the grounds that the hospital has (1) no obligation to allow their patients visitors, (2) no legal duty to allow a healthcare surrogate to see the patient on whose behalf they are making healthcare decisions, and (3) they have no obligation to share any particular information with family members. This harsh stance on visitation policies makes it very easy to discriminate against same-sex partners and should be a concern for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, as it effects everyone.
The Committee for Fair Visitation at Jackson Memorial Hospital has set out to ensure that LGBT families are protected from situations like the Langbehn case. The hospital has been called on to adopt an all-inclusive visitation policy that protects a patient’s right to have visitors, and that includes same-sex partners and their children into their definition of family. The Committee has sent out a request to meet with the Public Health Trust Board of Trustees to discuss these issues and establish nondiscriminatory policies and the fair treatment of LGBT individuals. Members of the Committee for Fair Visitation at Jackson Memorial include SAVE Dade, Equality Florida, GLMA, Lambda Legal, and the Fort Lauderdale LGBT Center.
For more information on this issue or for an opportunity to become involved, please contact CJ Ortuno at cj@savedade.org
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