“There is room for disagreement on these issues without having to coerce people,” Severino said.
The University of Vermont Medical Center said in its statement that it has “engaged with representatives from OCR about the complaint over the past nine months.”
“From the outset and as recently as this month, we have offered to discuss our policies and practices, and to receive OCR’s advice on how those policies and practices may be improved consistent with our obligations to our patient,” it said. “Unfortunately, OCR instead chose to proceed with the announcement it issued today.”
“We nonetheless remain willing to work cooperatively with OCR to identify any ways in which we can further support our employees’ conscience and religious rights, in a manner that is consistent with high-quality patient care, and the other legal and ethical obligations we have to our patients,” the hospital said.
(MORE: Trump admin, SC sued over gay couple turned away by religious foster care agency )
At stake is potentially millions of dollars in revenue for the hospital. According to HHS, it received $1.6 million in grant funding over a recent three-year period.
HHS said in a statement that it is giving the hospital 30 days to “work collaboratively” with the agency to change its policies, “and to take immediate steps to remedy the effect of its past discriminatory conduct.”
HHS said its Office of Civil Rights used to manage about one religious discrimination complaint a year, but has been reviewing “hundreds” since Trump was elected.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
