Logo

**Joshua Nightshade** · 08-20-2012, 10:38 PM

Same-sex couple in Henderson upset with hospital's treatment - News - ReviewJournal.com

Quote:

CARSON CITY -- On the wall of their Henderson home, Brittney Leon and Terri-Ann Simonelli proudly display their certificate of domestic partnership.

Under a 2009 state law, the document gives them all the rights of married couples.

Or so they thought.

When Leon, 26, checked into Spring Valley Hospital on July 20 with complications in her pregnancy, she assumed that her partner Simonelli, 41, could make any necessary medical decisions if she suffered unforeseen problems.

But that's not what happened, they said. An admissions officer told them the hospital policy required gay partners to secure power of attorney before making any medical decisions for each other.

They protested, even offering to go home and return with their domestic partnership document. But they said the admissions officer told them that didn't matter - Simonelli would need a power of attorney. Considering Leon's condition, Simonelli wasn't in a position to argue or spend hours running to a law office. But the admission officer's words left them devastated in a moment that they already were under extreme stress.

Leon ended up losing her baby.

/snip

Evidently they didn't need that in the first place and the hospital staff were misinformed or outright lying.

Obama extends hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners of gays

Quote:

President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.

The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions. Obama's order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.

The couple doesn't intend to sue, unfortunately, but this is the reality for many, many gay couples.

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-20-2012, 10:55 PM

Oh God.....the pain they must be feeling breaks my heart.

Loraan Fierrens · 08-20-2012, 10:58 PM

At one point, rather a while ago now, I was ambivalent on the question of same-sex marriage. It was this exact type of problem that finally convinced me that marriage isn't just a word but is a right that belongs to all. There is too much stuff attached to the concept for "civil unions" to be good enough.

Thank you for spreading the word, Joshua. I am very sorry for their loss.

Micaela Darkwatch · 08-20-2012, 11:54 PM

Also,

Quote:

A woman who identified herself as public relations representative at Spring Valley Hospital told a Review-Journal reporter in a phone interview that the hospital policy requires gay couples have power of attorney in order to make medical decisions for each other .

When asked if she was aware of Nevada's domestic partnership law, she accused the reporter of bias and hung up the telephone.

Emphasis and link added by me.

detrius · 08-21-2012, 12:32 AM

Quote:

When asked if she was aware of Nevada's domestic partnership law, she accused the reporter of bias and hung up the telephone.

She's got Fox News in her brain.

**Void** · 08-21-2012, 01:02 AM

they are better people than I am... I'd have done my vengeful best to bury everyone involved in that farce. I'm probably wrong for it, but I really don't fucking care.

**Midi Reifsnider** · 08-21-2012, 05:31 AM

This is disgusting and heartbreaking

Zaida Gearbox · 08-21-2012, 09:29 AM

Wow. That's just...wow. I hope they sue the hell out of that hospital to the point that they have to change the name of the hospital to Leon and Samenelli Hospital.

Micaela Darkwatch · 08-21-2012, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Void

I'm probably wrong for it,

You're not. It's been hammered into our heads for the last 20-30 years, that we are too lawsuit happy. While there are abuses of our tort system, they are probably a fraction of all filed.

Gabriell Anatra · 08-21-2012, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micaela Darkwatch

Also,

Emphasis and link added by me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by detrius

She's got Fox News in her brain.

This person needs to be investigated.

If she's that conservative then it's likely she's just contributed to murder at least in her own definition. I'm sure she can rationalize it for a while, but yes, even for her own good someone needs to look into this.

Surreal · 08-21-2012, 01:59 PM

I loved the part where the hospital was happy to take the partner's insurance and SS# to make sure they got paid.

Fucktards.

**Void** · 08-21-2012, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micaela Darkwatch

You're not. It's been hammered into our heads for the last 20-30 years, that we are too lawsuit happy. While there are abuses of our tort system, they are probably a fraction of all filed.

that part isn't even on my radar...

According to the couple they were treated well for the most part despite the bullshit policy. The people (like their own Dr) who did the decent thing don't deserve to be caught up in it...

... and yet they are part of the same hospital, which effectively uses it's few decent people as a shield for the hospitals benefit over ridiculous policies that should never exist in the first place.

I've seen the same denial of rights too many times in my friends, and often because of families that disowned them and seen to many times where the most effective tools of change weren't used because it might also hurt the few who were halfway decent. I'd do what I could to limit fallout to those decent people, but I am past the point of worrying about generating bad blood because of fallout for people that stand in the line of fire.

it lets the establishment minimize the harm they do, and enforces a kind of learned helplessness on those they harm.... and I'm done with it and damn the consequences.

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-21-2012, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Void

I've seen the same denial of rights too many times in my friends, and often because of families that disowned them and seen to many times where the most effective tools of change weren't used because it might also hurt the few who were halfway decent. I'd do what I could to limit fallout to those decent people, but I am past the point of worrying about generating bad blood because of fallout for people that stand in the line of fire.

it lets the establishment minimize the harm they do, and enforces a kind of learned helplessness on those they harm.... and I'm done with it and damn the consequences.

I used to see it when I worked in hospitals. It sickened me. That was long enough ago so there was little recourse for people who were treated this way.

08-20-2012, 10:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Aliselia Aeon Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Stolen Child Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Here Posts: 12,522 My Mood: SL Join Date: October 27, 2007 Client: at the moment, Nirans Blog Entries: 3	Oh God.....the pain they must be feeling breaks my heart. __________________ "Push 100cc of Social Skills, stat!" ~Casey Pelous Last edited by Aliselia Aeon; 08-20-2012 at 10:59 PM. Reason: corrected spelling of 1 word

08-21-2012, 05:31 AM	#7 (permalink)
Midi Reifsnider Miss Midipenny *SLU Supporter* Oh Midi. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Posts: 3,000 My Mood: SL Join Date: July 2007 Client: Viewer 3	This is disgusting and heartbreaking __________________ I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T.S. Eliot

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

08-20-2012, 10:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
Loraan Fierrens Had enough Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,477 My Mood:	At one point, rather a while ago now, I was ambivalent on the question of same-sex marriage. It was this exact type of problem that finally convinced me that marriage isn't just a word but is a right that belongs to all. There is too much stuff attached to the concept for "civil unions" to be good enough. Thank you for spreading the word, Joshua. I am very sorry for their loss.

08-21-2012, 09:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
Zaida Gearbox Senior Member I finally got it all together, but now I forget where I put it. Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Steelhead, Winterfell, New Babbage Posts: 3,767	Wow. That's just...wow. I hope they sue the hell out of that hospital to the point that they have to change the name of the hospital to Leon and Samenelli Hospital.

08-21-2012, 01:59 PM	#11 (permalink)
Surreal Suffers Fools Badly Om Nom Nom Nom Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 11,181 My Mood: Blog Entries: 49	I loved the part where the hospital was happy to take the partner's insurance and SS# to make sure they got paid. Fucktards.

Logo

Site Navigation