[U]niversity of Vermont Medical Center, the state’s largest hospital, is throwing its support behind abortion-rights legislation — including a proposed amendment to the Vermont Constitution.
In a statement that also references the larger University of Vermont Health Network, administrators said “decisions about reproductive health, including abortion, are the concern of the patient and their provider, as is the case with all other medical care.”
The medical center on Thursday also issued a new policy on abortion procedures, though a spokesperson said the policy won’t alter the way the hospital has been providing abortion services.
“It’s not a change to our practice,” spokesperson Annie Mackin said. “It’s just codifying our practice.”
Abortion rights have taken center stage during the 2019 legislative session. A House bill, H.57, would prohibit governmental entities from interfering with access to abortion, while Proposal 5 would amend the state’s Constitution to protect “personal reproductive autonomy.”
Both measures were introduced in response to concerns that political and judicial changes at the federal level will imperil the landmark Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in 1973.
The debate has galvanized abortion rights advocates and opponents, who have filled committee rooms and public hearings. H.57 passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, while Proposal 5 has received the Senate’s OK and is in the House Human Services Committee.
While physicians associated with UVM Medical Center have testified in the Legislature, Thursday marked the first time the hospital itself took a position. The hospital came down clearly on the side of abortion-rights advocates.
“We support state laws, including a constitutional amendment, that protect reproductive rights,” the hospital’s statement says. “This includes the right to contraception and to safe, legal abortion.”
The statement says “we also support the right of individual health care providers to elect to not participate in abortion procedures.” An attorney with the Office of Legislative Council has said that H.57 would not require any medical provider to offer abortion services.
University of Vermont Medical Center is getting involved in the debate because the hospital “was asked by legislators, community members and our own employees to weigh in,” according to a statement issued Thursday.
“This position was developed through an extensive process, with input from physicians, clinical and nonclinical leaders,” the statement says. “Abortion is a challenging topic, eliciting strong emotions. This position reflects our dedication to providing comprehensive care to our patients while respecting diverse beliefs in our community.”
The hospital’s newly drafted policy regarding abortion procedures followed a similar path: Administrators said it was developed over several months and “informed by wide-reaching and collaborative conversations with many physicians and clinical and nonclinical staff.”
The policy reflects current practice at UVM Medical Center, which is that abortion prior to 22 weeks of gestation “is a private decision between a patient and clinician,” according to information released by the hospital.
From 22 weeks onward, abortion “requires decision support and oversight from clinical ethics and the chief medical officer in an effort to ensure we weigh our scope of practice thoughtfully as a community.”
Abortion after 25 weeks of gestation is “extremely rare and only occurs after extensive consideration of exceptional medical need.”
The most recent statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that abortions later in pregnancy don’t happen often, either nationally or in Vermont.
In Vermont, there were nine abortions – or 0.7% of the state’s total – performed at 21 weeks of gestation or beyond in 2015. In contrast, 71.7% of the state’s abortions happened at eight weeks or earlier.
Nationally, 1.3% of abortions were performed at 21 weeks or later, while 65.4% happened at eight weeks or earlier.
UVM Medical Center’s statement about the new policy says it “ensures that we provide the comprehensive reproductive services our patients seek while honoring the diversity of beliefs held by our employees.”
“While we will not achieve perfect consensus, the way we discuss abortion is an opportunity for us to show that we value patient-centered care and respect each other even when we differ,” the hospital’s statement says.
