One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Major O.C. Hospital Allowed To Continue Abortion Ban
One of the biggest hospitals in Orange County can continue to refuse to give abortions as long as it helps women seeking them to find services elsewhere, according to the state.
The agreement between the state and Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach was announced Friday after an investigation into allegations that Hoag misrepresented its partnership with a Catholic group and was limiting women’s health services, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hoag last summer announced it would cease elective abortions shortly after entering into a partnership with St. Joseph Health, though it denied at the time that the partnership with the Catholic organization had anything to do with it.
Hospital officials had previously said the hospital wouldn’t give elective abortions because of low demand. Interviews and documents showed that actually was a provision of the partnership with St. Joseph.
Here’s what Special Assistant Atty. Gen. Jill Habig had to say about the investigation:
“We spent several months investigating those allegations and negotiating with Hoag. The agreement addresses the concerns that were raised and takes several affirmative steps to ensure women's access to reproductive healthcare."
Women’s health advocates protested the change last summer, and doctors said they’d been told the partnership wouldn’t lead to them having to drop services. Habig did not confirm if the investigation found that the hospital, in fact, gave fewer than 100 abortions a year as they claimed.
Under the agreement, the hospital must continue to provide all reproductive health services except for abortions until 2033.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
