Call on Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital to Stop the Medical Deportation of S.C. a Dominican Mother

Stephen.zieniewicz@lvhn.org, Brian.nester@lvhn.org

Update:

EN - Thanks to the family, advocates and community members, and petition signers, Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest did not deport S.C. on March 2, 2023. However, the threat of deportation is still ongoing, and the hospital administration announced to the family their intentions to revisit this option on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. S.C. continues to require a high level of care, and as a community we support the family's demand to the hospital: 1. remove the threat of deportation for S.C., 2. continue to provide health care until she can be safely transferred to a long-term care facility, and 3. work with the family, advocates and attorneys, who have already begun the process to identify an appropriate care facility for S.C.

Original petition:

EN - A coalition of community organizations, advocates, individuals, and family members call on Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital to provide necessary medical care to patient S.C. until she can be transferred to a suitable facility, and to confirm that the hospital will not subject her to a medical deportation.

Medical deportation is a practice used by hospitals to deport immigrants in the U.S. without informed consent or through coerced consent of the patient’s family. Hospitals charter private flights to transport undocumented patients to their country of origin to avoid having to pay for long-term medical care. Forced deportation of these patients typically results in death or aggravation of their illness or injury.

Patient S.C. is a Dominican mother of two and wife who has been in a coma at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital after suffering complications from an aneurysm surgery in late December 2022. She is bedridden and requires a high level of care in order to recover and survive. On Monday, February 28, Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital informed S.C.’s family that she would be transported to the Dominican Republic on a private charter plane by Thursday, March 2. Community members, grassroots organizations and local electeds are committed to stopping the scheduled private deportation of S.C., as it is her family's wishes that she remain in the U.S. Over the last 48 hrs S.C.’s family and advocates have been diligently working to identify appropriate solutions for S.C.'s care. The deadline imposed by Cedar Crest Hospital is fast-approaching, the hospital administration must commit to stopping the deportation and working with the family and advocates to save S.C.'s life.

The practice of private deportations by hospitals is unregulated, with little transparency or accountability. Little data exists about this practice. Medical deportations can occur even if the patient is not in a condition to travel safely or receive adequate care in the country of origin. Moreover, medical deportations separate patients in critical conditions from their support and family networks. The Lehigh Valley Health Network hospitals, including Cedar Crest Hospital, must commit to rejecting the practice of medical deportation and provide patient S.C. with the care she needs until appropriate care is identified by the hospital and the family.

Hotline: You can always access the End Medical Deportation Hotline to learn more and report a medical deportation at 614-721-4829


Actualización:

ES - Gracias a la familia, defensores y miembros de la comunidad, y firmantes de la petición, Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest no deportó S.C. el 2 de marzo de 2023. Sin embargo, la amenaza de deportación aún continúa y el hospital anunció al familia sus intenciones de revisar esta opción el miércoles 8 de marzo de 2023. S.C. continúa requiriendo un alto nivel de cuidados de salud, y como comunidad apoyamos las demandas de la familia al hospital: 1. eliminar la amenaza de deportación para S.C., 2. continuar brindando atención médica hasta que pueda ser transferida de manera segura a un centro de atención a largo plazo, y 3. trabajar con la familia, los defensores y los abogados, quienes ya han comenzado el proceso para identificar un centro de atención apropiado para S.C.

Petición original:

ES - Una coalición de organizaciones comunitarias, defensores, individuos y miembros de la familia llaman a Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital para que brinden la atención médica necesaria a la paciente S.C. hasta que pueda ser trasladada a un centro adecuado y para que confirmen por escrito que no procederán con una deportación médica.

La deportación médica es una práctica utilizada por los hospitales para deportar inmigrantes en los EE. UU. sin consentimiento informado o mediante el consentimiento coaccionado de la familia del paciente. Los hospitales organizan vuelos privados para transportar pacientes indocumentados a su país de origen para evitar tener que pagar por atención médica a largo plazo. La deportación forzosa de estos pacientes generalmente resulta en la muerte o el agravamiento de su enfermedad o lesión.

La paciente S.C. es una madre dominicana de dos hijos y esposa que ha estado en coma en Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital después de sufrir complicaciones de una cirugía de aneurisma a fines de diciembre de 2022. Está postrada en cama y requiere un alto nivel de atención para poder recuperarse y sobrevivir. El lunes 28 de febrero, Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest Hospital informó a la familia de S.C. que ella sería transportada a la República Dominicana en un avión privado el jueves 2 de marzo. Los miembros de la comunidad, las organizaciones de base y los electos locales se comprometen a detener la deportación privada programada de S.C., ya que es el deseo de su familia que ella permanezca en los EE. UU. Durante las últimas 48 horas, la familia y los defensores de S.C. han estado trabajando diligentemente para identificar soluciones apropiadas para el cuidado de S.C. La fecha límite impuesta por el Hospital Cedar Crest se acerca rápidamente, la administración del hospital debe comprometerse a detener la deportación y trabajar con la familia y los defensores para salvar la vida de S.C.

La práctica de deportaciones médicas por parte de hospitales no está regulada, hay poca transparencia o rendición de cuentas. Existen pocos datos sobre esta práctica. Las deportaciones médicas pueden ocurrir incluso si el paciente no está en condiciones de viajar o recibir atención adecuada en el país de origen. Además, las deportaciones médicas separan a los pacientes en estado crítico de sus redes de apoyo y familiares. Los hospitales de la Red de Salud de Lehigh Valley, incluido el Hospital Cedar Crest, deben comprometerse a rechazar la práctica de la deportación médica y brindar a la paciente S.C. la atención que necesita hasta que el hospital y la familia identifiquen la atención adecuada.

Línea directa: siempre puede acceder a la Línea directa para poner fin a la deportación médica para obtener más información y denunciar una deportación médica al 614-721-4829.

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To: Stephen.zieniewicz@lvhn.org, Brian.nester@lvhn.org
From: [Your Name]

We call on Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest​ Hospital to provide necessary medical care to patient “S.C.” until appropriate care is identified by the hospital and the family. We ask Cedar Crest Hospital to confirm that patient S.C. will not be medically deported.

Patient S.C. is a Dominican mother two and wife who has been in a coma at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest​ Hospital​ after suffering complications from an aneurysm surgery in late December 2022. She is bedridden and requires a high level of care in order to recover and survive. On Monday, February 28, Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest​ Hospital​ informed S.C.’s family that she would be transported to the Dominican Republic on a private charter plane by Thursday, March 2. Most recently, the hospital announced to the family that they would revisit deportation as an option for Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Community members, grassroots organizations and local electeds are committed to stopping the scheduled private deportation of S.C., as it is her family's wishes that she remain in the U.S. Over the last week S.C.’s family and advocates have been diligently working to identify appropriate solutions for S.C.'s care. The deadline imposed by Cedar Crest​ Hospital​​ is fast-approaching, the hospital administration must commit to stopping the deportation and working with the family and advocates to save S.C.'s life.

On behalf of patient S.C. and her family, we demand that Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest​ Hospital​:

1. Commit to refrain from transporting S.C. to the Dominican Republic without informed consent from her or her designated family member;

2. Coordinate with S.C.’s designated family member to identify a medically-appropriate facility to which she can be transferred for necessary care, and to provide ongoing care to S.C. at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest​ Hospital until that time; and

3. Establish a policy prohibiting all Lehigh Valley Health Network Hospitals facilities from engaging in the practice of medical deportation.