Providence Alaska refuses patient visit from her pastor

By
Suzanne Downing
-
21

The religious hospital Providence Alaska Medical Center does not allow ministers to visit their parishioners who are in the hospital, a pastor has told Must Read Alaska.

The pastor, of a protestant Christian faith, said the hospital told him that only hospital chaplains and police chaplains are allowed to see patients and that patients’ own ministers are prohibited from visiting them in the hospital. The pastor said the decision was kicked up the chain through four decision makers, until he was finally denied the visit to his parishioner.

A similar case in Maryland was challenged in July by that state’s Office of Civil Rights, which ended up settling with Prince George Hospital in an agreement that forced the hospital to ensure a patient’s right to religious visitation, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

21 COMMENTS

  1. The same hospital that once gave me my last rights, before an emergency surgery that had a high probability of mortality… It was the winter of 1994, then the anesthesiologist and surgeon forgave my debt, because I had nothing. Such compassion moved me. What has become of Providence?

  3. No more pastors closing church doors. Sickness or no Sickness, it was a Huge and Costly mistake. The leaders of the Church don’t own the Church. No one can own a church, its the House of God for believers.

  4. Did this Pastor close the doors to the Church in March 2020? This personal freedom loss is a consequence to the Church’s disobedience closing God’s House doors in the name of public safety sparking fear in the hearts of its attendees and the whole country. Churches had no right to close those doors. I would had continued, which I still do, attending services back in March. It was very disappointing since back then I didn’t have home internet and I didn’t even have a laptop back in March 2020. How was I supposed to watch online services? which I couldn’t! Even, ABT’s silly parking lot big screen was joke of a way to have church. That’s not church! That’s movie day.
    Look at all the consequences because of the church’s pastors disobedience closing those doors. They impressed no one by their obedience to the government officials.

    • Disobedience? Obedience? Where’s mercy, grace,…wisdom. God doesn’t punish His people because they shut down a church! His Children which includes you and I are His church! I loved watching a movie at the drive-in @ABT. People had fun, fellowshiped, enjoyed themselves during a time of quarantine. Now that’s what God likes!

  6. A good friend of mine is an APD Chaplain and they are NOT allowed in at Prov as this article states. They won’t let him in, saying they have hospital chaplains. Regional lets them in, Prov won’t.

  8. Reads like a federal civil-rights violation, which we hope tthe pastor pursues.
    .
    Imagine telling someone of Middle Eastern faith that he can’t see his Imam.

  9. What is going on with Providence? A very ridiculous policy especially in light of what we now know about transmission of Covid. Most other hospitals in Alaska, if not all, are allowing one guest.

  10. You would think with a negative COVID test and a mask he should be able to go anywhere. Do they not think this is enough? Why are we still testing and mask wearing?

  11. I had a heart catheterization procedure in April of 2019 at providence. A doctor from the heart institute performed it. I was given an air embolism and had to be resuscitated. This was never reported to the hospital and protocols were not followed. This is considered malpractice and all providence did was lawyer up. No news agency will look into this. I will sure not trust them.

  12. . Jen, it’s your choice to to embrace foolish contacts with potentially infected persons at church. We know that over 60 percent of the infections are due to asymptomatic transmission. So people who don’t know they are spreading the virus carry on la di da. You say you follow Jesus. Ha, in your ignorance you deny the very facts of the way the virus spreads, you are infecting others because of your actions. You are cruelly ignorant. The best you can do is stay home and shut up.

    • A silly comment or not, retorting to an average person in such a rude and condescending way makes me wonder if you know the first thing about the teachings of Jesus. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, etc….

    • Lol, no this is their across the board policy for ALL incoming.
      Haven’t you been following the uproar of the father not allowed to visit his daughter in ICU.
      Providence has draconian visitors policy. So sad for the families.

  15. Not true Burt. Their in-house chaplains always include catholic, protestant of several strips. orthodox and “interfaith” and don’t force anything on anyone – just support the patient own spirituality (I worked prov inpatient x 10 yrs). But they should have let the pastor in. I really think we can have infection control and a bill of right too :-). Shoulda just had him/her wear an N95.

Comments are closed.