Pediatrician won't treat baby with 2 moms

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/18/doctor-discrimination-baby/23642091/


But as Jami and Krista Contreras sat in the exam room, waiting to be seen for their newborn's first checkup, another pediatrician entered the room and delivered a major blow: The doctor they were hoping for had a change of heart. After "much prayer," she decided that she couldn't treat their baby because they are lesbians.

The pediatrician at issue is Vesna Roi, 49, who has been practicing pediatric medicine for 19 years.

"My life is taking care of the babies," Roi said Tuesday. " I love my families, my patients. I love my kids. And I have become very close with all my patients."

"Dear Jami & Krista, I am writing this letter of apology as I feel that it is important and necessary. I never meant to hurt either of you. After much prayer following your prenatal (visit), I felt that I would not be able to develop the personal patient doctor relationship that I normally do with my patients."

Currently, 22 states have laws that prohibit doctors from discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation. Michigan is not one of these states.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. The link appears to be broken.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Think I fixed it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Thank you...

This makes me sick.

[bigwillq]

44. You and me both.

It's sad how some folks behave.

[ScreamingMeemie]

72. Super sad. This is the suburb next to where we lived. How grateful I am that we did

not interview her we were expecting James. I hope she sees a sharp dip in patients.

[leftofcool]

2. Fuck her!

Find a "good" pediatrician!

[winter is coming]

3. I hope a lot of her patients drop her like a hot rock. I certainly would. n/t

[RKP5637]

4. ... should have her license revoked in a sensible state. An individual like this has far too

many hangups to be practicing medicine IMO.

[kysrsoze]

70. Exactly. She violated her Hippocratic oath.

[RKP5637]

80. We put up with far too much religious BS in this country. I have no use

for those that impose their religion on other people. If someone has religion and it helps them in life, great, I am happy for them, as long as they do not impose it on others.

I am not religious myself, but I know people that are and they never impose their religion on anyone, they are very kind helping people in life.

This doctor is basically a public servant, there to serve the public in an open manner. If she can not do this, then she belongs in a different setting. As you say, she has violated her Hippocratic oath, and what makes it even more appalling, are her actions toward a defenseless child for no reason other than her contemptuous beliefs.

[el_bryanto]

6. That's really messed up when you think about it

I mean what is Vesna Roi afraid of? That she might come to see two lesbians as human beings rather than terrible sinners who are going to hell. I don't understand that mentality.

Bryant

[Lurks Often]

7. With a little luck the health insurance companies will make her a non-participating provider

While I think she is absolutely wrong in her beliefs, she at least had the manners to apologize and explain to the parents.

If I were a parent, I would prefer a doctor be that honest rather then pretend and not be able to be 100% involved in the welfare of the child. It would allow me to chose a different doctor.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. Manners?

Well, I guess it's better that she acknowledged upfront that she is a bigot (and has no desire/interest in growing and changing her bigoted beliefs) but such considerations shouldn't even come into play when practicing medicine. I work in the Social Work field and if people can't tolerate working with certain groups of people, they are discouraged from even moving forward in their education in the field. Hopefully, she (somehow) gets blacklisted. Who knows what other kind of people she "objects" to on religious grounds? It seems like legislatures pushing "right to discriminate" measures are, predictably, helping embolden people to do stuff like this. Not really surprised that now we're starting to see stuff like this.

[Lurks Often]

28. I am in no way condoning her beliefs, no manner how poorly I expressed my thoughts,

but I agree with you that it was better that she was upfront about it.

It's an odd story, most bigots don't normally apologize for their bigotry and I have little doubt that in an emergency, the doctor would do everything in her power to treat those children regardless of her beliefs.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

39. Really?

"I have little doubt that in an emergency, the doctor would do everything in her power to treat those children regardless of her belief"

Having worked in the medical field for the last 30 yrs, I have my doubts she "would do everything in her power to treat those children regardless of her beliefs." I have seen too many spouses, partners and parents turned away during and after medical emergencies because they are gay.

This is the same type of discrimination people face when attempting to purchase contraception and the pharmacist refuses to honor the prescription because of their religious beliefs. I would be fired if I walked out of my exam room and said I would not perform an exam on someone for any reason other then the patient feeling more comfortable with someone of the same gender performing their exam.

The insurance company should drop her. Cut of her income stream. Let her church support her. They can have all the clinics they want at their church and only treat who they want. I would not want her or any person with her attitude handling any part of my healthcare.

[Lurks Often]

74. Shrug, we're both entitled to our opinions

I happen to think that in an emergency the doctor would help, your experiences lead you to a different opinion.

[uppityperson]

78. It is appalling to hear that health care provider would act so unethically, isn't it?

I can not imagine why they would do so, can not imagine ever doing so myself and I've helped all sorts of people I'd never have anything to do with otherwise.

It is appalling but unfortunately it does happen. Very unethical and unfortunately too common still.

[Iggo]

42. Yep, honest bigotry is the best bigotry, I always say.

[Pacifist Patriot]

54. Except in situations where another doctor is not available.

I've already said this in my response to the OP, but there are plenty of situations where one doctor could be a patient's only option. Honesty's great, but compassion and shedding religious-based bigotry are tons better.

[Lurks Often]

75. Sure, but more often then not, that's not likely to happen.

[Pacifist Patriot]

85. Doesn't matter how likely it is. It can happen.

And people with decent health coverage who live in suburban and urban areas really don't get how this can be an issue in more areas than they'd like to think.

[bullwinkle428]

87. Dude - it absolutely DOES happen. I work in a small town, and a number of

my female co-workers have had children over the past 10-15 years. Every one of them goes to the SAME OB-GYN, as he literally is the "only game in town", being a non-urban setting. Thankfully, he's a very good and well-respected, and respectful doctor, but clearly, this situation indicates that not all are like that.

A very different situation from say, a family practice doctor, where you'll almost always have several to select from.

[yellowcanine]

77. Even more serious than that. A good part of physician education is subsidized by tax dollars.

Low interest loans, grants etc to students as well as public support of medical schools. A physician should not be free to discriminate against patients based on the sexual orientation of the patient of the parents of the patient. And whatever happened to "First, do no harm?" The state medical board ought to come down hard on this doctor.

[atreides1]

82. As for manners, not so much!

It was four months after the visit when she wrote the letter!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/28142401/doctor-refuses-treatment-of-same-sex-couples-baby#.VOU1ZRwkw04.facebook

On Feb. 9, nearly four months after the appointment - the Contreras family finally received this letter from Roi.

The letter read:

"After much prayer following your prenatal, I felt that i would not be able to develop the personal patient-doctor relationships that I normally do with my patients."

"We do not keep prenatal information once we have our meetings so I had no way to contact you."

She apologizes, saying, "I should have spoken with you directly that day," and "please know that I believe that God gives us free choice and I would never judge anyone based on what they do with that free choice."

[Scuba]

8. After "much prayer" she accepted that she was a hateful bigot.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. Sad, isn't it?

After much prayer, she accepted that she has lots of "Christian" hate in her heart (and she's ok with that).


WWJRTT?

[RKP5637]

32. Her voice of god told her she was a bigot, and she replied, "oh yes I am master" and thus

felt good about her bigotry, persecution and discrimination. After all, her god said it was just fine after much prayer.

[snooper2]

49. important lesson to remember fundie assholes come in all shapes and sizes

?1424311100

[hobbit709]

9. She needs her license revoked.

She's supposed to be treating the baby, regardless of who the parents may or may not be.

[randome]

10. What's Latin for "First, don't be an ass." ?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[leftofcool]

13. I got this! "Firstuim, Assium"

[randome]

27. One of my daughters loves Latin.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

[uppityperson]

79. primum non esse asinum

[Buzz Clik]

12. Gee. Such tough decisions. Leviticus vs. Hippocrates.

Leviticus it is. Let the kid die.

[3catwoman3]

14. Perhaps she took...

...The Hypocritic Oath.

This is horrifying.

[spanone]

15. so, God spoke to the doctor and said 'screw that little kid and it's lesbian parents'?

not any god i know.

[Liberalynn]

33. I think she must have been praying to someone a lot lower

than God, if you get my drift!

[spanone]

36. bigots hiding behind religion....how conveeeeeenient!

got your drift!

[tblue37]

16. KnR for visibility to move to greatest page. nt

[riversedge]

19. In solidarity

[tblue37]

21. Precisely. nt

[riversedge]

17. I hope they find a doctor that they can

work with. Seems 'prayers' did not overcome the bigotry!

IMHO--I think this doctor will become enlightened because of this episode. Just a feeling.

[Iggo]

41. Her partners in practice will probably become enlightened just ahead of her.

Dollar, dollar.

[CrispyQ]

18. Well, isn't she special.

Hateful bigot.

I hope she loses most of her clients.

[msanthrope]

20. Contribute to her reviews.....

https://ezdoctor.com/doctor/profile/dr-vesna-l-roi-do/881940#patient-reviews

http://m.yelp.com/biz/eastlake-pediatrics-pc-roseville

[Iggo]

35. She's taking a beating on Yelp.

Good.

[riderinthestorm]

47. "Baby Jesus would be turned away here because his parents weren't married"

Yup double plus good!

[arcane1]

66. That was gold. I hope she manages to read that one!

[Iggo]

88. Here's my favorite, so far...

"I wanted to bring my baby here but changed my mind when I found out that they wouldn't treat the baby of a pair of lesbians. I'm 1000% straight. Really. But my 3 day old baby seems kinda gay. And I didn't think he could handle the rejection if they refused to treat him. Gay babies are very sensitive."

[Takket]

63. i see that...

but some of the people leaving reviews don't seem to know what they are doing lol a few of them have rated her 5 stars despite leaving a scathing post about her bigotry. they are "dragging up" her rating.

[cemaphonic]

65. The 5 star ones are clearly satire

Those ones are all backhanded "praise" instead of straightforward negative reviews. I doubt the average rating would matter that much to a prospective client that happened upon her yelp listing and saw page after page of negative reviews.

[City Lights]

22. After "much prayer?" Jesus wept.

Fuck that hateful bigot.

[msanthrope]

25. She is a member of Wayne County Osteopathic Medical Association. nt

[tridim]

26. If prayer tells you to be an bigoted asshole, please ignore the voices. nt

[Omaha Steve]

29. Dr must have skipped the OATH part of being a doctor

She sure missed on being a caring doctor!

[weissmam]

30. I guess she puts listening to the great

ski fairy and the pastor of the week over being a Dr.

Is that really the type of Dr you want

[KingCharlemagne]

31. What a contemptible specimen of the human race this Dr. Roi is. - nt

[Iggo]

34. Nice cover for bigotry.

"After much prayer..."

Fuck you, bigoted doctor.

[amuse bouche]

37. "After much prayer "

Says all I need to know about the holier than thou turd

[MoonRiver]

38. They're better off without that bigoted scum.

[mahannah]

40. Prayer?

[FiveGoodMen]

43. To hell with Vesna Roi

.

[kairos12]

45. You have got to be kidding me. I hope her patients walk out on her.

[gregcrawford]

46. Yank the bitch's license to practice!

What an unspeakably vile, sanctimonious woman! "After much prayer..." my ass! Roi defiles every principle of Christianity, and of the Hippocratic Oath with her despicable intolerance. She is, however, a shining example of conservative bigotry and ignorance.

[sulphurdunn]

48. What she did is OK

because she prayed earnestly about it first and didn't let professional ethics interfere with her belief in supernatural beings who just happen to always support her personal prejudices.

[Takket]

50. She has violated her oath and should have her medical license stripped.

[Pacifist Patriot]

51. I hope they have options.

When I hear of stories like this, I immediately think of the countless people who have very limited choices when it comes to health care. Whether it is because of their geographic location, health coverage requirements, or finances, doesn't really matter. This is probably not the case here, but what if they lived in a town with exactly one pediatrician? Like this one. Or were covered by a policy with narrow practice options? That's one reason why this doctor's fucked up religious based bigotry has no place in a medical practice.

[Takket]

59. They will be fine

This happened in Roseville, a suburb of Detroit. There are pediatric offices all over the place here (I live pretty close to Roseville). Finding a doctor will be no issue. But you are correct.... if this was not an urban area, it may be the only doctor around.

[Myrina]

52. I cannot wait until the RW businesses start to close ....

.... when customers, clients and patients leave in droves over these stupid ass policies and they're left with less than 23% of market share.

Gotta love religious freedom and the power of the free market.

[azureblue]

53. "After much prayer"

After much prayer he found a way to justify his bigotry...

[azureblue]

57. and this needs re posting

76 things banned in Leviticus


1. Burning any yeast or honey in offerings to God (2:11)
2. Failing to include salt in offerings to God (2:13)
3. Eating fat (3:17)
4. Eating blood (3:17)
5. Failing to testify against any wrongdoing you’ve witnessed (5:1)
6. Failing to testify against any wrongdoing you’ve been told about (5:1)
7. Touching an unclean animal (5:2)
8. Carelessly making an oath (5:4)
9. Deceiving a neighbor about something trusted to them (6:2)
10. Finding lost property and lying about it (6:3)
11. Bringing unauthorized fire before God (10:1)
12. Letting your hair become unkempt (10:6)
13. Tearing your clothes (10:6)
14. Drinking alcohol in holy places (10)
15. Eating an animal which doesn’t both chew cud and has a divided hoof (cf: camel, rabbit, pig) (11:4-7)
16. Touching the carcass of any of the above (11:8)
17. Eating – or touching the carcass of – any seafood without fins or scales (11:10-12)
18. Eating – or touching the carcass of - eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. (11:13-19)
19. Eating – or touching the carcass of – flying insects with four legs, unless those legs are jointed (11:20-22)
20. Eating any animal which walks on all four and has paws (good news for cats) (11:27)
21. Eating – or touching the carcass of – the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon (11:29)
22. Eating – or touching the carcass of – any creature which crawls on many legs, or its belly (11:41-42)
23. Going to church within 33 days after giving birth to a boy (12:4)
24. Going to church within 66 days after giving birth to a girl (12:5)
25. Having sex with your mother (18)
26. Having sex with your father’s wife (18:8)
27. Having sex with your sister (18)
28. Having sex with your granddaughter (18:10)
29. Having sex with your half-sister (18:11)
30. Having sex with your biological aunt (18:12-13)
31. Having sex with your uncle’s wife (18:14)
32. Having sex with your daughter-in-law (18:15)
33. Having sex with your sister-in-law (18:16)
34. Having sex with a woman and also having sex with her daughter or granddaughter (18:17)
35. Marrying your wife’s sister while your wife still lives (18:18)
36. Having sex with a woman during her period (18:19)
37. Having sex with your neighbor’s wife (18:20)
38. Giving your children to be sacrificed to Molek (18:21)
39. Having sex with a man “as one does with a woman” (18:22)
40. Having sex with an animal (18:23)
41. Making idols or “metal gods” (19:4)
42. Reaping to the very edges of a field (19)
43. Picking up grapes that have fallen in your vineyard (19:10)
44. Stealing (19:11)
45. Lying (19:11)
46. Swearing falsely on God’s name (19:12)
47. Defrauding your neighbor (19:13)
48. Holding back the wages of an employee overnight (19:13)
49. Cursing the deaf or abusing the blind (19:14)
50. Perverting justice, showing partiality to either the poor or the rich (19:15)
51. Spreading slander (19:16)
52. Doing anything to endanger a neighbor’s life (19:16)
53. Seeking revenge or bearing a grudge (19:18)
54. Mixing fabrics in clothing (19:19)
55. Cross-breeding animals (19:19)
56. Planting different seeds in the same field (19:19)
57. Sleeping with another man’s slave (19:20)
58. Eating fruit from a tree within four years of planting it (19:23)
59. Practicing divination or seeking omens (tut, tut astrology) (19:26)
60. Trimming your beard (19:27)
61. Cutting your hair at the sides (19:27)
62. Getting tattoos (19:28)
63. Making your daughter prostitute herself (19:29)
64. Turning to mediums or spiritualists (19:31)
65. Not standing in the presence of the elderly (19:32)
66. Mistreating foreigners – “the foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born” (19:33-34)
67. Using dishonest weights and scales (19:35-36)
68. Cursing your father or mother (punishable by death) (20)
69. Marrying a prostitute, divorcee or widow if you are a priest (21,13)
70. Entering a place where there’s a dead body as a priest (21:11)
71. Slaughtering a cow/sheep and its young on the same day (22:28)
72. Working on the Sabbath (23:3)
73. Blasphemy (punishable by stoning to death) (24:14)
74. Inflicting an injury; killing someone else’s animal; killing a person must be punished in kind (24:17-22)
75. Selling land permanently (25:23)
76. Selling an Israelite as a slave (foreigners are fine) (25:42)

[Buenaventura]

55. 19 years? Practice, it seems, does not make perfect. n/t

[One_Life_To_Give]

56. Better to know upfront

Seems to me that the Dr. might try to avoid contact, shorten visit time etc. So on the bright side atleast you know now she is a Homophobic bigot and hopefully you can find another pediatrician who will actually give the child the appropriate care.

[azureblue]

60. and an oldie

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1 ). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21 . In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

[Lex]

61. Don't you just love the way that people can use religion to push their ignorant bigotry.

I'm sure Jesus is impressed.

[ProfessorGAC]

62. So Much For Hippocrates

Taking it out of the child. Nice.

[blackspade]

64. Fucking bigot.

Apologize all you want, but it doesn't cover for your bullshit religion.

[TNNurse]

67. Guess she forgot

That oath she took. Hope her current patients go elsewhere.

[jeff47]

68. At least they know the doc's a bigot...

before that bigotry caused negligence, which then hurt the child.

[niyad]

69. this is a very important part:

DETROIT — Sitting in the pediatrician's office with their 6-day-old daughter, the two moms couldn't wait to meet the doctor they had picked out months before.

The Roseville, Mich., pediatrician — one of many they had interviewed — seemed the perfect fit: She took a holistic approach to treating children. She used natural oils and probiotics. And she knew they were lesbians.

[Tree-Hugger]

71. Evil nt

[Mr Dixon]

73. SMH

This is such BS

[elleng]

76. After 'much prayer' my ass!

[uppityperson]

81. I want a doctor who is competent, ethical, least interested in becoming part of my family

I want one who listens to me, one who is educated and experienced enough to figure out how to work with me to help me stay healthy and to diagnose and treat appropriately.

They don't need to be "close" to me but be my doctor.

Shame on her unethical position.

[jmowreader]

83. I hate that "after much prayer" lie

If there was a Jesus he would have told her, "you're a pediatrician, not a sex therapist. Treat their kid." That's not what happened: she decided her patient's parents' sex life outweighed the child's needs and sent them packing. Prayer neither needed nor performed.

[benld74]

84. I'm thinking she checked the law before doing this,,,,,,but STILL

she is NOT following her oath,,,,

[BlueJazz]

86. Knowing the way I think, if I had known these 2 women, I would have said:

"Here's the plan, I'll call the Doctor's office tomorrow and make an appointment for your child under MY name."
"One of you can come with me as my wife. We'll do this every time your baby needs attention from the Doc."
"Next Christmas, we'll send the Doc a picture of the Family...Baby, Me and my 2 wives"

[sheshe2]

89. What an ugly person Roi proved to be.

You don't like lesbians, fine, yet you take your contemptible hate out on a 6 day old child? There is a special place for you in hell! You can pray there for all eternity!

[Quantess]

90. Awful person.

[rhett o rick]

91. A fellow Christian should take her aside and explain that she is an embarrassment to the Christian

religion. I don't understand what the hours of prayer had to do with her decision. Did Dog actually speak to her.

[Takket]

93. apparently...

and apparently Dog told her to deny medical care to a newborn baby because the child's parents are "sinners". Because that makes perfect sense both from a religious and medical ethics point of view

[99Forever]

92. Why does...

... religion turn people into such hateful scumbags?

[Cha]

94. Oh gawddddd! Yes.. the ol Hippocratic oath.. hate before healing.. got it

[olddots]

95. hey Vesna

They're hiring at Arbys .