A Catholic hospital in northern California is facing legal action after a woman claims she was denied an emergency abortion during a dangerous miscarriage—an incident now at the center of a broader political and ethical debate surrounding religious freedom in health care.
Anna Nusslock filed a lawsuit this week against Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, accusing staff of refusing to terminate her pregnancy in February 2023, despite a diagnosis of a serious condition known as previable preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). The condition left her at risk of life-threatening infection and hemorrhage.
The Catholic hospital maintains it was abiding by its long-standing ethical commitment not to perform direct, elective abortions, in keeping with its religious directives.
According to Nusslock’s legal team, doctors informed her that the twin babies she carried would not survive. However, because one still had a heartbeat, the hospital—bound by Catholic moral teachings—declined to perform an abortion. Staff reportedly directed her to another facility, Mad River Community Hospital, where she ultimately received the procedure after beginning to hemorrhage.
The case has drawn the attention of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who already filed suit last October against the hospital for allegedly failing to provide appropriate emergency care under California law.
Nusslock is seeking damages and policy changes, alleging violations of the Emergency Medical Services Law and the Unruh Civil Rights Act, arguing that the hospital discriminated against her based on pregnancy-related status.
In a public statement, Providence St. Joseph stood by its conduct:
“As a Catholic health care organization, we are transparent that we do not perform elective abortions. However, in emergencies, our care teams provide medically necessary interventions to protect pregnant patients who are miscarrying or facing serious life-threatening conditions.”
Hospital leadership emphasized that they comply with both federal and state law, including the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and that any life-saving care resulting in indirect fetal death is permitted under Catholic doctrine.
They added that the hospital has enhanced training and escalation protocols since the incident to further strengthen care quality.
“We take our responsibility as a vital safety net incredibly seriously,” the hospital’s statement read. “And we are committed to continuing to meet the needs of our community, just as we have for more than a century.”
