ACLU: Hospital illegally bans abortion discussion

The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing a Durango hospital of illegally telling doctors they cannot discuss abortion with patients even if a pregnancy threatens a patient’s life.

The ACLU said Wednesday it asked the state health department to stop Mercy Regional Medical Center from enforcing such a policy.

The hospital’s spokesman and its chief medical officer, Dr. John Boyd, said they hadn’t seen the complaint and had no immediate comment.

The ACLU says Boyd told a doctor and a patient that Mercy staff may not provide or recommend abortions.

The ACLU says the case arose after the second doctor told the patient she might have a condition that made her pregnancy a danger to her health. The ACLU says the patient mistakenly thought the doctor was recommending an abortion.