Oregon Hospital Reverses ‘Archaic Transplant Policy’ After Undocumented Woman Denied A Liver
When Silvia Lesama-Santos could not produce documents to show she was in the country legally she was denied a transplant through the Oregon Health and Science University. The decision immediately received backlash as being “cruel and inhumane," leading to the facility to change its policy.
The Washington Post:
An Oregon Hospital Refused A New Liver To An Undocumented Woman. Then It Found Its Heart.
Hospital officials in Oregon have ended a policy that prevented an undocumented woman from getting a liver transplant because of her immigration status after outcry, according to local news reports. Silvia Lesama-Santos, 46, a mother of four who has lived in the country for at least 30 years, was denied the transplant in a letter Tuesday from transplant program at the Oregon Health and Science University, a public school dedicated to health-related sciences. (Rosenberg, 2/7)
The Oregonian:
OHSU Apologizes For 'Archaic' Policy, Reverses Course After Denying Undocumented Woman Liver Transplant
Hours after learning that an undocumented women who has lived in Portland for 30 years had been denied a liver transplant because of her immigration status, Oregon Health & Science University officials terminated the policy that caused the denial and apologized. Silvia Lesama-Santos, 46, a stay-at-home mother of four children ranging in age from 4 to 21, received a letter from OHSU on Tuesday. Though Lesama-Santos is insured through her husband, the letter stated that she "must have lawful presence." (Acker, 2/7)
