Agency says willing to help hospital with abortion policy

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Thirty days after a government civil rights agency accused Vermont’s largest hospital of forcing a nurse to participate in an abortion over her moral objections, the agency says it stands ready to help the hospital voluntarily comply with the law.

The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Aug. 28 that the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington could lose some federal funding if the two parties couldn’t agree within 30 days on the hospital’s policies on employee participation in abortions.

The office said Thursday that the hospital has made some encouraging public statements.

A hospital spokesman said that the goal of its policy is to respect the beliefs of its employees and protect access to safe, legal treatment for patients.