Catholic Hospital Not Covered by ADA, But May Be Sued Under Rehab Act
Patient claims retaliation after objecting to failure to provide adequate communication aid
A federal District Court in Missouri, agreeing with several District Courts in other states, but acting without any Court of Appeals authority, had held that the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act do not apply to a Catholic hospital, but that the hospital can be sued for retaliation under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A deaf patient was admitted to St. Francis Medical Center in 2013 when she believed that she was suffering a heart attack. The hospital provided an American Sign Language interpreter to assist on her admission. The next morning, during additional testing, the hospital asked if she would be willing to use a new Video Remote Interpreting service, to which she...
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