St. Francis is currently owned by SCL Health in Denver, and operates according to certain ethical and religious directives propagated by the Catholic health system. Among those directives is the provider’s inability to promote or condone the use of contraception.
Providers at the health system’s women’s center said they are able to prescribe birth control options to patients in a limited liability capacity, meaning they are generally able to “perform and prescribe almost any form of contraception,” according to the report. However, certain medications are prohibited — like Nexplanon and Paragard — despite having received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Every time I prescribe a birth control pill … if it’s for contraception reasons, [I have to clarify] that I am prescribing it under my limited liability capacity [because] it separates myself from the institution,” said Jamie Rempe, DO, an OB-GYN physician at St. Francis Health Women’s Center.
A representative from KU Health System told cjonline.com the institution does not have any policies in place prohibiting providers from prescribing certain birth control methods.
“We believe this is a decision that should be made between a patient and her healthcare provider. As part of the due diligence process, we are working with Ardent currently to review all of St. Francis Health’s current policies and determine necessary changes,” the spokesperson said.
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