SALISBURY TWP., Pa. — A group involved in the case of a comatose woman it says is being threatened with "medical deportation" said Friday it is in "productive conversations" with Lehigh Valley Health Network, and that the threat of repatriation is "no longer imminent."
The Free Migration Project has confirmed the woman, who has been referred to as "S.C.," still is at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest location, and receiving appropriate care.
The woman is undocumented and uninsured, and her husband said both Lehigh Valley Health Network, and a private transport company called MedEscort tried to pressure the family into being "medically deported" to the Dominican Republic.
- A woman in a coma at the Cedar Crest hospital was set to be flown back to the Dominican Republic on a medical flight
- She is uninsured and undocumented, with no way to pay for her expensive hospital stay
- Her husband says both the Lehigh Valley Health Network and MedEscort, a private company, tried to pressure him into having her "medically deported"
- The advocacy group involved in her case now says it's in "productive conversations" with the hospital
- Lehigh Valley Health Network will not answer any questions, citing privacy rules
"We are happy to report that we are now in productive conversations with the hospital," the Free Migration Project said in a statement.
"While this is not the end of this case, as we hope to see her placed in an appropriate care facility near her family, we are confident we will be successful in achieving that goal.
"None of this would have been possible without the family’s bravery in speaking out."
We are happy to report that we are now in productive conversations with the hospital. While this is not the end of this case, as we hope to see her placed in an appropriate care facility near her family, we are confident we will be successful in achieving that goal. None of this would have been possible without the family’s bravery in speaking out. We are grateful to every community member who has shown up in support of this family in their time of need.Adrianna Torres-García, spokesperson for the Free Migration Project
The advocacy group added that it is drafting a local policy in Philadelphia to prevent what it refers to as "medical deportations."
"This policy would also require hospitals to provide data so we can understand the phenomenon of medical deportations more clearly," the organization wrote.
That bill would be introduced this year, the statement said.
Lehigh Valley Health Network has not answered questions about the case, nor about general practices in regards to this procedure, or its relationship with the company MedEscort.
The 46-year-old woman had complications during surgery that resulted in her being put into a coma, according to her husband, Junior Rivas of Allentown.
Rivas said the hospital administration told him they may have to transfer her from their Cedar Crest campus to the Dominican Republic.
They say Lehigh Valley Health Network gave the family a March 8 deadline to find an alternative, such as a placement in a long-term care home. With few financial resources, the family has not been paying for her care at the hospital.
