Kyleigh Thurman, a patient who filed a federal complaint against an emergency room for not treating her ectopic pregnancy, talks about her experience at her studio in Burnet County, Texas on Aug. 7, 2024. AP Photo
A federal investigation has found that a Texas hospital violated the law by repeatedly sending a woman home with a dangerous, nonviable pregnancy. Despite her bleeding and severe pain, the hospital failed to provide emergency care that could have saved part of her reproductive system.
Kyleigh Thurman, 36, suffered from an ectopic pregnancy — a life-threatening condition where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. After several visits to the emergency room, she was discharged without proper treatment. The delayed care led to the rupture of her fallopian tube and emergency surgery.
A Grim Outcome and a Small Victory
The federal report, completed last year but only recently released, marks a rare federal win for Thurman. It highlights serious failures at Ascension Seton Williamson hospital in Round Rock, Texas. The hospital neglected its duty to stabilize Thurman’s condition as required by federal law.
Thurman said the investigation’s findings give hope but also reflect a larger problem tied to Texas’s strict abortion laws. “I didn’t want anyone else to go through this,” she told the Associated Press. She blames state policies for putting patients at risk.
How Abortion Laws Cloud Emergency Care
After the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, many states imposed harsh abortion restrictions. Texas enacted one of the nation’s strictest bans. These laws have caused confusion and fear among medical providers treating pregnancy emergencies.
The Biden administration tried to protect women’s health by issuing guidelines in 2022. These rules required hospitals to provide abortions in emergencies, even in states with bans. Hospitals ignoring these rules risked losing federal funding.
But recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revoked that guidance. This move has cast doubt on whether hospitals will be held accountable for denying emergency abortions.
What Happened to Thurman?
In February 2023, Thurman’s hormone levels suggested an ectopic pregnancy. Doctors saw no pregnancy in her uterus, and a blockage was detected in her fallopian tube. Still, she was sent home with only a miscarriage pamphlet.
She returned days later, bleeding heavily. The hospital gave her an injection intended to end the pregnancy, but treatment came too late. When the fallopian tube ruptured, she faced life-threatening hemorrhaging. Emergency surgery removed part of her reproductive system.
The Hospital’s Legal Failures
CMS investigated the hospital after Thurman filed a complaint. The findings were clear: Ascension Seton Williamson failed to conduct a proper medical screening and did not consult an OB-GYN as required. The hospital violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which mandates stabilizing care for all emergency patients.
The hospital system declined detailed comments but said it is committed to quality care.
The Broader Impact of Abortion Restrictions
Legal experts warn that abortion bans have made emergency care for pregnant women more difficult. Texas doctors risk decades in prison if convicted of illegal abortion, causing hesitation even in critical cases.
Molly Duane, attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, “Patients with miscarriages are being denied care, bleeding out in parking lots. Nonviable pregnancies are being forced to continue.”
What Now for Emergency Abortion Access?
With CMS pulling back on enforcement guidance, the future of emergency abortion access is uncertain. The agency promises to still enforce laws protecting pregnant women’s health but without clear rules on abortion care.
Texas law allows treatment for ectopic pregnancies but not all pregnancy complications. Several women have sued Texas, saying the law blocks care in fatal fetal anomalies or premature labor.
Thurman worries that many women in Texas will still face dangerous delays. “Pregnancy complications can be unpredictable and deadly,” she said. “Anyone can be affected.”
This case underscores the urgent need for clear policies that protect pregnant women’s health, regardless of political battles over abortion rights.
