BOSTON, MA— In the wake of an unprecedented mobilization over the weekend, over 300 Massachusetts healthcare workers have signed an open letter to Massachusetts hospitals and health systems, urging them to take immediate action to ensure health systems remain welcoming to all patients, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or immigration status. The letter was sponsored by the Health and Law Immigrant Solidarity Network (HLISN), a network of medical and legal professionals and community organizations advocating to keep healthcare safe and welcoming for all. Over 270 people signed the letter, including healthcare professionals from hospitals and health systems across the Commonwealth.
“Amid a barrage of dehumanizing rhetoric and new anti-immigrant policies, knowing that immigration agents may target healthcare facilities is already harming the health of immigrants, their families and our communities,” the letter warned. Authors condemned the recent rescission of the “sensitive locations” policy, which had previously designated healthcare institutions, schools, and places of worship as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement was to be avoided.
“Our patients have been afraid to show up for visits. Some of them are afraid to leave the house, send kids to school or even buy groceries,” said Dr. Lauren Kearney, a critical care physician practicing in Boston and HLISN member. “As healthcare workers we have an ethical duty to care for all and to do no harm. The threat of immigration enforcement in healthcare threatens our ethical duty to care for all.”
The healthcare industry continues to face substantial financial challenges due to the pandemic healthcare worker shortage, and increasing costs for labor, drugs, and supplies. In this context, ideologically-motivated attacks against immigrants and Medicaid cuts threaten the stability of an already precarious healthcare economy.
“Nearly one in five healthcare workers are immigrants,” said Dr. Lara Jirmanus, family physician and founder of HLISN. “Immigrants make our communities and our health systems great. We call on our professional associations and our institutions to say ‘Hands off our hospitals. Hands off medicine.’”
The letter calls on all healthcare institutions and professional associations to:
Create and implement formal policies to protect all of our patients’ privacy and access to healthcare, without exceptions.
- Explicitly communicate to patients that our health institutions welcome and care for all, regardless of immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity or ability, and specify the measures they have taken to protect their care.
- Advocate for our immigrant patients, colleagues, and communities to protect their access to healthcare, the stability of our workforce, and the integrity of our communities.
Build medical-legal partnerships to address growing legal needs, which substantially impact the health of our patients and communities.
