Late last month, a federal judge temporarily cleared the way for emergency abortion care at one of Idaho’s largest hospital systems.
The ruling allows St. Luke’s Health System to provide abortions in emergency situations despite Idaho’s near total abortion ban.
At the heart of the issue is a federal law known as EMTALA, which requires hospitals to stabilize emergency patients.
Peg Dougherty is St. Luke’s Deputy General Counsel. She joined Idaho Matters to take a closer look at the legal battle and what it means for patients and providers in our state.
