Whistleblower nurse fired for her Christian beliefs
Vanessa Sivadge was fired from her position as a nurse at the largest children’s hospital in Texas this summer. Why? Because she stood true to her religious beliefs in the workplace. Sivadge, a Christian, revealed that her employer, Texas Children’s Hospital, used federal funds to cover cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for children – in grave violation of Texas law. In addition to witnessing the hospital break state law, the whistleblower nurse was concerned that in “affirming” children’s gender, the hospital was dismissing the underlying psychological distress the patients underwent and doing young children great harm.
As a Christian, Sivadge was not willing to cooperate in providing hormone “treatments.” So she sought a religious exemption and asked to be moved from the endocrinology unit to the cardiology department. With this move, she could carry out her nursing role in a different practice area while protecting her conscience. Sadly, her request was denied.
Hospital backlash
Instead, of working with her to accommodate the whistleblower nurse and her religious beliefs, the hospital took a different approach. FBI agents showed up at her home to talk with her about “things that have been going on at work.” In August 2024, she was terminated from her position for uncovering the hospital’s Medicaid fraud.
This is not the time for the medical field to lose faith-based physicians and nurses. The US is already facing nursing shortages and could have a shortage of between 37,000 and 124,000 doctors by 2034. Nearly a third of registered nurses say that they intend to leave their jobs in the next year. In rural areas, the effects of these shortages are already severe, where residents struggle to access the care they need.
Solidarity’s approach
Our team at Solidarity HealthShare is dedicated to empowering both patients and providers. Providers should be able to practice according to their deeply held convictions. And patients should be able to find providers that will respect their beliefs in their care. None of our Members’ contributions ever pay for ethically problematic procedures like transgender surgeries or cross-sex hormones. Solidarity’s Sharing Guidelines make sure that Members can be confident that their hard-earned dollars are used ethically.
Our team also helps Members make sure they are cared for according to Catholic moral teachings that affirm the dignity and worth of every person, from conception until natural death. Our Prenotification process allows our in-house nursing staff to review medical needs before they happen. This has helped to make sure that immoral medical procedures are not being pushed on our Members. For instance, we helped a Member whose doctor was pushing them towards an umbilical cord occlusion to “treat” their twins suffering from twin-to-twin syndrome in the womb. The Member had no idea that what that really meant was a direct abortion of one of the babies. Our staff was able to save that baby’s life by reviewing the order before it happened and informing the Member. Both twins are alive and well today!
Join the movement
Since 2016, we have negotiated directly with healthcare providers to ensure high quality, life-affirming care for more than 46,000 Members. We work tirelessly to help Members find providers who share their world view. And who will not pressure them or their loved ones into treatments that violate their consciences.
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