Will Obama Stand Behind His Executive Order and Cut Federal Funds to Research Medical Center in Kansas City?

In 2010 President Obama mandated that any hospital that receives federal funding  - e.g., Medicare or Medicaid funds - must recognize same sex partner medical powers of attorneys and must allow visitation privileges for same-sex partners.  This apparently meant nothing to the knuckle draggers at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, who had Roger Gorley (pictured at right at left) arrested when he refused to leave that hospital even though he had a valid medical power of attorney signed by his partner.  Rather than recognize the presidential executive order and a valid legal document, the hospital sided with his partner's family.  Adding insult to injury, the hospital secured a restraining order barring Gorley from coming back to the hospital.  Time and time again in my law practice I see family members of gays not give a rat's ass about their gay family member until a medical crisis arises or the family member dies and then suddenly they swoop in like a flock of vultures.  One can only hope that Obama makes sure that Research Medical Center in Kansas City receives an notification that their federal funds have been stopped, preferably permanently.  The hospital can start its resultant cost cutting measures by firing the nurse who was such an asshole as well as the hospital spokesperson.  Here are highlights from WDFA-TV on this outrage:

Roger Gorley went to visit his partner, Allen, at Research Medical Center, 2316 E. Meyer Blvd., Tuesday afternoon.  He says when he got there, a member of Allen’s family asked him to leave.

When Gorley refused, he says hospital security forcibly removed him from the property and put him in handcuffs.  “I was not recognized as being the husband, I wasn’t recognized as being the partner,” Gorley said.  While not legally recognized as a couple in Missouri, Gorley says he and his partner Allen have been in a civil union for nearly five years, and make medical decisions for each other.

He says the nurse refused to verify they also share joint Power of Attorney.  “She didn’t even bother to go look it up to check into it,” Gorley said. “He’s been at the psychiatric unit part several times.”

According to an arrest report from Kansas City, Mo., police, a security supervisor at  Research Medical Center was contacted by Emergency Room personnel after Gorley refused to leave the room of his partner. The hospital said they did not want to have any visitors to Allen’s room.

Gorley was told to leave the room by nurses and security, but refused, the police report said.  “After several verbal attempts to get [Gorley] to leave the room, he continually refused and began to cause a disturbance,” the report said. “[He] began to cause a disturbance by physically resisting security officers as they escorted him out of the patient’s room.”

When police arrived, hospital security officials said they wanted to arrest Gorley for trespassing and disorderly conduct. He was then taken to the police station to be booked, documents show.  Arrest documents say Gorley was placed into handcuffs after a short struggle with hospital security.

Research Medical Center says it can’t talk specifically about this case, but in a statement said:

We believe involving the family is an important part of the patient care process. And, the patient`s needs are always our first priority. When anyone becomes disruptive to providing the necessary patient care, we involve our security team to help calm the situation and to protect our patients and staff. If the situation continues to escalate, we have no choice but to request police assistance.

That's right.  The hospital ignores a valid legal document and a federal mandate, but Gorley is the one arrested and kept from his partner.     This is a prime example of why gay marriage needs to be made a constitutional right nationwide.  Hopefully, Obama has the balls to make an example of Research Medical Center in Kansas City.  And if he doesn't then a petition needs to be started to pressure him into addressing this outrage.   Meanwhile, if you are gay and live in Kansas City, be advised to stay away from Research Medical Center in Kansas City (see image below) like the plague.