Parents in New Jersey have been given questionnaires asking for their newborn's sexual orientation and gender identity. (Facebook/Holly Schepisi)
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Inspira Health’s forms are meant to comply with a New Jersey law that requires the collection of data on patients’ race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, according to Schepisi.
"The health network, in fairness to them, it was like ‘We don't necessarily want to be providing these out. And we have received some pushback and backlash from patients.’ But under the new law that was implemented in New Jersey in late June of 2022, the health network had a real belief that in order to be compliant with the law DOH [regulations], that they had to be all encompassing and include this, including for newborn patients," Schepisi told Fox News Digital.
The law requires the collection be done "in a culturally competent and sensitive manner," which Schepisi said was "subjective."
Schepisi said that the law went from introduction to the NJ governor’s desk in a week and a half, which she said is "unheard of." (iStock)
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Schepisi pointed the finger at New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, saying that initiatives such as the collection of this data for medical records "stemmed directly from the governor’s office." She also pointed out that the law went from introduction to the governor’s desk in a week and a half, which she said is "unheard of."
In response to a request for comment, the New Jersey Department of Health told Fox News Digital that "the Department stresses that any collection of SOGI data should be done in a clinically appropriate and culturally competent manner, including patient populations for which certain data may not be appropriate, as in the case for newborns. We also recommend that hospitals develop internal policies and procedures based on clinical advice to assist their employees in collecting such data."
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hospital-questionnaire-sparks-outrage-over-newborn-sexual-orientation-question