Christian physician assistant Valerie Kloosterman stood her ground when The University of Michigan Health-West terminated her last year. According to Fox News, Kloosterman asked for religious accommodation to be exempted from using pronouns and referring patients to transgender procedures and drugs.
Kloosterman expressed her disappointment and sadness from her departure at Michigan West. She said, "They took away the relationships that I had built up, and the people who trusted me for their care."
Kloosterman Fighting Back
Allegedly, there was mandatory training provided by Michigan health wherein the concerns of Kloosterman came to light. She said that there were questions about gender and that she could not answer them in line with the university's beliefs. As such, this event would bring her to the UMH-West's department of diversity, equity, and inclusion for a meeting.
Kloosterman reportedly had a difficult time with the department as she was allegedly called "evil" and a "liar," adding that the meetings would become hostile. She added that she held her ground on her faith.
The report said that the First Liberty Institute lawyers are working for Kloosterman. The counsel aimed for the reinstatement of their client but opted to instead file a suit after the institution failed to render a response.
In the suit, the legal team for the plaintiff alleges that the defendants are targeting their client for her religious beliefs. It added that they are in violation of the "Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, as incorporated against the states via the Fourteenth Amendment."
Kloosterman expressed that she was hurt by the whole ordeal, saying that it "misrepresented her position against transgender procedures." She reiterated that she only want to uphold her compassion, religious convictions, and her Hippocratic Oath.
In an article by The New York Post, it said that the University of Michigan Health-West says that the claims of Kloosterman are without merit. It added that it is committed to "providing appropriate medical treatment to all patients and respects the religious beliefs of its employees."
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University of Michigan Health-West
According to the page of the University of Michigan Health-West, it is an institution that apparently provides an inclusive environment rooted in anti-racism and equity.
On its page, it says that the institution started in 1942 through a group of osteopathic doctors in Grand Rapids. Today, Michigan Health serves more than 250,000 patients every year in 30 different locations.
It added that it is known as a technologically advanced institution that is one of the top medical centers in the country. Allegedly, it says that it is also an inclusive employer of choice.
The health system has HIMSS Level 7 status and has been recognized with multiple clinical, as well as general awards for technology, sustainability, as well as employee satisfaction, among other things.
Currently, Dr. Peter Y. Hahn is the President and CEO of the institution. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. The physician executive completed his residency and fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.
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