OSF HealthCare said Friday it will not participate in prescribing life-ending medication for terminally ill patients, following Gov. JB Pritzker signing a medical aid in dying law.
Illinois becomes the 12th state to pass so-called “right-to-die” legislation. Health care providers are not required to participate.
OSF, a Catholic health care system based in Peoria, said in a statement it was “saddened” to learn the governor signed the bill into law.
“OSF is guided by honoring the dignity of every human person and we will not participate in or support any form of physician-assisted suicide. These practices are fundamentally inconsistent with our Mission to serve with the greatest care and love,” OSF said.
The Catholic Conference of Illinois was one of the legislation’s most vocal critics.
Supporters of the law say it gives patients with less than six months to live the freedom to make their own health care decisions, as long as they are determined to be of sound mind, their prognosis has been determined by two physicians independently, and they are able to self-administer the medication.
OSF said it will continue to offer “robust” palliative care and provide compassionate care to anyone facing “end-of-life decisions or significant suffering.”
The new law takes effect next September. OSF said it will take time to educate its patients, the public and its mission partners about the law.
Carle Health, the Urbana-based provider that operates Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal and Carle Eureka Medical Center, has not determined how it will impact their care for terminally ill patients.
“The bill is complex, and our medical leadership will be reviewing the details closely to understand its full implications. This legislation does not have an immediate effective date, and we are continuing to follow our current policies to support patients at this time,” the Carle said in a statement.
