Pediatrician Refuses To Treat Patient Because of Mom’s Tattoos
Sound crazy? It is. A pediatrician has refused to treat a patient because the patient’s mother has tattoos. In fact, Dr. Gary Merrill has the following sign in his office:
“This is a private office. Appearance and behavior standards apply.”
This means that patients cannot have body piercings, tattoos, and many other strict requirements. And, guess what guys? The AMA reserves the right that Dr. Merrill can do what he wishes in his private office – and can refuse treatment in non life-threatening situations.
Chalk a win up for private physicians that are running businesses. Just like McDonald’s can refuse service if you’re without shirt and shoes, Dr. Merrill is making his own rules of what can and cannot occur inside his business. I think this is a good thing.
Tasha Childress’ response after Dr. Merrill refused to treat her daughter’s ear infection?
I felt totally discriminated against, like I wasn’t good enough to talk to, Tasha Childress said, like he didn’t have to give me any reason for not wanting to see my daughter because I have tattoos and piercings.
You would think that this guy was the only pediatrician in town. If patients aren’t happy with the services rendered, simply go see another doc.
Problem solved.
via: [KGET News]
Did you RTA? That’s really Christian of him. A child suffering from an ear infection gets turned away w/o medicine b/c her mom has tatoos etc. It’s not like the kid had them.
“She had to go that entire night with her ear infection with no medicine because he has his policy,” Tasha Childress said.
The doctor said he is just following his beliefs, creating a Christian atmosphere for his patients.
Merrill won’t speak on camera, but said based on his values and beliefs, he has standards that he expects in his office.
Yeah, I read the article. I think the point that should be taken away from the article is less regulation / more autonomy when it comes to private businesses – whether they be medical practices or restaurants.
Is it fair that the kid had to go all night with an ear infection because her mom had tattoos? No.
Could the mom have taken her child to see another physician or to an ED to get treatment? Absolutely.
Did it occur to you that you may have a working mom who was only able to get a limited amount of time off from work to take her child to a doctors appointment?
When she makes the appt. the receptionist says nothing about a no tattoo policy?
When she gets there, she’s told the doctor wont see her b/c she has a tattoo?
And this is a “Christian” doctor? Has he actually read the Bible and the kind of people Jesus took in and ministered to?
So, I disagree w/ your rich priveleged self-referential notion that “Could the mom have taken her child to see another physician or to an ED to get treatment? Absolutely.”
How in the hell do you know that, genius?
Good points jello. Limited time off is certainly a factor that could have prevented her from taking her child to receive further care.
I’m not saying that I agree with what he did. I have no problem with tattooed or pierced people. I do, however, agree with the AMA when they say that physicians can refuse non life-threatening treatment to patients for any reason.
Had he been required to treat or sued successfully for non-treatment, it would only prove that the government has too much of a role in society than they already do. Physicians or any other business owner who goes against the grain strengthens the free market economy. For every doc like him that refuses to treat patients with tattoos, there are 10 others that will.
Good for that pediatrician, and good for you for posting this story. In the end, a physicians office is a small business, and as such provides a service. Receiving that service benefits both the recipient and the provider, and more physicians and patients need to realize this. Kill small business, and you kill the services that make our economy, and way of life, work.
Thanks for the comments Ryan. You hit the nail on the head.
Yes, the doctor has the right. I just disagree with his narrowed view of Christianity. I would just expect a Christian doctor to have open arms – especially since the services were for the child not the mother. What about forgiveness? The mother could be a changed, Christian woman, and her tattoos could be from her past. I consider myself a Christian, but I would never take my child there.
I wonder how many theological school years he requires to work there?
Madison, I agree that he has a pretty narrow view of Christianity or probably religion in general. I can’t imagine a true Christian turning patients away, especially a kid.
It’s just sad that people can call themselves Christians and therefore hide behind blatant discriminatory practices. There once was a time that society believed people of color were less than human and it was okay to refuse them services too. I am embarassed and saddened this person is in a profession of “public service and caring.”
You dont get the point at all ,refuseing to see anyone because of a tattoo is prejudice ,not his right. next he wont see people that have slanted eyes.
If they can choose people on thier appearance things will be bad. I know many Christians that have tattoos, does that make him better than them??? seems in his eyes it does. he let that child suffer because he judges people on appearance thats predjudice. thats the bottomline ,so say all you like to cloud his actions but in the ends hes not a Christian, not even close.
The guy should be able to do whatever he pleases…
Do we live in a Fascist society or something
I understand the comment about the free market, but I don’t believe that health services can be treated as just another product to sell. Human life and health has always been placed higher than material things, so we can’t treat a doctor’s office as if it was equal to, say, a convenience store. I do believe that physicians should be able to refuse treatment (in non-life-threatening cases) if there is a matter of time, or something similar. Choosing whether or not to treat a person based on the person – not even the person, but someone who happens to be with the person – only opens the gates of Hell.
My son was recently refused to be seen by a specialist because I was supposedly rude to a staff member. I cannot believe that a doctor would refuse to treat a child because they don’t like the parent. I even called the office manager and sincerely apologized (even though I don’t think I did anything wrong) just so my son could get an appointment but they would not accept my apology after 30 days. In our case, there are no other doctors of this specialty in the area. We now have to go out of town to see a specialist and have to wait 3 weeks for an appointment.
It’s not right!