The duty of a hospital

ProMedica proved its dedication to providing comprehensive health care by signing a transfer agreement with Capital Care Network.

The last abortion clinic in Toledo should be able to remain open thanks to a new agreement with local health care company ProMedica.

Click here to view more Blade editorials | Check out the Behind The Editorial series

Having an agreement with ProMedica to accept clients experiencing medical emergencies allows Capital Care to meet the terms of state regulations that have helped close about half of Ohio’s other abortion clinics in recent years.

Pressure mounted in recent months for ProMedica to step up and offer a transfer agreement. Without it, Capital Care faced court-ordered closure because state authorities had revoked its license to operate.

Capital Care had an agreement with the University of Toledo Medical Center — formerly Medical College of Ohio Hospital — until 2013 when the hospital opted not to renew it. Later, the Ohio General Assembly prohibited publicly funded universities from providing transfer agreements to abortion clinics.

Capital Care reached an agreement with University of Michigan Health Center, only for the courts to rule that Ann Arbor is too far from Toledo to qualify as “local.”

The transfer-agreement requirement was never about women’s health. Local hospitals, including Catholic-affiliated Mercy Health, made clear that they would treat Capital Care patients in an emergency, with or without such an agreement, just as they would treat any other patient who arrived at their doors in an emergency situation.

But the ProMedica board of directors’ decision to sign the agreement affirmed the responsibility of any hospital and all in health care — to save lives. Company officials say they believe no one should be beyond the reach of life-saving medical care when they need it. All individuals should have access to the best health care, under all circumstances. One need not condone a woman’s decision to have an abortion in order to want to save her life. ProMedica did the right thing.

Follow @BladeOpinion on Twitter.