Exclusive: Arizona Hospital Whistleblower Details Mandated Transgender Training
“It is shocking that a Catholic hospital sacrifices employees’ personal beliefs over transgender ideology,” says a healthcare worker.
A whistleblower, troubled by the mandatory “Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming” training within their healthcare organization, shared over 80 slides of internal training materials with State 48 News. While we will not be publishing the slides out of an abundance of caution, we will provide a clear account of the training’s content and explore the concerns raised by the insider.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the whistleblower expressed concerns that these training sessions go beyond inclusivity, instead imposing ideological expectations that may conflict with employees’ personal beliefs, medical ethics, and patient care standards.
The whistleblower also questions the morality of the Catholic hospital’s leadership in implementing such training. They argue that it contradicts traditional Catholic teachings on gender and human identity, raising concerns about whether religious institutions are compromising their foundational beliefs in the face of corporate and political pressure.
There is growing tension between healthcare systems and the evolving landscape of gender identity policies, leaving many employees to grapple with ethical and professional dilemmas.
Employees believe they were forced to complete the training despite their personal beliefs, fearing termination if they refused. Determined to expose what they see as “wrong and insidious” instruction, one worker chose to come forward and shine a light on the issue.
WHISTLEBLOWER RAISES CONCERNS OVER HOSPITAL’S TRANSGENDER ROOMING POLICY
The healthcare worker said there are concerns about a hospital training program that instructs staff on handling patient complaints regarding transgender roommates. One training slide, provided by the whistleblower, presents a scenario in which a patient named Karen expresses distress upon discovering that her hospital roommate is transgender.
The whistleblower criticized the scenario’s framing, stating it was “Racist to use a white woman named Karen,” to depict someone raising safety concerns.
According to the training guidelines, if a patient complains about having a transgender roommate, immediate relocation is not the first step. Instead, staff are instructed to use a curtain or room divider to address privacy concerns. Only after multiple complaints “may the patient be moved to another room, provided that relocating the patient is medically appropriate and safe.”
However, if a transgender patient reports harassment based on gender identity, the offending roommate is to be relocated promptly. The worker said, “Transgender patients have more rights than other patients.”
The whistleblower voiced concerns about patient safety, particularly regarding the placement of male and female patients together. “After surgery and in the hospital, patients are on medication and in a fragile state,” the worker stated, emphasizing the potential risks for women who may not be fully aware of their surroundings.
These policies align with a broader shift in hospital protocols aimed at accommodating transgender patients. CommonSpirit Health’s policy states that room assignments should be based on a patient’s self-identified gender, regardless of physical appearance or surgical history. Similarly, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s guidelines recommend that hospitals assign rooms in accordance with a patient’s gender identity to promote a respectful and safe environment.
Another training slide instructs hospital staff not to ask about a patient’s transgender status, emphasizing that they “are not to use language or a tone that could demean, question, or invalidate a person’s gender identity.” Additionally, best practices outlined in the training mandate the use of a patient’s preferred pronouns and require that all interactions reflect gender-affirming care.
The whistleblower’s concerns highlight the growing tension between hospital policies designed to protect transgender patients and broader patient safety considerations, raising questions about how best to balance inclusivity with medical care protocols.
WHO IS COMMONSPIRIT HEALTH?
CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit Catholic health systems in the United States, was established in 2019 through the merger of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). The system now operates more than 700 care sites and 142 hospitals across 21 states, including a significant presence in Arizona.
CommonSpirit’s mission is rooted in Catholic values, emphasizing compassionate care, social justice, and serving the underserved. According to its website, the organization is committed to “health equity,” focusing on holistic well-being and addressing not just medical needs but also social determinants like poverty and mental health. It claims to have a patient-centered approach, with the goal of providing “high-quality, accessible care while upholding its tradition of healing and service for all.”
CommonSpirit Health, through its Dignity Health network, operates several hospitals throuout Arizona, including:
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
Chandler Regional Medical Center
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
Arizona General Hospital
Yavapai Regional Medical Center
COMMONSPIRIT AND DIGNITY HEALTH CRITICIZED FOR PERFORMING TRANSGENDER SURGERIES AND HORMONE-BASED THERAPY
In May 2023, the Lepanto Institute’s report raised significant concerns about CommonSpirit Health’s adherence to Catholic moral teachings, particularly regarding transgender medical interventions and reproductive health services. The report alleges CommonSpirit Health is involved in practices such as performing transgender surgeries, providing hormone-based therapies, and offering puberty blockers to minors under the guise of “gender-affirming care.” Additionally, the report claims some facilities within the network offer contraceptives and elective abortions, which contradict traditional Catholic doctrines. The Lepanto Institute calls for the revocation of CommonSpirit Health’s Catholic identity and urges bishops to require affiliated hospitals to dissociate from the network to maintain their religious integrity.
In their 64-page report, they reference a Youtube video from Dignity Health during Pride month. That video features a Pride Parade, healthcare providers in pride masks, and touts high marks in the Healthcare Equity Index. “All Dignity Health hospitals across California, Arizona, and Nevada have been recognized as leaders or top performers in the Human Rights Campaign's 2024 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). This prestigious designation reflects our unwavering commitment to providing respectful, welcoming, and equitable care for everyone in the communities we serve.”
Here are images from the Celebrate Pride Video:
Dignity Hospital and CommonSpirit have fully embraced the LGBTQ ideology despite their Catholic roots. But our whistleblower is concerned that, at risk of termination, employees are mandated to attend intensive trainings that go against personal beliefs of employees.
This Garbage must STOP!