I am sending this letter via email to both my local hospital and to several doctors (different version) who have occasion to treat my immediate family.
I thought that I would post such on the DB so that others here could also do the same. However, I would ask that you DO NOT completely duplicate the letter, in the event that the same hospital or same doctor receive this more than once, and discard it as a hoax. Please take the time to change some of the wording, and personalize it to your own circumstances.
I will post any received replies, and I ask that others please do the same.
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Dear Sirs:
Both myself and other members of my family have been patients of your hospital at various times over the past 20+ years. Recently, a serious issue has come to my attention, which has caused me sufficient concern that I feel that it is appropriate to bring such issue to your attention.
This is a "confidentiality issue" which faces your facility, as well as all other health care organizations. This "confidentiality issue" is directly related to the religious affiliations of both some of your employees and some of your patients.
Both myself and the majority of my family are affiliated with the Watchtower Society, whose members are commonly known as Jehovah's Witnesses. As a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, two separate incidents of "breaches of professional confidentiality" have recently been discussed throughout the United States.
As I am sure that you are aware, Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to accept blood transfusions. Recently, a Jehovah's Witness conscientiously decided to accept a blood transfusion in order to save their life. This personal decision had to be kept secret, even from their other family members, otherwise the JW knew that they would be "disfellowshipped" (excommunicated) from the JW organization. However, after the JW was discharged from that hospital, photocopies of hospital documents (not identical to those given to the patient) "somehow" found their way into the hands of the local JW "Elders", who proceeded to "disfellowship" the JW who had accepted the blood transfusion.
The second incident of "breach of professional confidentiality" occurred when a Jehovah's Witness had a sexually transmitted disease treated by their medical doctor. Again, photocopied medical records found their way into the hands of the JW's local "Elders", who proceeded to question the JW regarding their sexual conduct. Evidently, the JW successfully sued the medical doctor after it was learned that one of the doctor's employees was also a Jehovah's Witness, and that employee had given copies of the patient's medical records to the local JW "Elders".
As a member of the local Jehovah's Witnesses community, I know that other Jehovah's Witnesses are employed by your hospital at any given time. I am greatly concerned that those JW employees might also access and distribute copies of my medical records, or those of my family. Just the possibility of such would probably make any of us think twice about secreting accepting a blood transfusion if we ever had the misfortune of needing such.
It bothers me greatly to have to disclose to non-JWs that the Watchtower Society actually teaches and encourages Jehovah's Witnesses to spy and report on each other. I fully expect that you will even find it difficult to believe me, or to take this as seriously as I have.
Therefore, I am including an excerpt from the main JW magazine, THE WATCHTOWER, which conclusively demonstrates that JWs are required to report confidential matters of fellow JWs to the local elders, in spite of their professional obligation of confidentiality to their clients or their employers. This WATCHTOWER article teaches JW professionals that their obligation to spy on and report their fellow JWs is higher than their professional obligation.
Here is the article excerpt: (Please read slowly and carefully, because the meaning is almost "hidden".)
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THE WATCHTOWER Magazine
September 1, 1987 Issue
Article: "A Time to Speak"-When?
Excerpt from pages 14-15.
Thinking Ahead Employers have a right to expect that their Christian employees will 'exhibit good fidelity to the full,' including observing rules on confidentiality. (Titus 2:9, 10) If an oath is taken, it should not be taken lightly. An oath makes a promise more solemn and binding. (Psalm 24:4) And where the law reinforces a requirement on confidentiality, the matter becomes still more serious. Hence, before a Christian takes an oath or puts himself under a confidentiality restriction, whether in connection with employment or otherwise, it would be wise to determine to the extent possible what problems this may produce because of any conflict with Bible requirements. How will one handle matters if a brother or a sister becomes a client? Usually such jobs as working with doctors, hospitals, courts, and lawyers are the type of employment in which a problem could develop. We cannot ignore Caesar's law or the seriousness of an oath, but Jehovah's law is supreme. Anticipating the problem, some brothers who are lawyers, doctors, accountants, and so forth, have prepared guidelines in writing and have asked brothers who may consult them to read these over before revealing anything confidential. Thus an understanding is required in advance that if serious wrongdoing comes to light, the wrongdoer would be encouraged to go to the elders in his congregation about the matter. It would be understood that if he did not do so, the counselor would feel an obligation to go to the elders himself. There may be occasions when a faithful servant of God is motivated by his personal convictions, based on his knowledge of God's Word, to strain or even breach the requirements of confidentiality because of the superior demands of divine law. Courage and discretion would be needed. The objective would not be to spy on another's freedom but to help erring ones and to keep the Christian congregation clean. Minor transgressions due to sin should be overlooked. Here, "love covers a multitude of sins," and we should forgive "up to seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21, 22) This is the "time to keep quiet." But when there is an attempt to conceal major sins, this may be the "time to speak."
(End of excerpt)
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I don't know what you can legally do to protect me and other JWs from your JW employees who might spy on us, but something obviously needs to be done to protect the confidentiality of our medical records.
Whatever you decide, I would ask that you reply to my email so that I can have some peace of mind. Frankly, I have not used my real name, but this email account is real. If the Watchtower Society were to learn of this email and my true identity, I would also be "disfellowshipped" for "disloyalty" for disclosing this information to you.
I anxiously await your reply!
Thank you.