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Indiana doctor Caitlin Bernard took the stand before Indiana's Medical Licensing Board on Thursday, May 25. Bernard drew national attention after speaking publicly about providing an abortion for a 10-year-old victim of s*xual assault from Ohio last year.
Bernard was called before the board after the Indiana state's Republican attorney general filed a complaint over the doctor’s handling of patient information, which is bound under the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement. The attorney sought to suspend Bernard’s medical license.
Last year, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a vocal opponent of abortion rights, criticized Bernard for openly talking about providing the young r*ape victim with medication. The 10-year-old traveled to Indiana to seek an abortion after her home state Ohio criminalized the practice.
Rokita also accused Caitlin Bernard of failing to report the 10-year-old’s abortion to officials as required by the law.
At the time, the 10-year-old’s pregnancy and subsequent termination sparked debate across the country as the victim was denied abortion in her home state of Ohio after the overturning of Roe v Wade. The child then traveled to Indiana to terminate the pregnancy.
Bernard, who provided the necessary medication to the 10-year-old, gained national attention when she named the suspect who s*xually assaulted the young girl. Shortly after, on July 12, 2022, the suspect, Gerson Fuentes was arrested on charges of assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Ohio.
In Thursday’s hearing, Bernard explained to the Indiana Medical Board that she spoke out about the case to educate the masses about the detrimental impact of state abortion laws permeating the country in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade last June.
"I think that it's incredibly important for people to understand the real-world impacts of the laws of this country, about abortion or otherwise. I think it's important for people to know what patients will have to go through because of legislation that is being passed."
After a day-long hearing, Indiana’s medical board found that Vernard had violated the patient’s privacy by speaking publicly about the case and imposed the $3000 fine but did not suspend her license.
In the wake of the ruling, many disagreed with the verdict and hailed the doctor's courage in speaking out about a vital issue relating to women’s reproductive rights. A fellow doctor, Ben Brown, took to Twitter to stand in solidarity with Caitlin Bernard. He said:
"I am thinking of, and standing behind Dr. Caitlin Bernard today. She is a skilled, compassionate, patient-centred doctor. She deserves to be able to provide the care her patients need, free from state harassment."
Another user criticized the medical board for reprimanding Bernard over saving a 10-year-old’s life. They said:
“Where a hero like Dr. Caitlin Bernard who saved a 10-year-old child's life could be penalized for it instead of applauded.”
Others stood in solidarity with the Indaina doctor and echoed similar sentiments.
Caitlin Bernard was an undergraduate at Birmingham University
Caitlin Bernard graduated magna cum laude from Birmingham University in 2006, where she studied science. She then entered a medical program at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where she obtained an MD degree after completing medical training in family planning and obstetrics and gynaecology in 2010.
Bernard then went on to receive a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 2017, before starting as an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Per her Linkedin, Bernard has been licensed to practice medicine in New York, Missouri, and Indiana. Bernard is also an assistant visiting professor at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. Her bio read:
“A diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, she maintains professional relationships with organizations such as the Society for Family Planning, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, and Physicians for Reproductive Health. Beyond her teaching and medical research activities at Indiana University, she is an assistant visiting professor at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya.”
Caitlin Bernard defends interview with IndyStar
During Thursday’s hearing, Caitlin Bernard defended her interview with the IndyStar, where she divulged partial information about her patient, stating that she had not disclosed any protected information. Bernard explained that she had only spoken out about details that the public would have eventually made privy to. She said that she had also worked with the hospital staff to ensure that law enforcement was conducting a thorough investigation into the case. Bernard’s attorney said:
"Physicians can talk to the media. The question here and what is charged is that ... Dr Bernard shared protected health information. And the evidence will show that she did not share protected health information or violate the Indiana confidentiality regulation."
Several witnesses, including hospital staff with the Indiana University Health System, testified during the hearing and corroborated Bernard's account.
