Eureka Hospital Seeks Settlement Over Denied Emergency Abortion Care

Attorneys for Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka and California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office are in active settlement negotiations over a 2024 incident in which the Catholic-affiliated hospital refused to provide emergency abortion care to a patient bleeding from a nonviable twin pregnancy.

The case centers on Dr. Anna Nusslock, a Eureka chiropractor who arrived at Providence on February 23, 2024, fifteen weeks pregnant with twins. Her water had broken prematurely, and emergency physicians told her one twin would not survive and the other had almost no chance. Doctors warned that continuing the pregnancy put her at risk of infection, hemorrhaging, and permanent damage to her fertility. Providence, bound by "Ethical and Religious Directives" that govern Catholic health systems, declined to perform the termination procedure. Staff directed Nusslock toward Mad River Community Hospital in Arcata, roughly 20 minutes away, and handed her a bucket and towels for the drive. She arrived at Mad River actively hemorrhaging and went directly into surgery.

Bonta filed suit in Humboldt County Superior Court in September 2024, alleging violations of California's Emergency Services Law and related statutes. The state's argument is that no religious policy overrides California's requirement that hospitals provide stabilizing care, including abortion, when a patient's life or health is immediately at risk. The National Women's Law Center filed a parallel lawsuit in April 2025 directly on behalf of Nusslock, seeking monetary damages and a court order prohibiting Providence from denying similar care in the future.

On February 20, the two sides in the state case notified Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning that they had entered "substantive settlement discussions," postponing an anticipated ruling on the state's motion for a preliminary injunction. Providence's local communications manager Shannon Garcia issued a prepared statement saying the hospital "continues delivering the emergency care patients need in full compliance with state and federal law and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care." Hospital attorneys have separately argued in court that Nusslock was medically stable at discharge and that no actionable denial of emergency care occurred.

Both the Attorney General's office and Providence declined to share details of the ongoing talks. A settlement, if reached, would likely have to specify how Providence St. Joseph responds to obstetric emergencies going forward, writing binding ER protocols into a court-enforceable agreement for the first time. If negotiations collapse, a court ruling against Providence could carry statewide implications for every Catholic hospital operating an emergency department in California.

The geography sharpens the local stakes considerably. Providence St. Joseph is Humboldt County's primary facility for high-risk obstetric care, and Mad River Community Hospital, where Nusslock ultimately received treatment, has since closed its birthing center. For patients in obstetric crisis today, the nearest full-service alternative lies well outside the county. If a trial is needed, one had been discussed for September 2026.