Parents Fear Gender Indoctrination As Vanderbilt Health Forces Mature Minor Doctrine
Image Credit: Eric Ventress / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
One Tennessee health organization appears to be pushing the “mature minor” doctrine, allowing patients to effectively prevent their parents from seeing their medical records or participate in their medical treatment as soon as they turn 13.
According to a report by Landon Starbuck in The Federalist, Vanderbilt Health began requiring that parents receive permission from their children, aged 13 to 17, to view records, attend medical visits, or even have knowledge of scheduled appointments.
Starbuck noted that some Vanderbilt offices featured signs that read, “Parents of Pre-Teens Be Aware: when your 12-year-old turns 13 you will lose access to your My Vanderbilt account. You and your teen must present yourself to the front desk with your ID and fill out a MHAV 13-17 Form to retain access.”
Information provided to The Federalist also noted that there were signs in the patient rooms that stated that medical chaperones would be provided for all sensitive exams and procedures. Parents fear that their children could be subjected to procedures or administered medications without the parents’ knowledge.
When questioned on the policy, Vanderbilt did not respond to a request for comment.
According to Starbuck’s article in The Federalist, parents fear that policies such as the mature minor doctrine – which is not a law – will provide medical institutions with easy access to indoctrinate children, especially vulnerable teenagers, in their political agenda of gender confusion and transitioning.
As one parent was quoted, “I fear that if I’m not with my child, she could be coerced into a decision that’s not in her best interest or that could potentially be dangerous.”
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The Tennessee Conservative previously reported on the mature minor doctrine in regards to children being allowed to receive vaccines without parental permission. The mature minor doctrine provides a cover for doctors to provide medical treatment to children ages 13-17 without parental consent unless the physician believes the minor is not “sufficiently mature to make his or her own health care decisions.”
Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33) and Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) attempted to pass legislation in the last session of the General Assembly that would have prevented healthcare providers from treating minors without parental consent, with exceptions for minors seeking treatment in certain situations.
House Bill 2835, along with companion Senate Bill 2696, would have prohibited infringement upon parent’s fundamental right to care for a child including the right to withhold consent for a treatment, activity, or mental healthcare service that is designed and intended to form the child’s conceptions of sex and gender or to treat gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity.
The “Youth Protection Act”, as it was called, was ultimately taken off notice after it was deferred in the House Health Subcommittee and the Senate General Subcommittee of the Health and Welfare Committee.
In contrast, two Tennessee Republicans attempted to push legislation in the last session that would have allowed teens to be given the HPV vaccine without parental consent.
In March, a caption bill was introduced with amendments that push the HPV vaccine, including a push on allowing children to receive it without their parents’ knowledge. House Bill 0946, sponsored by Representative Bob Ramsey (R-Maryville-District 20) and Senate Bill 0148 (SB0148), sponsored by Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7), would add language to an existing law that would provide “treatment to a minor to prevent STDs without the knowledge or consent of the parents or legal guardians of the minor.”
The legislation eventually failed.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
Just another reason to seek out alternative medical care from non-university and non-corporate institutions. I made a choice long ago to avoid Vanderbilt associated practices unless there truly is no other alternative. And even then I am determined to face life or death on my own terms, not anyone else’s, even if it means refusing treatment. It’s a scary prospect contemplating the kind of “care” the vulnerable and elderly are now receiving that will be the “care” we all end up with eventually. It’s so wrong.
More Jack Boots
These bills should hv no exception
Should state in a simple 2-3 line bill.
“Established science has proven the human brain us not mature until ages 22-25.
All minor patients 0-18 are under the care of parent or guardian are required to hv said parent or guardian permission for any medical or psychological consult or procedure.
There fixed it
What’s so hard about that?
You would think that Vanderbilt of all places would know how important it is for parents to be involved in the decisions of their child’s health care. They seem to be now an institution of lower learning. My question is who is paying for the child’s medical visits. Who provides the insurance? It is the parents responsibility to provide for their minor child. Seemingly most of Tn children are covered by one of three TN Care insurance providers. We need to make sure that these insurance providers do not allow for reimbursement for non parental consent and/or the removal of parental rights.