Lisa Pond

The South Florida Blade reports on a meeting between executives at Jackson Memorial Hospital and GLBT health advocates:

"According to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association’s James Beaudreau, 'In addition to making sure that visitation policies are inclusive of same-sex partners and their children, and that the definition of family in visitation policies does not restrict visitors to biological family members, we hope to persuade the hospital to:

Janice Langbehn made national news two years ago when she wasn’t allowed to be with her dying partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. Lambda Legal later sued JMH on behalf of Langbehn and the couple’s children.

Lambda Legal has filed a lawsuit against Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for the negligent and outrageous treatment towards the family of Lisa Pond, a lesbian whose partner of 18 years and their three children were not allowed to see her as she slipped into a coma and died.

A year ago Janice Langbehn's partner of nearly 18 years was pronounced brain dead after being stricken with a brain aneurysm. While at Jackson Memorial Hospital - in Miami - she was met with prejudice and apathy. Janice and her family were consistently denied visitation and didn't see her partner, Lisa Pond, until many hours after she was admitted. Lambda Legal has officially sent a notice of intent to sue to the hospital on Janice's behalf.

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To: Proud Parenting
From: University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital

Thank you for taking the time to send us your comments.

Jackson Memorial Hospital strives to treat all patients and their families with respect and dignity. As the only safety-net hospital in Miami-Dade County, we provide the same, high-level of care to all patients who come through our doors, regardless of their ability to pay, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

A few months ago, a Washington state family with two moms was living a great life.

But after nearly 18 years together, one was stricken with a brain aneurysm and died. The family says the way they were treated by a Miami hospital compounded their shock and grief.