Media Inquiries
For general media inquiries, please contact media@hhs.gov.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
OCR worked with NewYork-Presbyterian to make virtual visitation accessible to Jewish patients
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), finalized its work with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to ensure virtual visitation is accessible to Jewish patients. OCR received complaints that Jewish patients and their loved ones were not accommodated with kosher electronic devices for virtual visits at NewYork-Presbyterian, a major New York healthcare system with hospitals in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester. Federal law prohibits hospitals that participate in Medicaid and Medicare from restricting patient visitation in a manner that discriminates on the basis of religion. OCR reviewed NewYork- Presbyterian’s policies and practices and worked with the healthcare system while it updated its policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with federal law.
“OCR is committed to ensuring that Jewish patients and patients of all faiths have the same visitation privileges as any other hospital patient,” said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. “OCR appreciates the work NewYork-Presbyterian has done to ensure that its Jewish patients, in accordance with hospital safety and privacy policies, can participate as fully as possible in the Hospital’s visitation program.”
During OCR’s review, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital:
OCR will continue to be available for technical assistance to NewYork-Presbyterian.
OCR is committed to combatting antisemitism and enforcing religious non-discrimination rules applying to recipients of various forms of Federal Financial Assistance.
For more information on applicable federal law please view a fact sheet here: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/shared-ancestry-or-ethnic-characteristics-discrimination/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/emergency-preparedness/faqs-patient-visitation/index.html.
If you believe that you or another person has been a victim of antisemitism or religious discrimination in an HHS-funded program or activity, you can file a complaint with OCR at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints/index.html.
Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases
For general media inquiries, please contact media@hhs.gov.