Lawyers, Not Doctors, Dictated Emergency Care for Arkansas Miscarriage Patient
A physical therapist was forced to transfer to Kansas via private ambulance after five days of waiting for treatment, incurring over $147,000 in losses while hospital counsel cited liability fears.
Emily Waldorf, a 38-year-old physical therapist at Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was denied immediate medical intervention for a life-threatening miscarriage in September 2024. Despite warnings from physicians of imminent sepsis, hospital risk-management teams and legal counsel prevented the induction of labour while the fetus retained a heartbeat, citing the state’s strict abortion ban. Waldorf was forced to transfer to The University of Kansas Health System via private ambulance after five days of waiting, incurring significant financial costs and health risks.
The incident underscores a systemic issue where hospital lawyers, rather than physicians, determine emergency care protocols under the ban. The Arkansas governor’s office and medical board provided no assistance or clarifying guidance. Waldorf estimates her financial losses, including lost income, startup debt, and out-of-pocket medical costs, at more than $147,000.
In February 2026, Waldorf joined a lawsuit led by the Center for Reproductive Rights to block Arkansas’ abortion ban, arguing it violates the state constitution. The state is currently attempting to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds.
