Where does Carolinas HealthCare stand on HB2?

When it comes to HB2, North Carolina’ssweeping law with a controversial bathroom provision, it’s hard to know where Carolinas HealthCare System stands.

HB2 requires people in public buildings to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates. The law covers restrooms in government buildings and public schools, but also those in other public agencies defined in the law.

Carolinas HealthCare, Charlotte’s large public health system with 40 hospitals across the Carolinas, is not owned by the state or county. But it is a “hospital authority,” a governmental entity created by state law and subject to many of the laws that govern other public agencies.

Just as leaders of North Carolina’s public university system are trying to sort out where they stand on HB2, so apparently is the Charlotte health system.

The UNC Board of Governors met last week in Chapel Hill about how to respond now that Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative leaders have filed lawsuits against the federal Department of Justice, whichsued the state in return.

Asked about its response to HB2, Carolinas HealthCare issued this statement:

“Carolinas HealthCare System opposes discrimination in all forms and our organizational policies in place firmly support that position. Most importantly we will continue to promote diversity and demonstrate inclusion in support of excellent care delivery to our patients and families and in support of our teammates."

Asked to be more specific about who should use which public restrooms, the system declined.

“This is now in federal court,” a spokeswoman said via email. “We have no additional comment beyond what we have provided previously.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 9:52 PM with the headline "Where does Carolinas HealthCare stand on HB2?."