The Right Reverent George E. Bates, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, has issued a statement supporting a Utah House measure on the confidentiality of communicable disease information.
"I believe one of the most important factors for aggressive health care to alleviate communicable disease is the assurance of unwavering confidentiality."I firmly believe that breaking confidentiality would adversely effect the ability of health care professionals to treat communicable disease. There remains an overpowering argument that society must make every allowance possible to support the ministry of health providers.
"At this time, those with AIDS and other life-threatening diseases have as their only hope the availability of humane and genuine care. If the nature of their condition becomes public, they run the risk of being subject to discrimination at best and dehumanized and compromised health care at worse.
"A civilized society has room for neither situation. Now is a time for this state and the nation to care more deeply than ever before for those suffering from communicable diseases."