Battle Continues Over Catholic Takeover of Hospitals in Denver

[madfloridian]

A controversial move to transfer operational control of three secular Denver-area hospitals to a Catholic healthcare system expected to take place on December 31 appears to be on hold pending federal approval.

Looks like the FTC is taking a second look at this move.

From RH Reality Check:

Seething Battle Continues Over Catholic Takeover of Hospitals in Denver

Backroom deals, multiple lawsuits and $600 million dollars mark the Sisters of Charity attempt to force religious medical directives on non-sectarian medical centers in Colorado. A controversial move to transfer operational control of three secular Denver-area hospitals to a Catholic healthcare system expected to take place on December 31 appears to be on hold pending federal approval.

The unexpected delay by the Federal Trade Commission to bless the transaction may provide local critics with a last gasp effort to continue fighting the deal. Community members and medical professionals contend the transfer would unfairly subject comprehensive reproductive health and end-of-life care to church doctrine over patients' needs. The Catholic church considers abortion, contraception, elective sterilization and termination of invasive life support as "intrinsically evil" and refuses to provide these medical services or respect patients' advance directives.

I did not realize this was going on.

The disputed takeover in Denver exemplifies the very serious implications for the 127 non-denominational hospitals that succumbed to merger fever with cash-flush Catholic health care systems in the 1990s. According to a study by Catholics for Choice, half of merged secular-Catholic hospitals suspended most or all of their reproductive health care services. Eighty-two percent denied emergency contraception to rape victims -- and more than a third refused to provide a referral.

..."While the cases played out in court and behind closed doors in the private arbitration hearing, Colorado state lawmakers worked to minimize the damage of losing hospital-based reproductive healthcare services.

Issues of religious doctrinal interference in physician-patient decision making came to a head in 2007 when Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law requiring hospitals and pharmacies to provide sexual assault victims information about emergency contraception. However, a conscience clause was added to the bill in order to get conservative Democrats on board after heavy lobbying by the Colorado Conference of Bishops.

Conservative Democrats won this one, it appears.

In a hospital owned by the Catholic church, that "conscience clause" would just about end certain rights of women.

Here is more from earlier in the year:

From the Denver Post:

Sisters of Charity would control three Colorado hospitals under a deal announced Wednesday, a move that would force the hospitals to follow Catholic directives

Sisters of Charity would control three Colorado hospitals under a deal announced Wednesday, a move that would force the hospitals to follow Catholic directives regarding health care but lift financial restrictions that have caused improvement projects to languish.

The deal would end a four-year dispute over the sale of Exempla Lutheran in Wheat Ridge and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette. Kansas-based Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, which already controls St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, soon would have sole control of all three Exempla hospitals.

..."The nonprofit management and operational structure of the hospitals is complex, and will remain complex if the deal is finalized. But for patients, the change means the Lafayette and Wheat Ridge hospitals would no longer provide abortions, tubal ligations or vasectomies. Also, patients' advocates worry hospital staff would no longer provide emergency contraception or other services now available but in conflict with Catholic directives.

I had not been aware that religious hospitals like these were tax exempt. Yet they can impose their religious views on women and gays.

"Keenan and O'Brien said the bishops, in accepting vast federal funding for Catholic hospitals and charities, "never question their own ability to lawfully manage funds from separate sources to ensure that tax dollars don't finance religious practices. Yet they reject the idea that others could do the same. This is the very definition of hypocrisy."

Hypocrisy compounded by what the bishops are doing in Washington, D.C., when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage, their other primary fixation.

There, the local archdiocese has threatened to shut down its extensive social service programs for the needy if the city goes ahead and legalizes same-sex marriage.

So much for the stated mission of protecting the vulnerable.

[madfloridian]

1. This is about the mixing of religion and government.

And it involves threats to women and gay rights.

That's a shame.

[Lance_Boyle]

29. Straight men, too - restricting vasectomy is no better than restricting tubal ligation.

[laughingliberal]

2. Scary and Depressing

We're just determined to live in a theocracy, aren't we?

[crim son]

5. Your post makes me think about a thread that's been on the main page lately:

re: are we a broken people? You said it; I think yes, because we realize that there's not a damn thing we can do to change anything short of revolution and we're not quite there yet. Depressing, indeed.

[laughingliberal]

8. Have seen that thread title. Should probably check it out

I'm at a loss as to how to change any of it at this point. We're outspent and outgunned. It's gonna take a while to reach critical mass. At 54, I'll likely be gone before the people rise up.

[crim son]

10. I hope you know I'm not being critical.

You're angry and I'm angry but it isn't enough. We can only wait for people to wake the hell up and what with their t.v.s, snowmobiles and churches, it may be a long time.

[laughingliberal]

13. No worries nt

[crim son]

3. We have in town a Catholic and a secular hospital.

I am a person with a few health issues and I've done my research: no way do I want to be deathly ill at St. Joe's.

We are looking at middle-ages mentality here. It's not a shame, it's a crime.

[Crzyrussell]

31. That's odd, the

best hospital where I live is the Catholic one. They have the best service and you aren't packed in like sardines like the hospital that has the county contract where you can die before they get around to looking at you.

[valerief]

4. Jesus H. Christ. Will it never end? nt

[dorkulon]

6. Good grief.

How is this happening?

[madfloridian]

23. I wonder the same thing.

I think women had better start paying attention...

[nosmokes]

7. WADR to the Sisters,

who may or may not have charity as their prime motivation, y'alls bible got no bidness in the room w/ me and my doctor, so please fuck right off, won't you?

That's a sweetheart.

[ShockediSay]

9. I thought a 501c3 charitable, religious &c tax exempt

organization lost that tax exemption when they undertook political/lobbying activities. That's what the law says anyway IMHO.

[SoCalDem]

11. but they will see it as a theological issue and if it's "their" hospital

they will prevail :(

[madfloridian]

19. That's true.

BTW is that sweet cat picture for real? Adorable.

[SoCalDem]

20. not my kitties, but mine do hug each other while they sleep too

and when I was bottle feeding a litter, My Marvin used to "babysit" the kittens on the kitty-hammock.. :), and often cuddled the kittens the same way :)..

[intheflow]

12. I didn't know this was happening, either.

And I live in Denver. :grr:

[madfloridian]

17. It could be going on in more places than we realize.

And how would one know about it unless the media covers it.

[tsuki]

14. Get the superstitions out of health care. We have a Catholic Band-aid

Station here. They are cash flush because they ream the Hell out of the patients while minimizing services. My advance directive includes the statement don't take me there.

[Solly Mack]

15. k/r

[Odin2005]

16. What the fucking hell!?!

:grr:

[madfloridian]

18. More than one way to skin a cat. Meant to curtail abortions.

Tax exempt organizations can stop providing women with rights that are legally theirs.

http://www.lifenews.com/state2640.html

"Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- Doctors at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver, Colorado, are upset that the hospital will be sold to a Catholic medical facility that does not allow abortions. Exempla Lutheran currently does abortions but Sisters of Charity Leavenworth Health System is purchasing the facility and will cancel them.

The physicians issued a statement on Thursday saying they object to the sale and transfer of control because abortions won't be offered afterwards.

Dr. Carla Murphy, president of the Exempla Lutheran medical staff, told the Denver Post that doctors are upset that a community hospital supposedly will no longer serve the community by not doing abortions.

"For more than a hundred years, Lutheran has served the entire community," Murphy said. "What might be appropriate for a Catholic hospital serving a predominantly Catholic population is not appropriate for a community hospital."

She claimed several doctors would leave the hospital if the sale is finalized."

[Lars39]

21. In Nashville, Saint Thomas Hospital and Babtist Hospital kinda merged.

The medical offices that are affiliated with Baptist Hospital now have language in their contracts stating that they aren't allowed to even counsel patients on birth control. My gyno said they're not enforcing it just yet.

[madfloridian]

22. That is scary to me....

for things to go so far as that.

Religion based health care. Not good.

[Lars39]

26. Very disturbing thing to find out....I wish you could have seen my doc's face.

He was absolutely furious.

[juno jones]

30. I was shhed by my OB-gyn for asking about BC

post-partum in the catholic hospitals where they sent all the po'folk.

It made me wonder how many poor women who were using the catholic charities system in the area weren't getting the full range of reproductive options.

If Saunder's clinic amendment remains in the final product, watch out, the catholic healthcare networks will be attempting to snatch up all that community clinic funding-just a feeling.

[Toasterlad]

24. Churches - Especially the Catholic One - Should Not Be Involved In Healthcare.

Actually, they shouldn't be involved in any aspect of public life.

[frog92969]

25. Leeches and incense! Stat!

[olegramps]

27. This is only an example of the what has happened in the Catholic Church.

When John Paul II was elected he inaugurated a program to destroy the progressives that had brought about the reforms of Vatican II. He replaced everyone of the thousands of bishops worldwide with lock-step, brain dead boot lickers. Many of these Neanderthals are members of Opus Dei, a cult of nitwits that engage in self torture as penance and believe the pope is the reincarnation of Jesus. They are determined to impose their personal beliefs on the entirety of society. They don't give a damn about your rights as a citizen or a human being. The church retreated into the Dark Ages when Pope John XXIII died and deserves to become extinct which it will just as it has throughout Europe. Unfortunately, while the majority of people are consumed with earning a livelihood and taking care of their families, these zealots are relentless in imposing their will on the majority.

[juno jones]

28. You can see why I'm a little leery about the religious health system

getting their fingers in 'community clinics' funding.

Found this late to 'R', but I'll 'K'.