The Abington Memorial Hospital and Holy Redeemer plan to partner

Hour 2

Abington Memorial Hospital and its neighbor the Holy Redeemer Health System recently signed a letter of intent to create a new regional health care system.  Over the years, Abington has earned a reputation for its stellar obstetrics and gynecology training program and for providing comprehensive, quality women’s health and reproductive services which include therapeutic D&Es (dilation and evacuation), fertility treatment, and tubal ligations.  As a Catholic hospital, Holy Redeemer follows Catholic doctrine which prohibits services including abortion and sterilization.  To facilitate the partnership, Abington has agreed to suspend providing abortions, a decision which has been met with outrage and anger by some members of the community and the Hospital staff.   All over the nation, hospitals and health care systems, religious and secular, are merging to meet mandates established by the new federal health care to provide quality care with greater efficiency and lower costs.  But can two with distinct missions, cultures and philosophies of care successfully partner?  We get reaction and response from JOHN KELLY, chief of staff and chief safety officer at Abington Memorial HospitalLISA JAMBUSARIA, a fourth-year obstetrical and gynecology resident at Abington Memorial Hospital, LOIS UTTLEY, Director of the MergerWatch project, and JOHN HAAS, President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

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[audio: 071812_110630.mp3]