LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Doctors at Louisville's University Hospital worry that Catholic health rules will affect patient care under a new partnership with KentuckyOne Health.
KentuckyOne's majority owner is Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives. KentuckyOne and the university have said that the hospital's policies for reproductive and end-of-life care will not be affected by the new partnership. But staff and physicians are being asked to "respect" Catholic health directives.
The exceptions are the hospital's pharmacy and its Center for Women and Infants, which remain under the management of the University Medical Center.
But Sheila Reynertson, who tracks secular-religious hospital mergers, told The Courier-Journal (http://cjky.it/TRVuyQ) doctors outside the women's center could feel pressure to change what they do.
For instance, cancer doctors may wonder about prescribing birth control to prevent pregnancy.
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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com
