Skeptics Continue Questioning Hospital Merger

A group that's critical of the pending hospital merger has released another round of questions for the merging partners.Honi Goldman leads the unnamed group. Her questions for University of Louisville Hospital, Jewish Hospital and Catholic Health Initiatives largely concern funding for the merger and the final management structure of the merged entity. The deal is still a work in progress, and it's pending state approval. Goldman released the questions in a release to the media and wrote about them on Insider Louisville. She says she hopes the governor, attorney general and legislators see the questions and seek answers."We're hopeful that they share our skepticism around this, because these are tax dollars at work. Tax dollars are going to be funding this merger," she says, adding that she is not opposed to the merger.Last week, the merging partners spoke at a Board of Health forum. They revealed that University Hospital will not be under Catholic care directives after the merger, but will rather follow a contract that is still being written."One party was saying one thing and another party was saying another thing. It was sort of like some kind of a side show. In many ways it reminded us of a teenager trying to talk to a parent," says Goldman.Tentatively, tubal ligations, euthanasia and elective abortions will be banned at University Hospital. The latter two are not performed at the hospital and the former will be moved to Baptist Hospital East.Representatives for the merging partners were unavailable to comment, but the Board of Health and the African American Think Tank are both gathering additional questions from the community to ask the partners.Goldman's group also questions the apparent incongruity of the policy, which the partners say is evolving.