Women's Political Caucus Joins Voices Against Merger

Click here for all of our reporting on this issue.The Metropolitan Louisville Women's Political Caucus is now opposing the University of Louisville Hospital merger.University Hospital is poised to merge with Jewish/St. Mary's Health System and a division of Catholic Health Initiatives. Earlier this year, the caucus purchased ad space in the Courier-Journal to raise concerns over the future of reproductive care, since religious doctrine will be partially imposed on the merging partners.The partners insist care will be preserved, though patients will have to go elsewhere for certain services, such as tubal ligations and to fill birth control prescriptions. But in a statement released today, the caucus says the partners have not made a convincing argument that care will be preserved or that the merger is necessary.The caucus is encouraging Governor Steve Beshear to reject the proposal. The group joins the Kentucky Alliance, Americans United and the Courier-Journal editorial board in opposition to the merger.