Catholic Health Care Market in Turmoil

Catholic health care providers say providing care in a religious setting is their core mission, but they are grappling with a shrinking patient base. There are a number of developments within the Catholic Church affecting the ecclesial mission of health care.

The Obama administration’s recent decision to reject a request to let anyone of any age buy the controversial morning-after pill Plan B directly off drugstore and supermarket shelves has added to the turmoil for Catholic health care providers.

Chicago health care is an example of a market currently in fluctuation. Three transactions are transforming the Chicago market for Catholic health care, once dominated by stand-alone hospitals and independent systems.

In a decision that creates a new patient, resident and family centered health system and establishes the single largest Catholic health provider in Illinois, Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care created a New Ministry.

Together, Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care form the largest Catholic healthcare system in Illinois, encompassing 12 hospitals, 29 long-term care and senior residential facilities, numerous outpatient services and clinics, home health services, hospice, private duty, comprehensive Behavioral Health services.

The new ministry will be a family of Catholic, not-for profit, healthcare services providing advanced medical care and exceptional service with compassion and hope. More than 4.5 million people live in areas served by Provena and Resurrection, primarily in Aurora, Chicago, Danville, Des Plaines, Elgin, Joliet, Kankakee, Rockford, Urbana and Avilla, Indiana.

Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the nation, and Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS) announced that the final steps have been taken for ABHS to become part of Ascension Health on January 1, 2012.

ABHS leadership determined Ascension Health to be the best fit because the values and management styles of both organizations complement each other, including both organizations’ deep commitment to patient safety and quality, person-centered care and community involvement.

The agreement includes Alexian Brothers’ two acute care hospitals and two specialty facilities in Chicago, plus senior care facilities in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chattanooga, Tenn.

Trinity Health expanded its presence in the Midwest, as well as its strategic national position through a consolidation with Loyola University Health System (LUHS) at the close of the fiscal year. LUHS, a leading academic medical center with a multidisciplinary focus on patient care and medical research and education, is a strong, Catholic health care system very well suited as a Trinity Health member.

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