Ascension and Providence Are in Talks to Form the Largest US Hospital System

[TexasTowelie]

Ascension and Providence St. Joseph Health, two faith-based nonprofit hospital systems, are in talks for a merger that would create the largest U.S. hospital system by the number of locations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing multiple people familiar with the matter.

Ascension is the second largest health care system in the U.S. It owns 41 hospitals across the nation and reported a revenue of $22.6 billion in 2016. Providence owns 50 hospitals and ended 2016 with $22.2 billion in revenue. Ascension has a strong presence in the the Midwest and the South, while Providence focuses operation on the West Coast. Both systems have hospitals in Washington State and Texas.

If completed, the merged entity would be the largest hospital system in the nation, with presence in 27 states and Washington D.C. Top rivals of comparable size will be government-owned or for-profit systems like HCA Healthcare (with 177 hospitals) and Community Health Systems (with 127 hospitals).

The Journal reported that the two systems had been in talks for months, but a merger is still far from assured. Providence declined to comment on the deal. Ascension didn’t respond to a media request by Observer.

Read more: http://observer.com/2017/12/ascension-and-providence-are-in-talks-to-form-the-largest-us-hospital-system/

[Wounded Bear]

1. Kind of scary, really...

The Catholic Church is moving to take over our medical industry. While they may be good on many health issues, their support of women's health is suspect, at best. We've been having this discussion in WA, and the idea of anti-abortion Catholics being in charge of health care has a lot of women worried.

[virgogal]

2. If a hospital doesn't do abortions go elsewhere.

That's what many of us had to do way back in the 60s to get birth control or have our tubes tied----I did both----and had to go to another hospital and another doctor.

Non profit hospitals are a good thing IMHO.

[Wounded Bear]

3. It's not just abortions, of course...

and the RW has been trying to eliminate the "elsewhere" for years and years.

I'm in a blue state, and the Catholic takeover of the medical industry is something we are watching. Especially in rural areas, where will women go for normal birth control serevices the the Catholics will resist providing? I believe we have state regs that mandate coverage for women, but IMNSHO, the Catholic Church is in many ways the prototypical multi-national corporation, one with a decided agenda that is not woman friendly.

[KitSileya]

4. Problem is, there won't *be* an elsewhere to go to.

It'll be so far away it isn't feasible, and women will resort to desperate measures and start dying in even greater numbers because of pregnancies.