47% of Residents in Louisville Area Want Kentucky Gov. Beshear to Halt Merger

Tags: Catholic Health Initiatives | Catholic hospital | Jewish Hospital | Kentucky merger | St. Joseph Health System | University Hospital

Forty-seven percent of registered voters in Kentucky's Jefferson County believe Gov. Steve Beshear should intercede and stop a merger between University Hospital in Louisville and a Catholic health system, according to a Courier-Journal report.

A poll of 502 randomly-selected votes was conducted in a phased fashion. First, respondents were asked what they thought about the merger. Forty percent favored it, 39 percent opposed it and 21 percent were unsure.

Once the voters identified their initial feelings to the merger, they were then told a series of pro-merger and anti-merger statements. These statements include informative facts such as the system being under Catholic control, which may affect access to certain services, but also reducing costs by cutting duplication.

After hearing the statements, 51 percent said they opposed the merger and 40 percent said they favored it. Twenty-six percent of the respondents had identified themselves as Catholic.

The merger would join University Hospital with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare in Louisville and the Lexington, Ky.-based St. Joseph Health System, which is owned by Catholic Health Initiatives of Denver. CHI would have majority control of the new system.

Related Articles on the Kentucky Hospital Merger:

Details of 3-System Kentucky Merger Revealed
University Hospital Releases Merger Records to Kentucky County Attorney
City of Louisville Withholds Charity Care Payment to University Hospital

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