The partnership, announced Nov. 14, puts much of University Hospital — a safety-net hospital for the area — under the management of KentuckyOne, which was formed by the merger of Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare in Louisville and St. Joseph Health System in Lexington, Ky., which is owned by Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives.
Religious and ethical directives are not explicit in the joint-operating agreement between the new partners, but the hospital and University of Louisville’s officials have said faculty would be asked to respect the directives, according to the report. The hospital’s pharmacy and its Center for Women and Infants are the sole exception, as they would remain under the management of University Medical Center.
Some individuals are not convinced and feel the language around respecting the directives is open to interpretation, according to the report. Hospital officials believe this is not true and are confident the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship — including access to contraceptives and other reproductive choices — will not be threatened as the hospital moves forward with the partnership.
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