University Hospital in Louisville, Ky., has released documents related to its proposed merger to Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell as part of a settlement, according to a Courier-Journal report.
The hospital and University of Louisville provided records including the bylaws of the health system to be created by the pending merger, which involves University Hospital, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare in Louisville and St. Joseph’s Health System in Lexington, Ky.
Mr. O’Connell also has access to documents detailing University Hospital’s agreement with Baptist Hospital East in which UH transferred sterilization services. The proposed merged system will operate under Catholic health directives, which forbid sterilizations.
Under the settlement, Mr. O’Connell has agreed to dismiss his open records suits and won’t push for other documents. He reportedly decided not to fight for more records in court due to a shortage of time, according to the report. Catholic Health Initiatives, the operator of St. Joseph’s Health System, has said it expects the deal to close by Dec. 31, and Mr. O’Connell wanted records to be made public before then.
Mr. O’Connell went to court for the records under the state’s open records law. University Hospital and University of Louisville had initially declined his request for the merger documents.
Related Articles on University Hospital:
City of Louisville Withholds Charity Care Payment to University Hospital
County Attorney Sues Kentucky’s University Hospital Over Merger Documents
University Hospital Can Exit Kentucky Merger for Undetermined Price
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