Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear again rejected a merger of Louisville's safety-net University Hospital with two other systems despite hospital officials' efforts to overcome his objections, according to a Courier-Journal report.
The governor first rejected the proposal Dec. 30, which would have formed a new statewide, Catholic health system between University Hospital, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare, and St. Joseph Health System. The system would have been controlled by Catholic Healthcare Initiatives, which owns St. Joseph Health, but Gov. Beshear said such an arrangement posed a problem to church-and-state issues.
Gov. Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway met with leaders from the three systems last week. University Hospital officials reportedly presented ideas in an effort to change the governor's opinion. He still did not approve of University Hospital's participation in the merger, so St. Joseph Health and Jewish Hospital St. Mary's have formed a system without the third participant. The system, called KentuckyOne, was formally announced last Friday.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear Rejects 3-System Merger
47% of Residents in Louisville Area Want Kentucky Gov. Beshear to Halt Merger
The governor first rejected the proposal Dec. 30, which would have formed a new statewide, Catholic health system between University Hospital, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare, and St. Joseph Health System. The system would have been controlled by Catholic Healthcare Initiatives, which owns St. Joseph Health, but Gov. Beshear said such an arrangement posed a problem to church-and-state issues.
Gov. Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway met with leaders from the three systems last week. University Hospital officials reportedly presented ideas in an effort to change the governor's opinion. He still did not approve of University Hospital's participation in the merger, so St. Joseph Health and Jewish Hospital St. Mary's have formed a system without the third participant. The system, called KentuckyOne, was formally announced last Friday.
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47% of Residents in Louisville Area Want Kentucky Gov. Beshear to Halt Merger