Exempla sues to block sale
Restrictions on some hospital services cited
John C. Ensslin
Published January 9, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Exempla Healthcare filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the sale of Lutheran and Good Samaritan hospitals to a Catholic nonprofit, citing aspects of the $311 million deal that it finds "unacceptable and wrong."
The suit, filed in Denver District Court, seeks to prevent Community First Foundation of Arvada from selling its 50 percent share of the two hospitals to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System.
Exempla has been the system responsible for management and governance of Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge and Exempla Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette for the last 10 years.
Exempla had worked with the two nonprofit sponsors for a year to find a compromise on a transition plan.
In a letter to its employees, physicians and volunteers, Exempla's board of directors said it objected to several aspects of the sale, but it cited two in particular.
First, Exempla objects to the services Sisters of Charity would ban on religious grounds if it assumes full control of the hospitals. Unless the health of the mother or father was at risk, these include abortions, tubal ligations, vasectomies and other forms of birth control. Removing a patient in a persistent vegetative state from life support also would be banned.
Second, Exempla objects to a plan that it contends would divert the $311 million in proceeds from the sale away from health care needs.
The lawsuit is the second filed in an attempt to derail the proposed sale. A citizens group, a doctor and former patients filed a similar suit Dec. 19.
In addition, Kaiser Permanente has threatened to direct its patients away from the two hospitals if restrictions are imposed on services.
Officials at Sisters of Charity and Community First say that local medical care will not suffer because the restricted procedures can be conducted at nearby medical offices. They also contend that the sale would provide a windfall of investment and improvement in medical services.
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January 9, 2008
8:03 a.m.
Suggest removal
jffwhte writes:
Sisters of Charity do not seem to live up to their name.
January 9, 2008
8:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
blacksho89 writes:
Do you think that Charity includes the killing of unborn babies?
January 9, 2008
9:28 a.m.
Suggest removal
denverinfidel writes:
I'm pretty much pro-life in general, but the fact is abortion is legal and ultimately between the doctor and patient. And this isn't just about abortion. No vasectomies or birth control? Really? Just stick to the rhythm method, eh? This from that wonderful "church" that has no problem hiding child-raping pedohile priests for decades. It doesn't get much more obnoxious than that.
A doctors obligation is to their patient, and the doctor can't be forced to perform procedures they disagree with. There is seperation of church and state, and the same should be true of medical care. My doctors scope of care shouldn't be limited by the dictates of some filthy corrupt church.