Abington and Holy Redeemer to Form Regional Health System
The two health organizations sign a 'letter of intent;' Abington, Holy Redeemer and Lansdale hospitals will remain open, each with its own staff.
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Abington Health and Holy Redeemer Health System announced yesterday a letter of intent to form a new regional health system.
Abington Health President and CEO Laurence Merlis and Holy Redeemer President and CEO Michael Laign made the announcement at the Abington Township building, which is across from Abington Memorial Hospital.
Abington Memorial, Holy Redeemer and Lansdale hospitals will continue to serve their respective communities, according to Laign, and each will continue to have its own staff.
Talks were in the works for about a year. The yet-to-be-named regional health system will now enter a “due diligence period,” which will last up to three months. Then, the boards of each health system will enter into a definitive agreement. Laign said the new regional health system will likely have federal and state approvals to move forward by next spring.
Merlis will be the regional health system's CEO; Laign will be its COO.
“It’s something we believe will have a very meaningful impact in terms of making a difference in the lives of all those individuals that we are privileged to serve now and into the future,” Merlis said. “We saw that there was an absolute need for us to position ourselves for success to ensure that our community, our patients, our residents and our clients will always have the highest quality [and] the safest care in both an efficient and an effective manner.”
Merlis said he had a “great and deep respect” for Holy Redeemer’s religious traditions; he said Holy Redeemer would continue to comply with the religious directives for a Catholic health care system, and Abington, which he called a secular organization, will continue to offer women’s and reproductive health services, but will stop offering abortions.
Holy Redeemer Hospital dates back to 1924; Abington Memorial Hospital is ten years older.
Don M
6:58 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
They say "That you are known by who your friends are!" I have been in both hospitals, I don't see how Holy Redeemer could stoop this low.
Jo G
9:55 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
I think its sad Abington will no longer be proforming abortions. It's every womens right to make that decision and have it performed at a hospital they feel comfortable with. Money over rules human rights.
F.E. Pulli
10:46 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
It's a giant step backward for all women and Abington Hospital. I cannot accept the fact that Abington Hospital would even think of stopping abortions in this day and age. It is a women's right! It shouldn't be about money!
Stephanie
10:39 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
I would love to see the money that is used to fund abortions poured into helping young women realize that control over your body and reproductive rights starts with the responsible use of birth control, regular OBGYN visits and/or abstinence. Women have tremendous power over their reproductive rights without abortion. In fact after an abortion, the risk of ectopic pregnancies doubles, and the chance of a miscarriage and pelvic inflammatory disease also increases. This is not a choice that promotes a woman's right to a healthier reproductive system. It damages her system and many times destroys her ability to reproduce in the future. People who support abortion based on protecting women's rights are not educated about the damage that abortion can do, both physically and emotionally to a woman's reproductive system. If you were truly for women's rights, you would support their empowerment through education and awareness of what is best for their bodies.
Virginia Griffith
2:58 pm on Monday, July 9, 2012
I am appalled at the decision that was made to end abortions at Abington Hospital.
This is a public hospital that Steve's people. Of all religious faiths and to impose Catholic values on all of their patients is the first step to Catholic Sharia law.
Our country was founded on religious freedom and now one religion seems to be dominating institutions of all types.
Why can't Holy Redeemer have its hospital serve the Catholic population and leave the Abington branch continue to serve women with total care.
This seems tobe one more attack on women and their needs by men and the Catholic church.