LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Kentucky Governor
Steve Beshear has denied the proposed merger of University of Louisville
Hospital with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's Healthcare.
In a statement, University Hospital said it
will keep working for merger with its current partners, Catholic Health
Initiatives, and Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Healthcare.
Beshear was not available for comment after
this monumental decision. He released a short audio file and statement.
"After exhaustive discussions and
research, I have determined that this proposed transaction is not in the best
interest of the Commonwealth and therefore should not move forward," said
Beshear. "In my opinion the risks to the public outweigh the potential
benefits."
Attorney General Jack Conway submitted a
report to the Governor that cautioned the state could lose control of a public
institution and recommended against the merger at this time.
"I support the University of Louisville
and its mission, but it is a public agency with an obligation to inform and
work with state government regarding the control of a public asset such as
University Hospital," said Conway in a statement.
According to what Governor Beshear released,
his biggest concern is the public/private partnership, but also the high cost
of a possible exit strategy and restrictions on service. This issue has
also been a concern of many people in the Louisville medical community. We
spoke with former RN Beverly Glascock of Louisville, who is also a medical
attorney, who has been vocal against the merger.
"I think a healthy start again would be
to remove any sort of restrictions on physicians practicing medicine,"
said attorney Beverly Glascock.
An independent review written by Dr. David
Dranove at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University warns
that without the merger, University Hospital could "face a dire financial
future."
Jessica Loving, former chair of the
University Of Louisville Board Of Trustees, admits it will be tough.
"There are always challenges, but there
needs to be a careful look at it so we don't sell an asset in the community and
that we don't restrict the way that healthcare is delivered," said Loving
who is against the proposed merger.
UofL Health Care released a statement that it
"remains committed."
"We look forward to delivering a
transaction in a form that the Governor would feel compelled to approve,"
read the statement.
Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fisher released a
statement saying, "Now that this critical decision has been made, we need
to understand how the affected hospitals will operate moving forward. With the
coming changes in health care reform, coupled with the pressures facing Jewish
& St. Mary's and University, we must work together as all options are
explored to ensure that there is a strong health care system that works for all
people in Louisville. University and Jewish & St Mary's have long
traditions of providing excellent health care and medical research, and it's
important for Louisville's future that those legacies continue."
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