Ascension St Vincent's in Birmingham, Alamaba / Google Maps
CV NEWS FEED // Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Alabama, is calling the recent merger of Ascension St. Vincent’s hospitals and the University of Alabama Health System a “devastating loss” for Catholics in the region.
The UAB Health System is set to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s in north-central Alabama this fall for $450 million. The University of Alabama System’s board of trustees voted on July 2.
Bishop Raica expressed disappointment and concern in a statement released on July 2, as reported by AL News.
Bishop Raica stated that this merger is particularly harmful to any patients who wish to receive care from facilities that adhere to Catholic moral teaching.
The Bishop said he has no direct role in the decision and that Ascension St. Vincent must now seek approval from the Holy See, as required by the Catholic Church’s rules on property transfers.
The final decision will be made by the Dicastery.
Although Bishop Raica understands there to be no apparent canonical reasons that could prevent the merger from taking place, he articulated his “concerns about the wider impact that this transfer of ownership will have on the availability of Catholic healthcare in our area.”
Bishop Raica concluded, “I look forward to discussions with UAB Health System’s leadership to ensure provisions for continued care of those in economic poverty and for the spiritual health of patients, their families, and caregivers.”
