San Francisco-based Catholic Healthcare West is a system of 41 hospitals and medical centers located in California, Arizona and Nevada. CHW is the eighth largest hospital system in the nation and the largest not-for-profit provider in California. According to its web site,
CHW is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. The CHW network of more than 7,500 physicians and approximately 40,000 employees provides health care services to more than four million people annually.
CHW member St. Joseph’s Hospital of Phoenix, Arizona, became steeped in scandal earlier this year when the head of the ethics committee, Sr. Margaret McBride, approved the abortion of an 11-week preborn baby whose mother suffered from pulmonary hypertension. Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, investigated the case and, after interviewing Sr. McBride, informed her that she had excommunicated herself by approving the abortion. Since then, CHW has defended Sr. McBride’s decision and, after months of debate, Bishop Olmsted issued a letter to CHW declaring his intent to revoke his endorsement of St. Joseph’s Hospital as a Catholic hospital unless CHW met three specific conditions.
Prompted by Bishop Olmsted’s stern warning, American Life League conducted its own investigation into CHW’s activities and discovered that its scandals are not limited to one member hospital aborting a preborn baby – as if that by itself were not scandalous and tragic enough. In just two days, ALL found the following:
• CHW has granted money to at least six organizations that promote abortion, birth control and/or homosexual lifestyles.
• CHW helped create the “Healthy San Francisco” health plan, which covers elective abortion.
• At least one CHW member hospital promotes the nation’s largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood, on its web site, and another lists the provision of contraceptives as a service.
• 12 CHW members (as of 2001) performed tubal ligations.
• 20 members currently refer for vasectomies by staff physicians on their web sites.
• CHW Arizona’s health care plan covers oral contraceptives and diaphragms.
• CHW’s CEO made donations to the Obama campaign and strongly endorsed the USCCB-condemned Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
1. CHW granted money to organizations actively opposed to Catholic moral teaching.
CHW members Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, Sequoia Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center donated $267,704 to 17 organizations in 2010. At least six of these grantees are actively promoting ideologies antithetical to Catholic teaching.
• San Francisco Health Plan
o San Francisco Health Plan promotes and covers family planning services, which include:
➢ ‘If You Need an Abortion’
“SFHP covers abortions. You do not need to see your PCP first or get permission for an abortion. You may obtain outpatient abortion services from an SFHP network provider or from a non-network provider. Prior authorization for outpatient abortions is not required. Inpatient hospitalization for abortions may be subject to prior authorization procedures as per our current policies and procedure specific to each medical group and hospital contract. You do not need the permission of your parents/guardian to get an abortion. If you need help finding someone to perform the abortion, you can call Member Services at (415) 547-7800 (local) or (800) 288-5555. You can also call the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). DHCS can offer advice and give you a list of nearby family planning clinics. The DHCS number is (800) 942-1054.” (p. 23)
o and
➢ ‘Birth Control and Other Family Planning Services’
“SFHP covers birth control and other family planning services. If you need birth control or other family planning services, you can get them from any provider who is willing to take Medi-Cal. You do not need to check with your primary care provider first or get an approval. You do not need to see a provider who is with your medical group. You do not need the permission of your parents or guardian. If you need help finding a provider to help you with birth control or family planning, call Member Services at (415) 547-7800 (local) or (800) 288-5555. You can also call the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). DHCS has people who can provide advice and give you a list of nearby family planning clinics. The DHCS number is (800) 942-1054.” (p. 24)
o San Francisco Health Plan’s Healthy Kids program provides “family planning” services.
➢ This 2010 Summary of Key Information for Providers for the San Francisco Health Plan explains that
• “Abortion services are available to all SFHP members without referral or authorization, unless general anesthesia is necessary. However, members are encouraged to use abortion services provided by their medical group network before seeing an out of network provider.” (p. 8)
➢ and
• “Members 12 years and older have the right to access some services without parental consent. Medical records and/or information regarding medical treatment specific to these services will not be released to parents and guardians, without the minor’s consent. These services include:
− Sexual assault, including rape
− Drug and alcohol abuse
− Pregnancy, including abortions
− Family planning services
− Sexually transmitted diseases” (p. 8)
• Black Coalition on AIDS
o Advocates condom use
o Advocates the homosexual lifestyle, as evidenced by this announcement of BCA’s presence at notorious public events promoting sexual deviance: “Volunteers are needed to support BCA’s visibility at street and community fairs, including … LGBT Freedom Day, Folsom Street, and the Castro Street Fair.”
o Participates in radical homosexual activism
• Glide Health Center
o Advocates homosexual activism (“Glide’s Pride contingent,” p. 7)
o Encourages the homosexual lifestyle by providing a place for active homosexuals to meet “in a radically loving environment”
o Founder Cecil Williams presided over homosexual “weddings”
• San Mateo Family Service Agency
o Encourages the homosexual lifestyle by providing counseling service for same-sex couples
• Curry Senior Center
o Encourages the homosexual lifestyle by participating in the Gay Pride Day Celebration (p. 3)
o For 12 years has encouraged homosexual lifestyles by hosting bi-monthly “socialization activities, support group meetings and adventurous excursions around the Bay” (p. 4)
o Current board member Joyce Pierson is a “longtime … activist in the Bay Area Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) aging network,” and “currently serves as a consultant for the LGBT Elder Law Project sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, headquartered in San Francisco.”
• Southeast Health Center
o The Southeast Health Center is listed as a “Family Planning clinic” in a San Francisco Department of Public Health brochure, which lists “birth control and counseling,” and “information and referral for sterilization” among the services offered.
o According to its listing on the San Francisco Department of Health web site, the Southeast Health Center provides “comprehensive primary care and urgent care for infants, children/teens and adults through several clinics and programs,” including the 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic, which lists “reproductive health care” as a service.
o According to 3rd Street’s web site, “reproductive health care” includes “emergency contraception,” “birth control counseling,” and “free condoms.”
2. CHW’s health care plan covers contraception.
CHW’s 2008 Arizona Medical Plan and $250 Deductible Plan cover oral contraceptives and diaphragms.
• The “Covered Drugs” section says, “The Plan covers the following items … Oral contraceptives and diaphragms” (p. 28).
• CHW’s 2007 Preferred Drug List states, “The CHW medical plans include coverage for prescription medications based on a Preferred Drug List (PDL). A PDL is a list of commonly prescribed drugs covered under your health plan at a lower copayment than those not listed on the PDL.” (p. 2). The following are contraceptives included in the PDL (p. 6):
o apri
o aranelle
o aviane
o cesia
o cryselle
o DESOGEN
o enpresse
o errin
o jolivette
o junel fe
o kariva
o kelnor 1/35
o lessina
o levora-28
o LOESTRIN,FE
o low-ogestrel
o lutera
o microgestin,fe
o MIRCETTE
o MODICON
o mononessa
o necon
o NORDETTE-28
o nortrel
o ogestrel
o ORTHO EVRA
o ORTHO-CEPT
o ORTHO-CYCLEN
o ORTHO-NOVUM
o ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN LO
o PLAN B
o portia
o previfem
o reclipsen
o solia
o sprintec
o tri-previfem
o tri-sprintec
o trinessa
o trivora-28
o velivet
o zovia 1/35e
3. CHW members provide “services” condemned by Catholic moral teaching.
• Woodland Health Care
o States on its web site that “Services provided include … contraception.”
• Northridge Hospital Medical Center
o Through its PATH-AT program, refers to a number of pro-abortion and pro-birth control resources for teens, including Planned Parenthood
➢ The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
• “Policy brief” for 2009 states, “Policymakers are encouraged to ensure more consistent and comprehensive contraceptive coverage across states by mandating contraceptive equity in all health plans.”
• Advocates abstinence and the use of a wide variety of contraceptives
• Provides a program created by Planned Parenthood for choosing a birth control method: “My Method”
• Run by Planned Parenthood (the nation’s largest abortion chain), promotes premarital sex, homosexuality, contraception, abortion and masturbation
• 12 CHW members performed sterilizations.
According to a 2001 Catholics for Free Choice survey, the following CHW members were performing tubal ligations at that time (pp. 19-22):
o Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
o California Hospital Medical Center
o Chandler Regional Hospital
o Community Hospital of San Bernardino
o Glendale Memorial Hospital
o Mercy Hospital of Folsom
o Mercy Medical Center Merced
o Northridge Hospital Medical Center
o San Gabriel Valley Medical Center
o Sequoia Hospital
o Woodland Memorial Hospital
o Saint Louise Regional Hospital
• 20 CHW members currently refer for vasectomies by staff physicians.
The following CHW member hospitals and health centers refer for vasectomies by staff physicians on their own web sites. (**NOTE** To see the referrals, click the link, scroll down and click on the word “vasectomy.”)
o Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
o Mercy Hospital of Bakersfield
o Arroyo Grande Community Hospital
o St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital
o St. John’s Regional Medical Center
o Mercy Medical Center – Redding
o St. Elizabeth Community Hospital – Red Bluff
o Community Hospital of San Bernardino
o California Hospital Medical Center
o Northridge Hospital Medical Center
o Methodist Hospital of Sacramento
4. CHW helped to create the pro-abortion Healthy San Francisco Health Access Program.
• According to a 2006 press release from the San Francisco Health Access Program, Catholic Healthcare West’s CEO co-chaired the Universal Healthcare Council for the creation of the Healthy San Francisco Health Access Program.
o According to November 23, 2009 San Francisco Chronicle article, “San Francisco public health officials said elective abortions would continue to be provided through Healthy San Francisco.”
o According to the Healthy San Francisco Application Assistor Eligibility Reference Manual, “If HSF Participant is approved for a type of Medi-Cal that covers only their pregnancy related services, those services, including abortion, will be covered under Medi-Cal. In that case, non-pregnancy related services will continue to be accessed under HSF.” (p. 15)
5. CHW fully endorsed and supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• CHW supported Obamacare.
o A December 2009 Market Wire article titled “Catholic Healthcare West Applauds Passage of Senate Health Reform Bill“ gave full, unqualified approval to the health care reform bill after the USCCB called the bill “deficient,” and American Life League reported on the provisions for abortion, birth control and euthanasia that it contained.
o According to an April 21, 2010 Business Wire article titled, “CHW President/CEO Lloyd Dean Receives Health Care Leadership Honor,” Lloyd Dean “worked directly with Congress and the Obama Administration in supporting passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
• CHW’s CEO made donations to the Obama campaign.
In “Bishop rips hospital chain, threatens to revoke Catholic status of hospital” (December 15, 2010), CatholicCulture.org reported,
In September 2009, [Lloyd] Dean, Catholic Healthcare West’s president and CEO, lauded a speech by President Obama on healthcare reform. According to Federal Election Commission records, Mr. Dean made $10,000 in contributions to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over a ten-day period earlier that summer and donated an additional $250 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. An early supporter of Obama’s presidential campaign, Mr. Dean gave $2,300 to Obama for America in September 2007 [emphasis added].
