Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) was a national Catholic healthcare system, with headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. CHI was a nonprofit, faith-based health system formed, in 1996, through the consolidation of three Catholic health systems. It was one of the United States' largest healthcare systems.[citation needed] In February 2019, CHI merged with Dignity Health, forming CommonSpirit Health.
In September 1997, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Health System in Nazareth, Kentucky consolidated with Catholic Health Initiatives.[4] In March 1998, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hankinson, North Dakota transferred sponsorship of a hospital and eight clinics to CHI. In September 2010, Consolidated Health Services, a home care service provider with 30 locations in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, joined CHI.[5] Home health is later re-branded as CHI Health at Home. In May 2013, St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, a six-hospital system based in Houston, Texas, joined CHI as St. Luke's Health System.[6] The organization included outpatient clinics in Houston and affiliations with Baylor College of Medicine, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Texas Heart Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.[6] On April 1, 2014, Mercy Health of Hot Springs, Arkansas signed a definitive agreement to transfer ownership of Mercy Hot Springs hospital and medical group to CHI St. Vincent.[7] In June 2014, CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial of Lufkin, Texas joined CHI. In October 2014, CHI St. Alexius Health of Bismarck, North Dakota becomes a direct affiliate of CHI, adding St. Alexius Medical Center and two critical access hospitals to the system. In November 2014, Sylvania Franciscan Health becomes part of CHI, adding St. Joseph Health System in the Brazos Valley region of Texas; Franciscan Living Communities in Kentucky and Ohio; and three hospitals in eastern Ohio to the system In January 2016, Brazosport Regional Health System in Lake Jackson, Texas joins CHI St. Luke's Health, Houston. In December 2017, Dignity Health and CHI announce a definitive agreement to merge.[8][9]
CHI has expanded since 2011, entering new states and expanding in existing ones.[10] CHI also acquired the health insurer QualChoice, but was unsuccessful in its ownership; QualChoice is currently for sale.[11]
2019 mergeredit
In 2018, Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives received a merger approval from the Catholic Church, through the Vatican. Merged on February 1, 2019, as CommonSpirit Health, the new company formed as the largest Catholic health system,[12] and the second-largest nonprofit hospital chain, in the United States.[13]
In January 2019, the KentuckyOne Health system decided to transition to the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Lexington's first hospital.[14] Focusing on central and southern Kentucky, it is one of the largest health organizations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. KentuckyOne Health system hospitals and clinics in the Louisville area was later purchased by the University of Louisville's UofL Health.[15][16]
Operationsedit
Colorado-based CHI is one of the nation's largest health systems, operating in 18 states and comprising 104 hospitals,[17] including four academic health centers and major teaching hospitals and 30 critical-access facilities; community health-services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home-health agencies; and other facilities that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care.
In fiscal year 2014, CHI provided $910 million in charity care and community benefit - a nearly 20% increase over the previous year - for programs and services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. Charity care and community benefit totaled more than $1.7 billion with the inclusion of the unpaid costs of Medicare. The health system, which generated revenues of almost $3.9 billion (FY 2018), has total assets of $5.1 billion.
In January 2013, the hospital's defense lawyers provoked controversy when they defended against a wrongful death lawsuit by arguing that unborn fetuses should not be classed as persons. This contradicted Catholic doctrine established by Pope John Paul II.[24] When the case was submitted to the three bishops of Colorado for review, they issued a joint statement which reiterated their commitment to defending human dignity against attacks.[25][clarification needed]
Divisionsedit
Arkansas Hospitals (CHI St. Vincent)
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, Little Rock, Arkansas
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, Hot Springs, Arkansas
CHI St. Vincent Morrilton, Morrilton, Arkansas
CHI St. Vincent North, Sherwood, Arkansas
Centura Health, Englewood, Colorado (partnership with AdventHealth)
Kentucky Hospitals (formerly KentuckyOne Health, now CHI Saint Joseph Health).[14] VNA Health at Home and Amerimed locations are also part of Saint Joseph Health[26][27]
CHI Health Center Omaha, an indoor arena in Omaha named through a sponsorship deal with this company's CHI Health subsidiary
Referencesedit
^"National Leadership". Catholic Health Initiatives. Catholic Health Initiatives. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
^ abSalganik, M. William (15 March 1998). "Catholic hospital chains are growing the fastest Nonchurch institutions that merge with them usually ban abortions; Health care". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^Svaldi, Aldo (2017-12-08). "Dignity Health merging with Colorado's Catholic Health Initiatives". Daily Democrat. Archived from the original on 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^ abBenmour, Eric (8 September 1997). "Caritas Health Services parent merges with Colorado group". Louisville Business First.
^Blesch, Gregg (3 October 2010). "CHI completes acquisition of Consolidated Health Services". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^ abRaji, Bayan (31 May 2013). "St. Luke's sale a 'done deal'". Houston Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2013-10-20.
^"Mercy Hot Springs hospital now St. Vincent Hot Springs".
^Philip Betbeze (2017-12-07). "Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health to Merge". Health Leaders Media. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
^Melanie Evans (2014-12-20). "CHI's financial results show its growth comes with costs beyond the price of buying". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
^Bob Herman. "Catholic Health Initiatives to divest health plan operations". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
^"Record Merger Creates Nation’s Largest Nonprofit Catholic Healthcare Company" by Steve Dubb; Nonprofit Quarterly; February 6, 2019; accessed December 29, 2019.
^"The steep challenge facing Chicago's newest health care giant". Crain's Chicago Business. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
^ ab"KentuckyOne Health is now CHI Saint Joseph Health in Central, Eastern Kentucky". www.chisaintjosephhealth.org. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
^Hsu, Tiffany (May 9, 2018). "Sturm Ruger Shareholders Adopt Measure Backed by Gun Safety Activists". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^"Shareholders Force Gun Company to Prepare Report on the Risks of Selling Guns". Bloomberg News. May 9, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^Kerber, Ross (September 25, 2018). "Investors at Smith & Wesson parent support call for gun safety report". Reuters. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^Meyer, David (September 26, 2018). "Nuns vs. Guns: How These Sisters Took on Smith & Wesson—And Won". Fortune. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^Childs, Mary (October 5, 2018). "How Nuns Won Duels With the Gun Makers". Barron's. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^Whyte, Amy (August 20, 2018). "These Churches Buy Shares in Gun Companies. Their Goal: Confront Them". Institutional Investor. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^Tomasic, John (23 January 2013). "In malpractice case, Catholic hospital argues fetuses aren't people". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
^"Bishops to review handling of wrongful death suit against Catholic hospital". www.catholicnews.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018.
^"VNA Health at Home". www.chisaintjosephhealth.org. Retrieved 2021-04-21.