Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church in the United States is a significant provider of healthcare services, with more than 600 hospitals and 1600 long-term care and other health facilities across the country. In Wisconsin, Catholics run one-third of the hospitals in the state, which amounts to at least 50% of sole community providers. This heavy reliance on Catholic healthcare has implications for reproductive procedures, as Catholic facilities are guided by religious doctrine that prohibits certain treatments deemed immoral, including contraception, sterilisation, and abortion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of hospitals in Wisconsin that are Catholic | One-third or 33.33% |
| Number of Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin | N/A |
| Percentage change in the number of Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin between 2001 and 2018 | 13% increase |
| Percentage of hospital beds in Wisconsin that are in Catholic facilities | 40% or more |
| Number of Catholic hospitals in the US | 600-650 |
| Number of Catholic hospitals in the US overseen by the Catholic health care system in 2002 | 625 |
| Combined revenue of Catholic hospitals in the US in 2002 | $30 billion |
| Combined budget of Catholic hospitals in the US | $101.7 billion |
| Number of full-time equivalent staff employed by Catholic hospitals in the US | 641,030 |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin restrict access to abortions, birth control, and other reproductive procedures
- Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin receive public funds
- Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin have grown in number while non-Catholic hospitals have declined
- Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin are safety nets in impoverished communities
- Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin are part of the Catholic Church's ministry, continuing Jesus' mission of love and healing
Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin restrict access to abortions, birth control, and other reproductive procedures
In Wisconsin, one-third of hospitals are governed by Catholic religious principles—more than twice the national average. This has led to restricted access to reproductive procedures, abortions, and birth control for many women in the state.
Catholic-affiliated hospitals in Wisconsin will not provide abortions unless it is deemed “unavoidable” to save the mother's life. They also do not perform other reproductive treatments they view as immoral, such as vasectomies, postpartum tubal ligations, and the provision of birth control pills. This has disproportionately affected communities like Sherman Park and, in particular, Black women in Wisconsin.
The impact of these restrictions is significant. A study found that nearly half of women who requested sterilization but were denied due to Catholic restrictions became pregnant within a year. This can lead to more deaths for women as they are more likely to die during or after childbirth than from abortion complications.
Some physicians in Catholic hospitals find workarounds to these restrictions. They may provide referrals for abortions or prescribe contraception for menstrual pain rather than birth control. However, this is not a universal practice, and some hospitals adhere strictly to the directives.
The growth of Catholic health systems in Wisconsin has reduced the number of smaller, non-Catholic healthcare providers. This has made it even more challenging to access abortions and reproductive procedures in the state, even before the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
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Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin receive public funds
According to various sources, Catholics run about one-third of Wisconsin's hospitals. This heavy reliance on Catholic healthcare providers is reflected in the state's high number of sole community providers, 50% of which are Catholic hospitals. These institutions receive public funds but often impose religious restrictions on the procedures they offer, which can limit access to healthcare services.
The Catholic Church in the United States is a significant presence, constituting the country's second-largest religious grouping after Protestantism. With a combined budget of over $100 billion, the 630 Catholic hospitals in the US employ more than 640,000 full-time staff. The Catholic Health Association (CHA) claims that patients who receive care at Catholic hospitals are more likely to recommend them than patients treated elsewhere.
In Wisconsin, Catholic hospitals have expanded while non-Catholic hospitals have declined. This growth has led to concerns about restricted access to reproductive procedures, with some Catholic hospitals billing for significantly fewer IUD insertions than their non-Catholic counterparts. A retired obstetrician cited in a Wisconsin Watch report stated that Catholic restrictions prevented her from providing the best care to her patients.
The Hill-Burton program, which offered federal funds to build and renovate health facilities, previously helped many Wisconsin hospitals. In exchange for funds, these hospitals agreed to provide a certain amount of free or reduced-rate care for those who couldn't afford healthcare. While the program no longer exists, some hospitals still have outstanding obligations to fulfill.
Wisconsin's Catholic hospitals, as recipients of public funds, play a critical role in serving their communities, particularly in impoverished areas. However, their religious restrictions can impact the availability of certain procedures, underscoring the tension between providing access to healthcare and adhering to religious doctrines.
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Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin have grown in number while non-Catholic hospitals have declined
In Wisconsin, Catholic hospitals have increased in number while non-Catholic hospitals have declined. This trend has been observed between 2001 and 2018, with Catholic hospitals growing by 13% while non-Catholic hospitals decreased by the same percentage. This shift has significant implications for healthcare access and reproductive procedures in the state.
Wisconsin has a heavy reliance on Catholic healthcare, with one-third of its hospitals being Catholic-run. This has raised concerns regarding the availability of certain reproductive procedures, as Catholic hospitals operate under religious restrictions that limit their provision of specific treatments. These restrictions can impact patients' access to abortion, contraception, and other obstetric services, particularly in emergency situations where timely intervention is crucial.
The expansion of Catholic health systems in Wisconsin is part of a broader trend across the United States. As of 2020, four of the nation's ten largest health systems are Catholic, overseeing 394 short-term acute-care hospitals. This represents a 50% increase in the number of hospitals under Catholic control over the past two decades. Additionally, Catholic facilities make up a significant proportion of "sole community providers" in some states, including Wisconsin, where they account for at least 50% of such providers.
The growth of Catholic hospitals has implications for healthcare accessibility and patient choice. With fewer non-Catholic options, patients seeking treatments restricted by Catholic doctrine may face challenges in obtaining timely and accessible care. This dynamic has been particularly notable in states like Washington, where legislators have intervened to protect doctors' ability to provide medically necessary care to pregnant patients, even in Catholic hospitals.
The Catholic Church in the United States is a significant force, representing 23% of the country's population as of 2018 and being the nation's second-largest religious grouping. The Catholic health ministry, with its extensive network of hospitals and long-term care facilities, aligns its practices with religious doctrines, which can create tensions between medical professionals and the church's ethical guidelines. This dynamic has been observed in Wisconsin, where the increasing presence of Catholic hospitals has impacted the availability of certain medical procedures.
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Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin are safety nets in impoverished communities
Wisconsin has the second-largest Catholic population in the United States, and the state is heavily reliant on Catholic healthcare. One-third of Wisconsin hospitals are governed by Catholic religious principles—more than twice the national average. Catholic health systems argue that they serve as safety nets in impoverished communities and provide the same quality of care as secular hospitals.
The Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital–St. Joseph Campus in Milwaukee is an example of a Catholic hospital in a low-income community. The hospital serves a predominantly black, low-income neighborhood. It is one of the busiest emergency rooms in the state. The neighborhood strongly protested in 2018 when Ascension announced plans to cut back services at the hospital, which serves many patients of color. St. Joseph's parent company, Ascension Wisconsin, eventually put the cuts on hold.
St. Joseph works to maintain the community's trust and fulfill the unmet social needs of patients through programs such as Blanket of Love, which educates families about prenatal health, nutrition, and exercise. Reggie Newson, chief advocacy officer at Ascension Wisconsin, says, "It's an anchor institution there."
However, critics argue that Catholic ethics can sometimes trump medical best practices in reproductive care, and patients can be denied care they desire or need. A retired obstetrician says Catholic restrictions kept her from providing the best care to patients: "When you have a moral conflict like that, it eats away at you." Reproductive rights advocates say the restrictions impose religious doctrine on patients and violate medical standards of care in ways that disproportionately affect communities like Sherman Park.
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Catholic hospitals in Wisconsin are part of the Catholic Church's ministry, continuing Jesus' mission of love and healing
The Catholic Church is the country's second-largest religious grouping, with 23% of the United States population as of 2018 identifying as Roman Catholic. This makes Catholicism the country's largest single church if Protestantism is divided into separate denominations. The Catholic Church has had a significant cultural, social, and political impact on the United States.
Catholic health care is a ministry of the Catholic Church that continues Jesus' mission of love and healing in the world today. It is comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, making it the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation. Every day, more than one in seven patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital.
Wisconsin is more heavily reliant on Catholic health care than almost any other state. Approximately one-third of hospitals in Wisconsin are Catholic, and 40% or more of hospital beds are in Catholic facilities. In some states, Catholic hospitals account for at least 50% of sole community providers.
Catholic hospitals follow directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which prohibit treatment deemed "immoral", including sterilization, postpartum tubal ligation, contraception, and abortion. These restrictions have been criticized for limiting doctors' ability to provide the best care for their patients. However, Catholic health systems argue that they serve as safety nets in impoverished communities and provide the same quality of care as secular hospitals.
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Frequently asked questions
Approximately one-third of hospitals in Wisconsin are Catholic.
Wisconsin has a higher percentage of Catholic hospitals than almost any other state. In 2018, Catholic hospitals accounted for at least 50% of sole community providers in Wisconsin and South Dakota.
Catholic hospitals are restricted by religious doctrine in the treatments they can provide. This includes limiting access to abortion, birth control, sterilization, and certain types of contraception.
