National Nurses United

during a pregnancy—which can cause interruptions in the continu- ity of care and added stress, especially if the new provider hasn't been with them throughout the pregnancy or previous pregnancies. "They're such hypocrites," said Watson, who identifies as Catho- lic. "We're Catholic and supposed to have a bunch of babies but they don't want to let us have any place to have them! As a supposed not- for-profit Catholic institution who values all human lives, they are not valuing those mothers and therefore not valuing those babies. They value money. All day, every day." When Watson first read the report, she immediately worried that the clo- sures and consolidations of entire obstetrics departments would further separate patients from premature babies—a tragedy that strikes close to home for her as the mother of tri- plet preemies. "When I heard about these closures, my NICU-mom heart broke," said Watson, whose kids were born at six months, weighing 2 lbs. each. "That is the first thing that came to my mind: If those mothers have babies prema- turely who need a higher level of care that is not offered at that hospital, they may not even be in the same town as their babies for weeks. This is creating more trauma for those moms who already feel distant from their babies." Nurses want Ascension to not only stop but reverse these clo- sures and fulfill their nonprofit, religious mission to serve the most vulnerable patients and communities in our society, to commit to offering full obstetrics services at all hospitals they acquire or open, and to listen to its nurses about what it should be doing to provide high-quality care to patients and babies. "I think Ascension needs to evaluate themselves and see if they are obeying their mission to value everyone and to protect the poor and those who cannot afford health care," said Watson. "They need to step up to the plate and do the right thing." Lucia Hwang is editor of National Nurse magazine. 28 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 Ascension Organizational Profile Year Founded 1999 Headquarters St. Louis, MO Hospital Portfolio 140 hospitals in 19 states Type of Hospital Catholic nonprofit Sponsoring Organizations Four provinces of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (now combined into the St. Louise Province), Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth (now part of Congregation of St. Joseph), Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Congregation of Alexian Brothers, and Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother Private Equity Partnership $1 billion Cayman Island fund with Towerbrook Partners Ascension Investment Management Manages $41 billion Charity Care Accounts for 1.9 percent of operating expenses (2.6 percent is the national average) CEO Joseph R. Impicciche CEO Salary $13 million (2020) Graph 1. 2012–2021: Closure Rate of L&D Departments Metro Only All Closures All Ascension 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Source: AHA Annual Survey, 2012-2021 "They're such hypocrites. As a supposed not-for-profit Catholic institution who values all human lives, they are not valuing those mothers and therefore not valuing those babies. They value money. All day, every day." Read the full report at nnu.org/DangerousDescent DANGEROUS DESCENT How Ascension Betrays its Mission by Gutting Care for Pregnant Patients and Babies December 2023 www.NationalNursesUnited.org Kansas Ascension RN Lisa Watson speaks out during December strike.

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