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An online forum held on the proposed merger of major Capital Region hospital networks St. Peter’s Health Partners and Ellis Medicine raised concerns about equity in health care.
On the session hosted by the Schenectady Coalition For Healthcare Access, participants talked about patient care and how the merger, announced in October, might impact the community. St. Peter's is part of Trinity Healthcare, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation.
Some participants, including reproductive rights advocates, worry the merger would compromise health care choices, especially for Black, brown and LGTBQ residents who may not be able to afford to travel outside their city or community for referral care. Glen Northern is with Catholics for Choice, a nonprofit organization that favors reproductive freedom.