State Approval for Hospital Merger Postponed Again

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: C. J. Doyle friendsofthesbc@gmail.com

Today, for the third time in two months, the Charitable Trusts Unit of the New Hampshire Department of Justice has postponed its report on the proposed acquisition of Granite One Health---which includes Catholic Medical Center of Manchester---by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, New Hampshire's biggest health care conglomerate and the state's largest private sector employer.

Approval for the acquisition must come from both the Federal Trade Commission and New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella.

The Attorney General's decision will be based on the findings of the Charitable Trusts Unit, which will determine whether the acquisition is consistent with the foundational charitable purpose of Catholic Medical Center and its antecedent institutions.

Catholic groups and pro-life advocates have raised concerns about the continuing Catholic mission and identity of CMC, if it falls under the control of Dartmouth-Hitchcock, one of the state's major facilities for surgical and medical abortions.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock not only performs elective and therapeutic abortions but trains physicians in abortion procedures. It also performs sterilizations, distributes contraceptives, and refers residents for training with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

The new date, announced this afternoon, by the Charitable Trusts Unit for its report, will be January 17, 2022.

Friends of Saint Benedict Center Communications Director C. J. Doyle made the following comment: "These repeated postponements indicate that there remain difficult, unresolved issues regarding this transaction, or the parties have not been forthcoming in providing the agency with necessary information, or both."

"No amount of tinkering can repair a scheme, which from its very inception, was intrinsically unworkable. The Charitable Trusts Unit must reject this flawed, problematic proposal."