The proposed affiliation between the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic the multi-specialty group physician practice affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester has drawn criticism from organizations on both sides of the abortion debate since the two medical groups announced their intention to form a partnership in February. Representatives from the clinic and CMC are now engaged in a public affairs campaign involving open forums and an online effort to allay concerns that their respective abortion policies will change.
Officials involved in the affiliation plan to hold a community forum in Lebanon, N.H., on Oct. 7 as a follow-up to a Sept. 14 meeting in Manchester, which was attended by more than 150 people, CMC spokeswoman Gail Winslow-Pine said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Jason Aldous, DHMC's media relations manager, characterized the first forum as "very lively" in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.
"People obviously care very deeply about Catholic Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock as organizations and simply want to know what the proposed affiliation means," he said in the e-mail.
Representatives from Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union spoke in opposition at the forum, voicing concerns that the affiliation may prevent doctors at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, who currently make abortion referrals, from continuing to do so. Catholic Manchester residents and members of some Catholic groups, worried that the affiliation would enable CMC doctors to provide patients with contraceptives or make abortion referrals, also opposed the move.
Abortions are performed at DHMC in Lebanon, but not at the clinic.
Kary Jencks, New Hampshire public affairs director for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said that documents released over the summer detailing the affiliation did not alleviate her concerns about the plan, adding that there are "a lot of questions that remain unanswered."
New Hampshire Right to Life, an anti-abortion interest group that has expressed concern about the affiliation, said on its web site that it is dedicated to "saving CMC."
The web site labels the affiliation "a betrayal" and claims that "ethical directives have been subverted."
New Hampshire Right to Life could not be reached for comment by press time.
Winslow-Pine said that all services performed under the new affiliation will have to be "compliant with the ethical and religious directives set forth by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops."
Aldous said that both institutions will be able to maintain their own identities and philosophies.
"The agreement sets out a framework to ensure there will be no change in the way either institution handles matters of pregnancy and family-planning services," he said in his e-mail.
Planned Parenthood does not believe the affiliation will lead to any explicit benefits, Jencks said.
"I don't think the merger will actually, from my understanding, increase access to health care or open up more services," she said.
Winslow-Pine said that she hopes the affiliation will allow the organizations to expand specialty services and that patients will benefit from improved coordination of inpatient and outpatient care.
"It also helps all of us with the ability to retain and recruit hard to find sub-specialists," she said.
Aldous added that the affiliation should improve health care delivery to indigent patients in surrounding communities. Both the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and CMC have tried to provide the community with as much information as possible about the merger, he said.
"We've communicated with a large number of groups and individuals and have made every effort to be transparent throughout the process and respond to questions as we receive them," Aldous said in his e-mail.
Jencks, however, said the public has not been adequately informed about the details of the affiliation.
"I don't think the average Suzy Smith who goes and receives her gynecological care at [the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic] fully understands what this affiliation means," she said.
Planned Parenthood is working to make information available to ensure that patients more fully understand what policy changes they may encounter, Jencks said. Her organization also plans to continue voicing its concerns at future community forums, in addition to contacting the state attorney general's office.
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and CMC recently created a web site, AHealthierTomorrow.org, that offers information on the proposed affiliation and allows users to express feedback about the plan.
"We hope that the affiliation creates an opportunity to enhance access to quality health care for the greater Manchester community," Winslow-Pine said.
The affiliation proposal, which was filed with the New Hampshire attorney general's office on July 22, is currently under review.
