The MergerWatch Project was founded in 1996 at the Education Fund of
Family Planning Advocates of New York State. The Project was created
after a merger between religious and secular hospitals in Troy, NY,
caused the loss of contraceptive services at an outpatient clinic that
had been operated by the secular hospital. The merged entity had
adopted the health care policies of the religiously-sponsored partner
hospital, which included a ban on contraception.
MergerWatch
was created to find ways of intervening to save key reproductive health
services before religious/secular mergers were given government
approval and finalized. Since its founding, MergerWatch has assisted
grass roots coalitions fighting to protect services threatened by
religious/secular hospital mergers in more than 50 communities located
across the nation. We have a strong record of success in protecting
patients’ rights and access to health care services.
The
project has expanded to address a wide range of religiously-based
restrictions on health care. Reflecting that expanded mission and its
national reach, the MergerWatch Project moved in July of 2005 from
Albany, NY, to New York City. The project became an affiliate of
Community Catalyst, a national consumer health advocacy organization.
