Holy Cross Hospital Supporting Gay Marriage?

Well, yes.

Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring) is part of Trinity Health, a large conglomeration of Catholic hospitals (over 20) across the US.  Trinity Health is based out of Livonia, Michigan.

On January 15th, Trinity Health announced a new benefit.  According to the document distributed to all staff:

To fullfill our Mission to be a transforming healing presence within our communities, CHE Trinity Health continually reviews its benefit programs to ensure that we are meeting changing needs in the workplace.

With Plus One, benefits-eligible colleagues may cover their spouse or a non-blood-relative eligible adult living in their household with whom the colleague has a financial interdependence, as well as, eligible dependents.

In other words, Holy Cross Hospital, as part of Trinity Health, will now recognize gay marriage via their benefits package.  

 

More Anti-Cathlic Bigotry in MoCo?

Opponents say they have not exhausted their options for fighting a proposal to build a Catholic hospital on the grounds of Montgomery College in Germantown, despite approval of the plan last week by the state Board of Public Works.

The three-member board voted Wednesday to allow Montgomery College to lease land to Holy Cross Hospital for a new 93-bed, $202-million hospital. Holy Cross, which already has a location in Silver Spring, could break ground this fall and finish the project by 2014.

“It would be the first hospital built in more than 30 years in Montgomery County and would not provide the full range of services to patients,” said Beth Corbin, field director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

She said her group, which testified at the Wednesday public works meeting, will continue its opposition and is “weighing its options,” but declined to say whether it will initiate legal action to block the project.

For more, read it here.

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Click here to sign the petition to REPEAL THE MARYLAND DREAM ACT. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Anti-Catholic Bigotry Alive and Well in MoCo

I just picked up my copy of the Montgomery County Gazette to find that anti-Catholic bigotry is alive and well in Montgomery County, Maryland. (Actually, that is not really true, it has been alive and well for a long time esp. in the County Council and the Maryland State legislature, but that is another story.)

According to the Gazette:

As the battle for which private hospital can call upcounty its home picks up speed, some critics say Holy Cross Hospital, governed by Catholic religious doctrine, provides less health care coverage than any other hospital in the area and should not be allowed to expand.

But Holy Cross counters that many of the services it is morally prohibited from providing are not usually performed in a hospital anyway and that its charity work more than makes up for the few services it cannot offer.

The discussion about what Holy Cross can and can not do for its patients has heated up this month as the state's commission reviews a proposal for Holy Cross, which announced in August 2008 a plan to build a 93-bed hospital on Montgomery College's campus in Germantown, and another proposal for Adventist HealthCare, which announced in April a plan to build a 100-bed hospital on part of a health care campus in Clarksburg. It is unlikely the commission will approve both hospitals, and it has not yet set a date for when it will make a decision.

So who are the bigots that oppose this? Well, it is the usual suspects:*

• NOW - Montgomery County Chapter (aka NAGS)
• Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington (largest abortion provider)
• National Women's Law Center
• American United for the Separation of Church and State
• Pro-Choice Maryland
• MergerWatch Project

In fact, the paper goes on to say (and I think that it is a pretty balanced article) that Holy Cross treated about 9,000 uninsured patients in the Silver Spring area. Wow!

I would love to see the bigots step up to the plate and do even 50% of that amount.

So, PP, NAGs, Pro-Abortion Maryland, instead of trying to stop Holy Cross, why don't you start your own hospital/clinic and offer the level of free service that they do.

Bigots. Plain and simple.

*Note, the paper edition (A-7) names the bigots. The on-line version does not.

UPDATE (7:40am): The Washington Examiner has this story, including the bigoted opposition on the Montgomery County Council.

A Good Samaritan

This past Saturday night, I attended a fundraiser at the Fr. Rosensteel Council of the Knights of Columbus (more about that tomorrow).

During the event, one of the elderly participants was crossing the street outside of the Council building and fell face down into the street. I am not certain if he lost his balance, tripped, etc.

Someone saw what happened and immediately rushed inside to get help. The first person to respond was Michael Collins. Mike, who works at Holy Cross Hospital in the Physical Therapy section (I think I got that right), immediately began to administer first aid to the elderly man to not only stop the bleeding but also to prevent shock.

During the entire time, Mike not only remained calm while administering first aid, but also kept the person calm until the EMTs arrived.

In addition, Laura Collins (Mike's wife) attempted to keep the elderly gentleman's wife calm by letting her know that her husband would be fine and asking her questions about the medications he might be on.

I know that they probably would be upset and a little embarrassed my writing this but they deserve to be recognized.

Kudos go out to Mike and Laura!