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Provena Health and Planned Parenthood

On October 11th, Bruce Jaspen of the Chicago Tribune presented that Provena and Planned Parenthood are using the same public affairs firm:

COVERING BOTH SIDES: In Aurora, Chicago public relations firm Jasculca-Terman and Associates is assisting the public affairs strategies of two health organizations that don’t always agree when it comes to reproductive health services.Jasculca is representing Catholic-owned Provena Health, parent of Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, while also working with Planned Parenthood. The Planned Parenthood clinic is providing an array of reproductive services, including contraception, and has been met with large protests in Aurora, where the facility opened last week. Provena Health, an operator of six Catholic hospitals in Illinois, does not provide certain reproductive services such as tubal ligations, vasectomies and abortions. Neither Provena nor Jasculca sees problems with representing two organizations often at odds over reproductive issues, notably abortion. “Our clients have determined there is no conflict,” said Beth Kanter, vice president at Jasculca-Terman in reference to Provena and Planned Parenthood. Before Provena hired Jasculca, the hospital operator’s executives, which included a priest who works full time as the system’s ethicist, evaluated hiring Jasculca and determined there was no conflict. “We are not advocates of Planned Parenthood,” said Provena spokeswoman Lisa Lagger. “Provena’s relationship is with Jasculca-Terman and not Planned Parenthood.”

This is being bounced around several Blogs. I post it here for information sake. I for one do believe that there is a conflict here and I will contact Provena and Mercy Center to voice my opinion. I am also skeptical of any “for hire” priest ethicist, but I will leave that to all of you to discuss and decide.

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