Nov 12, 2019
The rapid consolidation of hospital systems across Illinois has been dominated by Catholic hospitals, making strong gains based on their financial strength. With a growing share of hospitals now operating under the Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, providers in these systems of care face limitations on the provision of family planning services for their patients and limited options for OB-GYN training as well.
A recent University of Chicago report indicates there are a disproportionate number of low-income women in health plans served by these hospital systems and that health disparities are likely to increase. In this episode, we talk with a women’s health provider and women’s health advocate about the rapid consolidations, the report and the implications for patients and providers across Illinois.
In this episode, I’m talking with Kai Tao, ND, APN, MPH. For more nearly two decades, Kai has been in practice as a certified nurse-midwife, Deputy Commissioner with the Chicago Department of Public Health, Senior Policy Advisor for the Director of the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, and Vice President of Clinical Operations with Planned Parenthood of Illinois.
In 2018, Kai launched Juno4Me, a non-profit that provides free IUDs and implants to people in Chicago. Kai’s extensive experience in women’s health, program development, public health policy advocacy, and clinical operations brings a multi-sectoral approach to the challenges of access and equity these recent hospital merges pose to women across Illinois.