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What happens when one of America’s largest health care systems quietly limits your access to essential care?

In this episode, Dr. Patricia Gabow, former CEO of Denver Health, discussed her values-driven leadership of the safety-net system, which remained financially stable while serving a predominantly uninsured and underserved population through integrated care and lean management. She highlighted concerns from her recent book about the growing influence of Catholic health systems in the U.S., particularly their adherence to religious directives that restrict reproductive, gender-related, and end-of-life care. Gabow emphasized the lack of transparency in these systems, noting that most patients are unaware of the limitations until they need care. She criticized the shift from mission-driven leadership by nuns to profit-focused lay leadership, often disconnected from frontline health care realities. While hopeful about Pope Francis’s advocacy for the poor, she expressed disappointment in the lack of reform among American bishops and health systems.

Tune in to pull back the curtain on Catholic hospitals, their powerful reach, and what it means for the future of patient care in the U.S!

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