There has been a lot written in the news lately about the potential sale of the Boston based Caritas Christi Health Care System to a New York for profit firm called Cerberus Capital Management. One major concern voiced by health care advocates centers on the impact of this sale on the provision of services to the clients that Caritas has traditionally served. These services, provided at affordable rates included free health screenings, and substance abuse workshops to dozens of communities. There are numerous proponents supporting the sale and others oppose the sale for a variety of reasons.
NASW as a member of a coalition of health care advocates will be asking the Attorney General and the Department of Public Health, to scrutinize all aspects of the proposed sale with an eye for protecting services that have been traditionally provided to some of the poorest people in the area. In particular, the advocates are urging a thoughtful and comprehensive examination of the merits and problems associated with a sale of this nature. As professional social workers who always have an eye out for fairness in the arena of providing access to services for all, we are glad to join our colleagues in requesting Attorney General Martha Coakley and Commissioner of Public Health John Auerbach to 'proceed with caution and deliberation.
Carol Trust
Great post. Thank you for calling attention to this important issue and the implications for social workers and the overall health of vulnerable communities.
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