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Decision helps Sacred Heart
In his letter of Feb. 17, “An affront to Sacred Heart,” Dr. Gene Grossman asserts that Sacred Heart Medical Center should not be forced to provide contraception coverage for its employees; Grossman apparently doesn’t realize that Sacred Heart decided to provide this coverage to its employees in 2004.
A hospital like Sacred Heart is competing in the market for nurses, physicians and other top-quality staff who have the option of going to a different employer where they will receive this benefit. Contraception coverage can be worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year to an employee.
Because Sacred Heart must compete for talent in the marketplace, it made the logical business decision to cover this benefit. The federal mandate will actually help Catholic institutions compete in the marketplace for top-notch talent.
It’s a win-win situation for them, as it provides them with a reason to break with Catholic teachings on this issue yet retain their Catholic identity and affiliation, and will result in better ability to compete for high-quality employees.
Vickie Williams
Spokane