Catholic health care’s policies limit reproductive care in rural Illinois counties
Summary
Recent hospital and clinic closures in Lee and La Salle counties, Illinois, have narrowed reproductive care options in areas now largely served by OSF HealthCare. After those closures, roughly 140,000 residents in the two rural counties were left relying on a single major health system whose Catholic directives restrict contraception, sterilization, IVF and other fertility treatments, and abortion, while permitting some related treatments in limited circumstances.
Relevance
This article is relevant because it shows how Catholic healthcare restrictions can have expanded effects in rural areas where provider choice is limited. It is especially significant for documenting how hospital consolidation, clinic closures, and geography can make Catholic directives a practical determinant of what reproductive care is locally available.