About

The MergerWatch Project was founded in 1996 at the Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. The Project was created after a merger between religious and secular hospitals in Troy, NY, caused the loss of contraceptive services at an outpatient clinic that had been operated by the secular hospital. The merged entity had adopted the health care policies of the religiously-sponsored partner hospital, which included a ban on contraception.

MergerWatch was created to find ways of intervening to save key reproductive health services before religious/secular mergers were given government approval and finalized. Since its founding, MergerWatch has assisted grass roots coalitions fighting to protect services threatened by religious/secular hospital mergers in more than 50 communities located across the nation. We have a strong record of success in protecting patients’ rights and access to health care services.

The project has expanded to address a wide range of religiously-based restrictions on health care. Reflecting that expanded mission and its national reach, the MergerWatch Project moved in July of 2005 from Albany, NY, to New York City. The project became an affiliate of Community Catalyst, a national consumer health advocacy organization.