Resolutions

Passed at the April 23rd meeting:

Whereas Kingston and Benedictine Hospital have been mandated to realign by
legislation based on the findings of The Commission of Health Care in 21st Century,
(Berger Commission)

Whereas Kingston Hospital is our region's only secular hospital, and its non-
sectarian identity is clearly stated in its mission statement,

Whereas Benedictine Hospital operates under the Ethical and Religious Directives
of the Catholic Church, which prohibit certain health care services,

The Shandaken Democratic Club resolves to encourage the Administration and the
Board of Trustees of Kingston Hospital

To maintain its secular mission, continuing to offer the full range of medical and
surgical services which have been available to this date, or may be available in the
future, including contraception, sterilization, abortion, stem cell therapies and
end of life options, and

To protect the continuation of these services by keeping them within the physical
and corporate structure of The Kingston Hospital,

Further, the Shandaken Democrat Club resolves that the community based
organization, HealthCare STAT, should be given a seat on the committee which is
determining how the hospitals are going to be aligned and how services are going to
be consolidated between the two hospitals.

Further, the Shandaken Democrat Club resolves to ask the New York State
Department of Health to give serious consideration to the impact upon our regional
community of forcing a secular and a Catholic hospital to combine, thus
compromising, the availability of the full range of services listed above.