A new study from UC Berkeley School of Public Health researchers shows that Catholic health care systems that acquired hospitals were less likely than their non-Catholic counterparts to eliminate obstetrics care. The study, published in Medical Care Research and Review, is the first national analysis to rigorously compare how hospital operations change following acquisition by Catholic vs. non-Catholic systems. Catholic health systems now account for one in six acute care hospitals in the U.S. and are the sole hospital provider in many rural areas. However, Catholic hospitals also adhere to religious directives, which prohibit many other services, such as abortion, contraception, and sterilization (tubal ligations and vasectomies), according to the paper. Regardless of ownership, hospitals acquired by both Catholic and non-Catholic systems experienced similar cost-cutting measures, including reductions in operating expenses and employment.