Largest US Catholic Healthcare Network Collaborates with Medical Abortion Provider
America’s Largest Catholic Healthcare Network Partners with Women’s Clinic to Expand Abortion Access
America’s largest Catholic healthcare network has made a controversial partnership with a women’s clinic that offers medical abortion drugs through virtual appointments and is actively working to expand abortion access in the United States, according to a new report from The Lepanto Institute.
CommonSpirit, the largest Catholic healthcare network in the country, joined forces with the women’s clinic Tia in March 2021. Just over a year later, Tia announced the implementation of “virtual medication abortion services” as part of its offerings.
This announcement came shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively removing constitutional protection for abortion rights in the United States. Tia stated that it was prepared to provide abortion access not only in California and New York, where it had been operating prior to partnering with CommonSpirit, but also in Arizona, with the support of the Catholic organization.
“We’re ready to do our part to support our patients with access to medication abortion via our virtual care team in California and New York, where it remains legal, and via a local care partner on-the-ground in Arizona, where we’ll continue to monitor local laws closely,” the company said.
Michael Hichborn, President of the Lepanto Institute, believes that Tia is on its way to becoming “Planned Parenthood 2.0” thanks to its partnership, and he advocates for consequences for the Catholic healthcare network.
Arizona was the first state Tia expanded to after partnering with CommonSpirit, which already had a significant presence in the state. According to the Catholic organization’s most recent tax forms, it holds a 65% ownership stake in Tia’s Scottsdale, Arizona, clinic. The launch of the Arizona site was a top priority when the partnership was established in 2021.
“The deal enables the two healthcare leaders to launch Tia-branded women’s health clinics together that will provide comprehensive, blended virtual and in-person care — with plans for the first clinic in Phoenix where CommonSpirit operates multiple Dignity Health medical centers,” said a press release from the two companies at the time of the deal.
Currently, Tia’s website mentions providing ”medication abortion via a virtual visit in New York and California,” but does not disclose its operations in Arizona. Neither Tia nor CommonSpirit have responded to requests for comment.
Tia’s Evolution and Controversial Views
Tia began as a mobile app in 2017, aiming to provide information about birth control and sexual health in a body-positive, sex-positive, judgment-free space. It later expanded to include physical clinics, and its stance on abortion became apparent from its early days.
The Lepanto Institute’s report highlights Tia’s social media posts from 2019, expressing support for Roe v. Wade and stating their intention to provide abortion services in the future. Tia’s co-founder and CEO, Carolyn Witte, also voiced support for Planned Parenthood in 2015.
“When CommonSpirit Health agreed to partner with Tia Women’s Health, there is no way it would not have known about Tia’s intention to eventually provide abortion as a ‘service,’” the report argues.
The Lepanto Institute contends that Tia’s growth to its current level would not have been possible without the support of CommonSpirit.
“Through its partnership with CommonSpirit, Tia has gained access to women it never would have been able to access before,” the report states. “It has gained prestige and leverage for fundraising that would not otherwise have been so easily accessible, propelling what was little more than a birth control app to a $100 million operation.”
Tia’s partnership with CommonSpirit initially faced criticism from left-leaning media outlets, questioning the impact on Tia’s abortion services. These outlets referred to CommonSpirit as a “controversial partner” due to its Statement of Common Values, which prohibits clinics from performing “elective” abortion treatments.
However, Witte assured that Tia would maintain “total control over the practice of medicine.”
The Lepanto Institute is urging the Catholic Church to formally investigate CommonSpirit Health and strip it of its Catholic identity.
Controversies Surrounding CommonSpirit
It is worth noting that hospitals within CommonSpirit’s network provide transgender sex change operations, with one facility even receiving millions of dollars for a surgical robot. Additionally, Dignity Health, another clinic that merged with CommonSpirit, offers a healthcare plan covering transgender/gender dysphoria treatments, including hormone therapy and gender-reassignment surgeries.
The United States Catholic Bishops have since voted to revise official directives to Catholic healthcare services, mandating that they do not provide medical interventions seeking to change a patient’s sex.
CommonSpirit is officially recognized by the Catholic Church, and the organization that sponsored it is considered “a public juridic person in the Church” and the “juridical equivalent of a diocese or parish or religious order in the Catholic Church.”
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