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Resources from Save Secular Healthcare Washington

Save Secular Healthcare has developed these condensed summaries of the issues we see in healthcare access and availability in Washington.

The Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) explained: This one-page document details how the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services, a little-known guide authored by conservative Catholic bishops, restricts care in medical facilities - impacting over 50% of Washington hospital beds. Updated 11/26/2025 to include the impacts of the Seventh Edition of the ERDs, published in November 2025. [references]
Private Equity and Venturn Capital Control of Medical Facilities: Examines how the expanding role of private equity and venture capital in healthcare reshapes clinical decision‑making, often prioritizing financial returns over patient needs. Their influence has been linked to service reductions, declining care quality, and rising costs as investment-driven management strategies override medical judgment. [references]
Certificate of Need (CON): A one-page explanation of the role of Washington's Certificate of Need process in enforcing healthcare monopolies, driving costs, and reducing availability and innovation. It also covers the Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) law in Washington, which blocks normal antitrust reviews for healthcare organizations. Updated 11/24/2025 to include the DOH report recommending expansion of Certificate of Need to additional areas of service. [references]
Essential Care Equity: Critical medical services and facilities to access them are disappearing in Washington state. This document details some of the reasons behind these changes and ideas to reverse this trend. [resources]
Accountability in Healthcare Services: The July 2025 report from the Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) found that the Washington Department of Health was alarmingly late in hospital inspections and oversight - and had no plan to correct these issues. [references]

Online Repository: In addition to the targeted analytical documents above, we maintain a large amount of information on healthcare in our LiveBinder (a digital three-ring notebook), including many resources you can use to educate yourself and advocate for change.

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