51.   The bishops started their three-day session with a presentation on a revised policy for Catholic hospitals.

52.   The group Catholics for a Free Choice charges that the bishops and Vatican are riding roughshod over Catholic hospital leaders, but a statement from the bishops denied this.

53.   The hospital issue involves Catholic hospitals that merge with non-Catholic facilities and whether they must forbid abortions and other practices that violate church teachings.

54.   The original measure wanted the AMA to support efforts to force Catholic hospitals to provide reproductive services such as sterilization.

55.   Tonge said the AMA will now work with Catholic hospitals to help steer patients to facilities that offer reproductive services when there are mergers in their community.