FOR RELEASE
June 29, 2012
HICKORY, NC — Yesterday morning, the Supreme Court of the United
States upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (PP-ACA), with Chief Justice John G. Roberts writing the majority
opinion on the historic 5-4 vote.
While there is much to parse in the 193-page ruling, Rich Umbdenstock,
President and CEO of the American Hospital Association lauded the decision.
“This lifts a heavy burden from millions of Americans who do not
have access to health coverage and provides much-needed clarity for hospitals
as they continue on their path toward transformation. Transforming the
delivery of health care, however, will take more than the strike of a
gavel and will require the entire health care community to work together,
along with patients and purchasers, to implement better coordinated, high-quality
care.”
J. Anthony Rose, Chief Executive Officer and President of Catawba Valley
Medical Center in Hickory, agreed with Umbdenstock’s sentiments
and reiterated the hospital’s commitment to accessible, affordable
care. “Since 1967, Catawba Valley Medical Center has provided the
highest quality care that modern medicine has to offer. As the region’s
largest non-profit community hospital, we exist to heal and comfort patients,
to empower a healthier Catawba Valley and to ensure health care to all
who need it – regardless of ability to pay. Though the PP-ACA may
continue to be hotly debated in the political arena, we will stay our
course and continue to meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve
irrespective of extrinsic forces,” said Rose.
ABOUT CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest
not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without
direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving
as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine
and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An
Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a fourth consecutive year
by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.