When St. Peter’s Health Partners announced late last month that it would no longer pursue a merger with Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, Michelle Ostrelich breathed a sigh of relief.
For years, the Schenectady County legislator and a group of advocates known as the Schenectady Coalition for Healthcare had been raising concerns about the possible deal. As a Catholic institution, St. Peter’s might have imposed what they considered to be unacceptable restrictions on reproductive and end-of-life care.
But that relief was short-lived…