WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 23, 2010) — The following statement is being released by Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, president and chief executive office of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA):

The Catholic Health Association and Catholic health care providers across the country urge participants in the February 25 bipartisan health summit with President Obama and members of Congress to move health care reform closer to completion.

The American people are tired of partisan bickering and want lawmakers to find common ground toward creating a stronger, more equitable health care system. The current window of opportunity is small, which is why we encourage summit participants and other key leaders to move from argument and misinformation to consensus and collaboration – now.

When it comes to an issue as personal and important as health care, Americans expect action and statesmanship. They expect lawmakers to step up and agree to sensible policies to protect human life and dignity, improve quality and control runaway costs.

The price of inaction is simply too high to pay. As men, women and children continue to suffer because they cannot afford care or coverage, our health care system itself will soon consume 17.3 percent of GDP, a figure that is detrimental to our economic recovery and unsustainable for future generations.

Our prayers are with the summit participants who will gather on Thursday. We hope and expect that those in attendance, as well as other lawmakers and Administration officials, will rise above partisan politics and fulfill their responsibility to give Americans the leadership and change they are demanding.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), founded in 1915, supports the Catholic health ministry’s commitment to improve the health status of communities and create quality and compassionate health care that works for everyone. The Catholic health ministry is the nation's largest group of not-for-profit health systems and facilities that, along with their sponsoring organizations, employ more than 750,000 women and men who deliver services combining advanced technology with the Catholic caring tradition.