By Gabe Bullard
Louisville, KY – The principals in a pending Kentucky hospital merger say they've been as open as they can be about the terms of the deal. The merger of University Medical Center, Jewish/St. Mary's Health System and St. Joseph's Healthcare, a division of Catholic Health Initiatives, has raised questions over how religious doctrine will affect care and employee benefits at UMC, as well as how the new entity will operate. Open records request for those documents have been turned down, as officials say the facility is private. St. Joseph's Chief Medical Officer Dan Varga says much of the information is proprietary and can't be released. Attorney General Jack Conway ruled that UMC is public, and UMC officials are appealing that decision. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connel has also filed suit to obtain merger documents.