How does Catholic hospital sponsorship affect services provided?

Catholic hospitals maintain a significant presence in delivering hospital services in the United States, but little is known about the ways they differ from other ownership forms in similar market environments. This paper analyzes characteristics of Catholic, other private nonprofit, and investor-owned hospitals in metropolitan areas of the United States to identify the extent to which Catholic hospitals differ from other ownership types on three dimensions of mission-driven identity--access, stigmatized, and compassionate care services. Based on 1993 data, Catholic hospitals offered more compassionate care services than other private nonprofit hospitals, and more compassionate care and stigmatized services than investor-owned hospitals, controlling for four market and six organizational characteristics. The results may help Catholic hospitals differentiate their services and help justify their tax-exempt status.