Are most hospitals in Tulsa controlled by the Catholic Church?

Most hospitals in Tulsa are secular, and though one-third of them are associated with Catholic organizations, Catholic directives only directly apply to hospitals that are owned by such organizations, which is the case for five, or 28%, of Tulsa hospitals.

Across the United States, more than 10% of all hospitals are Catholic. Considering only general care hospitals, the proportion increases to 16% nationwide, 20% in Oklahoma, and 43% in Tulsa.

Catholic hospitals are subject to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which provide a theological basi” for determining the kind of care available with tangible consequences for many patients. 

Many forms of reproductive care deemed “intrinsically evil” are banned, including all contraceptives, infertility treatments, sterilization, and abortion.

Oklahoma has the second highest percentage of births that occur in Catholic facilities at 41 percent, 2.5 times the national percentage.