NNU report says Catholic systems led pediatric unit closures

National Nurses United says a new report shows that three major Catholic hospital systems led the health care industry in closing pediatric care units over the past decade. The union said the systems—Ascension, CommonSpirit, and Trinity—recorded the highest rates of pediatric unit closures among the country’s 10 biggest hospital chains.

According to the report, 25% of pediatric units nationwide were shut down from 2014 to 2025. NNU described the findings as part of a broader trend affecting children’s access to care, particularly in communities with high poverty rates and limited alternatives. The press release says the report is available through the union.

Sandy Reding, an operating room nurse at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital in California, president of CNA/NNOC, and vice president of NNU, said the data shows the major Catholic systems are closing health care for children in places where it is needed most. She said the decisions appear to be based on finances rather than the needs of patients and communities. Reding also said Catholic health leaders speak about being united for change, but that closing pediatric units does not reflect the common good.

Kristine Kittleson, a registered nurse at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin in Texas, said Pope Leo’s recent encyclical called for working together for the common good. She said major Catholic hospital systems have instead put finances ahead of the common good. Kittleson also said nurses who organize to push for better conditions are met with union-busting, which she said runs counter to the Church’s doctrines.

The release says California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, or CNA/NNOC, is NNU’s largest affiliate and represents around 25,000 nurses at Catholic hospitals in the United States. The release does not provide further detail on which specific pediatric units closed or the reasons given by the hospital systems involved.

National Nurses United describes itself as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with more than 225,000 members nationwide. Its affiliates include CNA/NNOC, the DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.