A Baltimore hospital, responding to community pressure, said last week it would preserve all women's services, including abortions, if it decides to affiliate with a nearby Catholic facility.
Greater Baltimore Medical Center had indicated last month that it would stop performing abortions if it combined with St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson.
The 304-bed community facility has been talking with 460-bed St. Joseph and with Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Baltimore-based parent of 886-bed Johns Hopkins Hospital, a spokeswoman said.
Earlier this month, the board of Greater Baltimore Medical approved an arrangement through which it would set up a separate corporation with St. Joseph to continue women's services including abortions, said spokeswoman Vivienne Stearns-Elliott.
She said the board told St. Joseph that Greater Baltimore would not establish partnerships with any facility without preserving all women's services.
A decision on an affiliation is likely within a month, she said.
