This week Samaritan Ministries announced plans to acquire three mobile maternity units for serving women in Indianapolis, Indiana, Charlotte, North Carolina and Memphis, Tennesse. The Christian ministry intends to launch the mobile units by the end of 2012.

In a promotional video, James Lansberry, executive vice president of Samaritan Ministries, describes the motive for starting this project.

"It is time that the Gospel of Jesus Christ fundamentally changes the way we practice health care in this country ... The religious hospital movement in our country was begun for the purpose of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the poor, to the sick. And now we've laid aside that heritage of authentic Christian charity. Hospitals have become little more than businesses that value payments over patients. As the church in America we need to return to this heritage that we have of authentic Christian charity."

Elysse Barrett, project manager for The Morning Center, a project of Samaritan Ministries, will oversee the mobile units launch. Barrett told The Christian Post that typical nonprofit hospitals spend 33 cents of each dollar on fundraising. The Morning Center plans to spend 10 cents per dollar on fundraising within the first three years of operation.

According to Barrett, The Morning Center will be actively recruiting medical missionaries to serve on the mobile units.

The ministry's services will be free to the public. Working women will be accommodated by evening shifts.

Since 1994 Samaritan Ministries has been providing an alternative to insurance coverage through health care sharing. Samaritan Ministries describes health care sharing as "an arrangement whereby Christians share to assist one another with medical expenses through voluntary giving."

Samaritan Ministries practices financial transparency by filing a Form 990. This form is available at GuideStar.