- The agreement, which is subject to approval by the state Office of Health Care Access, would expand Hartford HealthCare into Fairfield County.
- Hartford HealthCare grew as well, with the acquisition of Charlotte Hungerford in 2017.
Hartford HealthCare has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire Ascension health network’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, the two health care providers said Tuesday.
The agreement, which is subject to approval by the state Office of Health Care Access, would expand Hartford HealthCare into Fairfield County.
The network already includes Hartford and Windham hospitals, the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain and Southington, Backus Hospital in Norwich, MidState Medical Center in Meriden and Charlotte-Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.
The transaction would not include St. Vincent’s College or other agreed upon assets outside of St. Vincent’s Medical Center, which has more than 3,200 associates and includes a 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a multispecialty provider group and a special needs service.
Under the deal, Hartford HealthCare would operate St. Vincent’s in the Catholic tradition, the networks said.
On Tuesday, Patricia Maryland, president and CEO of Ascension, called Hartford HealthCare’s network the most comprehensive in Connecticut.
It features more than 19,000 workers at six acute-care hospitals, four behavioral health centers, a rehabilitation network, two medical groups, two home care groups and eight senior centers.
“Our goal, in coordination with the board of St. Vincent’s, has been to position St. Vincent’s so its associates, physicians and volunteers can continue to provide safe, high-quality health care to the Bridgeport and Fairfield County community,” Maryland said. “In our rapidly evolving health care environment, health care providers have a greater opportunity to successfully serve individuals and communities by working in clinically integrated systems of care.”
Just four years ago, St. Vincent’s was one of seven Connecticut hospitals in five health care systems working together to remain independent of the state’s largest health care chains. The cluster of hospitals formed the “Value Care Alliance,” a partnership meant to bolster the systems’ resources.
At the time in 2014, most of Connecticut’s health care facilities already belonged to two major nonprofit chains, Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health System.
Meanwhile, Texas-based Tenet Healthcare Corp., was trying to acquire five Connecticut hospitals: Bristol, Waterbury, Manchester Memorial, Rockville General in Vernon and St. Mary’s in Waterbury. That attempt failed in 2015.
St. Mary’s in Waterbury and St. Francis Medical Center in Hartford went on to merge with the new Trinity Health of New England network. Manchester Memorial, Rockville General and Waterbury merged with Prospect Medical Holdings, a Los Angeles-based for-profit chain.
Bristol remained independent, but isn’t a current member of the Value Care Alliance. And Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London left the alliance to join the Yale New Haven Health System.
All that remain are St. Vincent’s, Griffin Hospital in Derby, Middlesex Hospital in Middletown a Mayo Clinic Care Network member and Western Connecticut Health Network’s three members, Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk.
Hartford HealthCare grew as well, with the acquisition of Charlotte Hungerford in 2017.
Elliot Joseph, CEO of Hartford HealthCare, said this latest deal would result in broader access to care for Fairfield County residents.
“Hartford HealthCare would be privileged to partner with the people of St. Vincent’s who have done so much for their communities,” Joseph said.
Date: March 29, 2018