Sen. Gordon Notes YNHH-Prospect Acquisition of Rockville General Hospital, Cites Need for Better Protections of Community Hospitals & Health Care Services

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), member of the Public Health Committee and a medical doctor, released the following statement regarding the announcement made by the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS ) that it has reached an agreed settlement with Yale New Haven Health Services (YNHHS) and Prospect CT, Inc. approving the certificate of need (CON) application for YNHHS’s acquisition of Prospect CT’s Rockville General Hospital along with Manchester Memorial Hospital and Waterbury Hospital:

“It’s positive, but very long overdue, news regarding maintaining access to crucial local health care services in our district. The dire financial situation that Rockville Hospital found itself in under the ownership of for-profit Prospect and the drawn-out nature of the Certificate of Need process by OHS, have been frustrating and concerning. Many residents and healthcare employees were left in limbo, not knowing what was going to happen and when.

“I welcome Yale taking over the health care situation of Rockville Hospital so that the hospital system can continue to provide care and not close its doors. I continue to offer my partnership to Rockville Hospital and to Yale to be of help as a ‘doctor-senator.’ I continue to encourage Yale to maintain the current services at Rockville Hospital, including the Emergency Department and the behavioral health programs. I also encourage Yale to invest in providing inpatient services for the people of the surrounding towns, instead of just relying upon inpatient services at Manchester Hospital.

“This all is a stark reminder that reforms must be made now to the Certificate of Need process. I have been a leader working in a bipartisan way to significantly improve health care access and affordability in the state. By lifting unnecessary regulatory barriers to the expansion of crucial health services, from mental health services to cancer treatment to hospital beds, we can pave the way for improved access and lower costs for our residents. At the same time, by improving the process of decisions made by hospitals to cut or eliminate inpatient services, such as labor and delivery, we can protect needed patient care, including in the rural parts of our state.

“Additionally, by strengthening the oversight of for-profit or private equity involvement in our hospitals, we can prevent future circumstances from occurring that happened to Rockville Hospital in Vernon and what happened to Steward Health Care in Massachusetts. These reforms strike the right balance between encouraging innovation and maintaining necessary oversight. There are various competing Certificate of Need reform bills, and I will continue to work with the Governor’s Office, Office of Health Strategy, the Public Health Committee, and my fellow legislators to ensure that we end up with the best possible legislation that will serve our district and the people of Connecticut,” said Sen. Gordon.

Sen. Gordon co-introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce roadblocks that the CON process creates to accessible and affordable health care:

• Lifting Certificate of Need for the expansion of select health services, enabling providers to better meet the evolving needs of the community.
• Maintaining Certificate of Need for closure, consolidating or eliminating patient care services, and private equity investment in hospitals, while refraining from imposing unnecessary new restrictions that could hinder the progress of healthcare facilities.
• Implementing a 30-day time limit on Certificate of Need decisions, ensuring a timely and streamlined process that benefits both healthcare providers and patients.
• Allocating additional resources to the Office of Health Strategies, empowering them to make informed and efficient decisions regarding Certificate of Need applications.