Charlotte Hungerford and Hartford HealthCare boards agree to affiliation
August 05, 2016
The boards of The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) and Hartford HealthCare (HHC) have approved a formal affiliation of their two organizations.
If the affiliation is approved by state and federal regulators, the Torrington-based community hospital would become part of the HHC network, which includes a tertiary-care teaching hospital, four acute-care hospitals, the state’s most extensive behavioral health services network, a large primary care physician practice group, a regional home care system, an array of senior care services, and a large physical therapy rehabilitation network.
The HHC Board of Directors approved an affiliation agreement Friday morning, following CHH Board of Governors’ approval, working with the CHH corporators, on July 28. Both organizations had completed months of due diligence following their initial decision to consider an affiliation in February. Both CHH and HHC have determined that an affiliation would be in the best interests of the patients and communities they serve.
The strategic affiliation would improve quality and expand the scope and accessibility of affordable healthcare for patients in a culture of compassion, respect and integrity; support the recruitment of skilled providers; assist with community benefit programming and allow for further necessary infrastructure investments.
The boards of The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) and Hartford HealthCare (HHC) have approved a formal affiliation of their two organizations.
The CHH Board of Governors began a multi-year process in 2014 to evaluate the possible need for a strategic affiliation to increase healthcare provider diversity, consumer choice and access to healthcare services. The goal was also to conduct a comprehensive, thoughtful approach to consider ways to improve the hospital’s operational, financial and clinical enterprise, while providing safe, affordable healthcare. After considering multiple proposals, the committee recommended, and the board concluded, that HHC demonstrated the greatest capacity and strongest commitment to shared vision with CHH. In addition, the two organizations share a patient-focused vision and culture.
Hartford HealthCare officials noted CHH’s tradition of providing high-quality care to the people of northwestern Connecticut as well as the organization’s robust partnerships with local agencies and groups.
“Charlotte Hungerford has been at the center of healthcare delivery for Northwestern Connecticut since its founding a century ago,” said Elliot Joseph, president and chief executive officer of Hartford HealthCare. “It is uniquely attuned to the healthcare needs of those it serves. We are excited to partner with Charlotte Hungerford to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible to the communities they serve.”
Once the affiliation is approved, Charlotte Hungerford will become the center of a new Northwest Region for HHC, Joseph noted.
Both organizations mutually agreed to further care delivery in the Northwest Region by making it fully integrated and more efficient. These agreements include:
- $50 million to fund maintenance and replacement capital projects for CHH
- $20 million for a discretionary strategic investment fund
- $3 million to support medical staff development and recruitment
- $2.5 million to the Northwest Community Foundation to enhance economic and community well-being the CHH’s service area
- $500,000 over five years to support Litchfield County’s participation in the CDC-sponsored Community Transformational Grant Program
“Charlotte Hungerford Hospital is celebrating 100 years of caregiving this year, and we are very excited to begin our next century with Hartford HealthCare because they share our mission and vision to provide quality healthcare to the communities of northwest Connecticut,” said Dan McIntyre, president and executive director at CHH. “This partnership will help position our hospital to remain a financially viable healthcare resource and best accomplishes the affiliation criteria our Board of Governors set out to accomplish in 2014.”
CHH intends to maintain and grow the hospital’s community relationships and services while continuing to fulfill its roles as a public health supporter, healthcare educator and driver of the local economy.
Regulatory approvals are expected to take several months.
For updates, please visit www.charlottehungerford.org andwww.hartfordhealthcare.org.