UConn and Hartford Hospital Break Up
Partnership would have rescued Dempsey Hospital
Friday, Nov 20, 2009 | Updated 4:13 PM EST
The UConn Health Center in Farmington is on its own, after it agreed with Hartford Hospital to drop plans to partner.
Last December, the University of Connecticut and the parent company of Hartford Hospital were both pretty excited to announce they were planning on creating a new hospital in Farmington. The 250 bed facility would have replaced the financially troubled John Dempsey Hospital at the UConn Health Center.
And now, 11 months later, the couple's breaking up -- any wedding plans are dead on arrival.
"After a review by the leadership of its Board of Trustees," begins the UConn release, the school "cannot marshal the support needed to win approval of the proposed partnership."
This may be a hint that there wasn't much love coming from those in the state legislature. The plan would have needed the approval of the general assembly, which as we know, has been having a bit of a coronary over the state's budget woes.
There was also a question of whether other hospitals would put up a fight, given than this might hand the large Hartford Healthcare Corporation an unfair advantage.
The university says it will stay focused on providing medical care, teaching and research. It will also work with "the legislative leadership and the Governor's office to assess other options," said university president Michael Hogan.
The Hartford Healthcare Corporation runs Hartford Hospital, Windham Hospital, MidState Medical Center and other locations. It has not yet released a statement on the break-up.
Posted Friday, Nov 20, 2009 - 3:40 PM EST
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