Officials tout CT medical facility that will be partially doctor-owned: 'Outcomes are better'

Eric Bedner

Officials from Trinity Health of New England are touting physician ownership of a new facility as a further incentive for doctors to minimize costs from being passed on to patients while still providing a high level of care.

Trinity and Johnson Memorial Hospital officials made their case to convert its surgery center in Enfield to a freestanding outpatient facility partially owned by physicians during a public hearing before the state Office of Health Strategy on Wednesday.

A request for a certificate of need through OHS calls for a $17.8 million facility at Johnson Memorial Hospital's Enfield campus that would establish a joint venture dubbed "Enfield Surgery Center," and to cease surgeries at the hospital in Stafford.

If approved, physicians would hold 49 percent of ownership of the new facility and Trinity Health of New England — the operator of Johnson Memorial — owning the majority 51 percent.

"The current operating rooms are undersized and outdated," said Deborah Bitsoli, Springfield market president of Trinity Health of New England, adding that some surgical towers don't fit in the Johnson Memorial operating rooms due to limited space and low ceilings.

Therefore, a replacement ambulatory surgery center is being built and placed next to the existing surgery center site at 148 Hazard Ave.

No services would be terminated in the market Johnson Memorial serves, Bitsoli said, adding that there would rather be an increase in services, such as orthopedic procedures.

She also argues the joint venture involving doctors further incentivizes physicians to provide low-cost, high-quality care.

Dr. Robert Roose, president of Johnson Memorial Hospital, agreed, saying that doctors being part owners would help to minimize costs to patients, who are "the top priority."

"It's going to be a better experience for both them and their patients," Bitsoli said. "Because they are a key stakeholder, outcomes are better."

Claudio Capone, vice president of strategy and business development for Trinity Health of New England, said that doctors who have part ownership are more likely to take into account patients' needs when making administrative decisions.

These include keeping in mind how much of the cost is passed on to patients when purchasing certain equipment, he said.

While there are doctors who are interested in partnering with Trinity, none is currently under contract, Capone said.

However, there is a "core group" that were involved in designing the new operating rooms, he said. "We have most of them identified."

Considering the operating rooms would be an ambulatory surgery center rather than a hospital-outpatient department, there would be a built-in savings for patients not having to pay hospital facility fees.

A hospital-based outpatient department is owned by and typically attached to a hospital, while an ambulatory surgery center is considered a standalone facility.

"There are no additional costs" to patients, Capone said.

Under the proposal, all four of Johnson Memorial's operating rooms would eventually be moved to the Enfield campus, with three opening initially. The fourth would open when demand deems it necessary, which is expected to be in a year or two, Capone said.

Hospital officials said the new operating rooms would be state of the art, larger, and able to accommodate more modern equipment, leading to more procedures being offered.

"I really do feel there is an advantage to patients and the community in Enfield," Bitsoli said.

"This surgery center emphasizes access," Roose said.

Johnson Memorial has already begun expanding and renovating its Enfield campus as part of a $40 million construction project. The upgrades include expanded lab services, primary care, 24 examination rooms, specialty suites, and four modern operating rooms.

Construction on the new ambulatory surgery center is already complete, with a certificate of occupancy expected next week, Bitsoli said, adding that the facility is expected to be open in July.

"The Enfield campus is an incredibly important part of Johnson Memorial Hospital," Roose said.

UConn trustees approve building of new dorm to house 200 students for its downtown Hartford campus

Liese Klein

HARTFORD — A plan to build a new dorm for UConn's regional campus in the heart of downtown Hartford won a key approval Wednesday, with the university’s Board of Trustees voting unanimously to sign a 20-year lease to move the project forward.

The new dorm would house 200 students in 50 units to be built inside part of a converted office and retail building at 242 Trumbull St. Developer Shelbourne Global Solutions bought the eight-story building at 242 Trumbull in June; the new dorm will be built inside an annex to the main structure with the address 64 Pratt St.Top of Form

Pedestrian-only Pratt Street has been a focus of downtown redevelopment in recent years, attracting a range of new shops and restaurants, and events like the Hartford Taste festival.

“Hartford is a college town, and we want students to feel at home and to take advantage of all the amenities and vibrancy our historic Pratt Street corridor has to offer," Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said Wednesday. "We’ll continue to work with our partners at UConn to build on the success and growth of our campus.’’

The new dorm will operate as typical UConn student housing, with resident advisers and some meals provided at the Hartford campus, about a half-mile away. The university will pay $2.2 million in rent a year, starting when the dorm is ready for occupancy in 2026.

The $28 million needed to convert the 242 Trumbull building into student housing will be funded through a package of state and city loans, plus capital from the building’s owner.

UConn officials assured the trustees that the university — currently facing a budget crunch — would not be on the hook for any construction costs.

“Our only obligation is to sign a master lease,” said trustee Thomas Ritter. “Everything else is on the developer.”

The estimated $1.4 million annual deficit incurred by subsidizing the student housing to make it affordable will likely be offset by renting the dorms out during the summer to city corporations seeking to house interns and major employers like Hartford HealthCare, Ritter said.

“I don’t have yet the dollar amount of what it would mean to us if we fill up during the summer but I think that’s very substantial. And I think that’s a large part of our nut right there,” Ritter said.

The university’s philanthropy arm is also approaching donors about naming rights for the new dorms, and Hartford corporations have expressed interest in helping the university make city housing affordable, Ritter added.

“If we can do this for athletics, we should be able to do this for academics and rebuilding of an urban community,” Ritter said of efforts to secure donations to the project.

The new housing would help boost the university’s profile in Hartford and bring more students into the city. UConn’s Hartford regional campus is located at 10 Prospect St. in the Front Street district, with its business school at Constitution Plaza. A new UConn Research and Innovation Center is planned for several floors inside the XL Center.

The Capital Region Development Authority is slated to broker a $10 million loan for the UConn dorm conversion through the state Bond Commission and was scheduled to vote on the financing package later on Wednesday. 

Meriden receives $975,000 in EPA funds to clean up Church and Morse site downtown

Mary Ellen Godin

MERIDEN — The city will receive $975,240 in federal funding to clean a brownfield and foundation rubble at the former Church and Morse building, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week.

The former hardware store and the former Meriden Auction Rooms at 33 S. Colony St. are needed for the city's final phases of the flood control project as well as continuing the city's Linear Trail from Hanover Street to the Meriden Green 

Funding for the Brownfield Cleanup Grant come from the bipartisan infrastructure law and will be used to cleanup the 0.33-acre vacant parcel. The site was previously used for commercial and industrial purposes, including generating electricity, welding and storage. The site is vacant and contaminated with volatile organic compounds, extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The funds will be used to formalize a community engagement plan. 

“Brownfields grants are gamechangers — they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces," EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash stated in a press announcement. "This isn’t just about cleaning up the environment; it’s about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone.” 

The city's award is part of $8.9 million in EPA grants to the state to expedite the assessment and cleanup.

The grants are through the EPA's dedicated program and revolving loan fund. The program aims to transform once-polluted vacant and abandoned  properties into community assets, while helping to create jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.

Other grant recipients included the Naugatuck Valley Council of Government for sites in Waterbury, which received an additional $3.5 million over its initial award, and The Capital Region Council of Governments, which also received an additional $1 million. Stafford, Redding and the Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank also received awards. 

“This $5.46 million in federal funding will help revitalize Connecticut’s communities, transforming hazardous sites into opportunities for new housing, economic development, and job growth in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods,"  U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal D-
Conn., said in a prepared statement. "I will continue to advocate for investments that correct environmental injustices and allow Connecticut to move forward towards a more sustainable future.”

The city bought 51-53 and 33 S. Colony St. for $305,000 in 2012. It has since received millions in federal funds to raze the buildings and assess the cleanup costs.

Underneath the building is a particularly narrow culvert, whose bend has contributed to the city's chronic flooding problem. At times the flooding went over Perkins Avenue. The widening of the culverts and daylighting of Harbor Brook on the Meriden Green has significantly improved flooding in the city's downtown, city officials said. 

Other flood control projects along Hanover Street, including the demolition of ION Bank are directly tied to the linear trail work that will travel from the Cheshire border to the Meriden Green when completed. The cleanup will also improve opportunities for economic development, city officials said. 

"This is the old Church and Morse building and really needs to be cleaned up," said Economic Development Director Joseph Feest. "This is in the heart of the downtown and will look so much better once we have the site cleaned up. The foundation is currently visible and anything we do with it will be an improvement. We have received many EPA grants in the past and continue to apply for new ones to help us clean up the city brownfield sites."

Engineering firm Fuss and O'Neil estimated in 2022, it will cost $800,000 to clear the parcels and remove the foundations.

Ørsted-Eversource Partnership Announces Cancellation of Agreement for Charybdis

Cate Hewitt

The Offshore Wind Venture partnering Ørsted and Eversource told CT Examiner on Wednesday that the companies had canceled an agreement with Dominion Energy to use the as-yet-unbuilt Charybdis to install turbines off East Coast of the United States. The planned 472-foot vessel would be the first Jones Act compliant vessel for installing offshore turbines, clearing a significant hurdle for domestic offshore development.

“We have secured an alternative installation vessel for Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, and agreed with Dominion to terminate our charter agreement for the Charybdis,” a spokesman for the partnership told CT Examiner.

The spokesman declined to name the alternative vessel or disclose the cost of the agreement. 

It was reported last August that the vessel’s expected cost had risen from $500 million to $625 million, and that delays in its construction meant that Dominion would miss deadlines for the installation of 704-MW Revolution Wind, and 924-MW Sunrise Wind. 

Three years ago, to great fanfare, the companies announced that Charybdis would be operating first out of State Pier in New London.

In March, Ørsted submitted a bid for its latest project, Starboard Wind, a 1,184-MW project that the company planned to assemble off of State Pier.

A spokesperson from Dominion could not be reached Wednesday evening. 

Asked for comment, Paul Lavoie, board chair of the newly-formed nonprofit Connecticut Wind Collaborative, underscored statements by the partnership that its wind projects remain on schedule.

“We are pleased to hear that the Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects will remain on schedule, and we are looking forward to discussing the alternative installation vessel with the Ørsted/Eversource Joint Venture Partnership,” Lavoie said in an email to CT Examiner.