The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy has approved Hartford HealthCare’s acquisition of substantially all of the assets of St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, and its related operations.
Obtaining the state’s approval of the Certificate of Need application was a key regulatory step and allows St. Vincent’s to become part of the Hartford HealthCare system.
“This is a major milestone for all the communities served by St. Vincent’s and Hartford HealthCare,” said Jeffrey A. Flaks, President of Hartford HealthCare.
St. Vincent’s, with more than 3,200 associates, includes a 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multispecialty provider group, and special needs services for adults and children.
Both organizations expect to complete the transaction by October 1. Hartford HealthCare will continue to operate St. Vincent’s consistent with Catholic traditions.
“Fairfield County needs a vibrant St. Vincent’s Medical Center — one that’s an essential part of an overall, highly connected system of care,” Flaks added. “As part of Hartford HealthCare, St. Vincent’s patients will have access to more programs and services, excellent care coordination and a truly statewide focus on quality and safety — on and off the main hospital campus.”
St. Vincent’s, which was founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1903, has been part of Ascension, one of the leading non-profit health systems in the U.S., since 1999.
“We are delighted that St. Vincent’s associates, physicians and volunteers will continue to provide safe, high-quality and accessible healthcare to individuals in Bridgeport and Fairfield County as part of Hartford HealthCare,” said Craig Cordola, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ascension.
St. Vincent’s is the first hospital in Fairfield County to be integrated into the Hartford HealthCare network, and would become the system’s second-largest hospital.
Today, Hartford HealthCare has approximately 21,000 employees and more than 300 locations across Connecticut.
Vincent DiBattista, who will serve as President of Hartford HealthCare’s new Fairfield Region beginning September 1, said Hartford HealthCare is already working to improve access to physicians and healthcare programs in Fairfield County — activities he called “essential to creating St. Vincent’s future.”
“We are committed to providing a fully integrated and statewide network of care — and a bright future for all who work at and rely on St. Vincent’s services.”
Hartford HealthCare has already started to create a network of services in Fairfield County, and the addition of St. Vincent’s builds on that. Soundview Medical Associates, a robust medical practice with offices in Norwalk and Darien, is working with the Hartford HealthCare Medical Group. The practice includes 30 primary and specialty physicians and 120 employees.
Additionally, Hartford HealthCare recently affiliated with the Bridgeport-based Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, which provides home and hospice care in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties. St. Vincent’s, Soundview and Visiting Nurse Services will all be linked to Hartford HealthCare system’s Epic electronic medical record, enhancing care coordination by providing patients and providers with seamless access to health history and information.
“Being able to partner with an organization like St. Vincent’s, which has done so much for its communities, is an exceptionally proud moment for all of us,” Flaks said. “Our organizations share a common mission and a forward-facing vision. Together, we will be able to deliver on Hartford HealthCare’s vision to be most trusted for personalized coordinated care.”