Amid funding uncertainty, CT community health centers weigh merger

Hartford Business Journal – Wednesday, August 27, 2025
By Greg Bordonaro

Two Connecticut community health centers are exploring a partnership that would combine their services into a single network.

Community Health & Wellness Center — which operates clinics in Torrington, Winsted and North Canaan — and Wheeler Health — which serves patients in Bristol, Hartford, New Britain, Plainville and Waterbury — have signed a letter of intent to evaluate combining into one network.

Both are federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs.

Leaders from the organizations said the potential combination would allow them to broaden primary and specialty care, strengthen operations and better respond to rising demand for services, particularly in rural areas.

The potential combination comes as federally qualified health centers face funding uncertainty. Such care providers rely heavily on federal grants and Medicaid reimbursements, which face funding cuts under the Trump administration.

In Connecticut, officials say patient demand has grown faster than funding, especially in underserved and rural regions.

The state’s 17 federally qualified health centers serve about 440,000 patients, providing medical, dental, behavioral health and addiction recovery services in locations across 40 towns and cities, according to the CT Mirror.

“FQHCs are experiencing an ever-expanding patient population, increasing the demand on already strained resources, especially in our rural parts of the state,” said Joanne Borduas, CEO of the Community Health & Wellness Center. “Established over 25 years ago, we have been serving as the only comprehensive FQHC in Northwest Connecticut, and today, operating under continued uncertainty of future federal funding support, partnerships like this one are a smart strategic option that will strengthen our ability to better plan for future sustainability, invest in long-term solutions, and expand services while honoring our commitment to the communities we serve.”

Wheeler Health CEO Sabrina Trocchi said the two providers share a vision of delivering “high-quality, accessible and compassionate” care.
The health centers said they are in the early stages of discussions, with management teams meeting to identify common goals and map out potential next steps.

Wheeler Health is the much larger organization. According to its most recently available 990 tax form, it reported $98.5 million in revenue in fiscal 2024, and a surplus of $7.2 million. It had $104.3 million in total assets as of June 30, 2024.

According to its most recently available 990 tax form, Community Health & Wellness reported $13.6 million in revenue in fiscal 2023, and a surplus of $3.5 million. It had $11.5 million in total assets as of September 30, 2023.

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