Communications Director, Connecticut Hospital Association
110 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT
rall@chime.org, 203-265-7611
Republican-American – Saturday, February 1, 2025
By Livi Stanford
WATERBURY – An April 7 deadline looms for doctors at Saint Mary’s Hospital – and their counterparts at three other Trinity Health hospitals – to decide whether to follow a company-mandated move to a private health care management company.
The switch-or-quit orders at Saint Mary’s, at the same time Waterbury Hospital remains in legal limbo over its proposed sale from Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc., to Yale New Haven Hospital, is stirring fears among city and state leaders that patient care in Greater Waterbury teeters on the brink of a crisis.
On Jan. 6, Trinity sent a message to 120 emergency room physicians and hospitalist physicians informing them that they had 90 days to shift their employment to Vituity or risk losing their jobs. Trinity Health of New England also operates St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center in Hartford.
Vituity, a California-based company, describes itself as “a 100% physician-owned, democratic partnership that provides quality care to patients … without any conflict of interest.”
Dr. Gagan Singh, regional director of hospital medicine at Trinity Health of New England, said between 25 and 40 physicians might leave, including four or five at Saint Mary’s Hospital. Thirteen physicians in Waterbury received the notice regarding Vituity.
This could have a direct impact on patient care, Singh said.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, Senate co-chairman of the Public Health Committee, called Trinity’s move abusive to the doctors and harmful to the community.”This plan has a deep impact on the (physicians’) personal lives and the multiple years they have served the community, the most underserved people,” he said. “Look at the people in Waterbury. These are people whose lives depend on a health care system that works. This poorly thought decision is harming the well-being of all the citizens in the community. Hundreds of thousands of our citizens are going to be impacted.”
“One hospital is in a pretty compromised condition,” he said, referring to Waterbury Hospital. “If Saint Mary’s becomes less functional and non-functional this is a disaster for one of the most vulnerable parts of our state.”
On Jan. 11, Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., which owns Waterbury Hospital, moved to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was the latest snag in the $435 million deal between Yale New Haven Health and the California-based hospital chain for Yale to acquire Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, and Rockville General Hospital from Prospect.
City officials and state legislators have warned the longer lawsuits and negotiations stall, fears abound that Waterbury Hospital could close.
Ed Gadomski, an internal organizer for the Connecticut Health Care Associates District 1199 Waterbury Hospital and Tech unions, has said that nearly every department is understaffed and state-mandated staffing levels are not being met.
“This is taking away our choices and this is putting patient safety at risk,” Singh said. “A lot of my team members are looking for jobs elsewhere in the state of Connecticut. We don’t want anything bad to happen to our patients or the hospital.”
At Trinity, Singh said the hospital has not been transparent in the transition to Vituity.
“They are creating this chaos,” he said. “It could be done in a much more humane way.”
He said 19 physicians who are part of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program would lose their benefits if they join Vituity.
“We are ready to serve the community,” Singh said. “We don’t have any ill will toward Trinity and the new company. We are asking for a fair, transparent, and open process. Be true to your values and get respect from us. We are ready to serve our patients.”
“The doctors overall feel a transition of this magnitude requires a detailed and diligent approach to small detail so individuals are not harmed in the process, which was not done by Trinity,” Singh said.
This is unfolding among larger concerns about the state of health care, which has been harmed by greed and companies trying to skirt responsibility, Anwar said.
“The ER wait times are one of the highest in the state with Trinity hospitals and also the satisfaction from the care is much lower and has been decreasing rapidly. With this huge assault on the well-being of the health care system, this is going to be a huge disaster for the well-being of our patients.”
Anwar said Trinity has taken the pages from the Prospect playback to gender resources from the state, manage things remotely and move the funds and resources out of the state, reducing the asset value and the service lines.
Amy Ashford, regional director of marketing and communications for Trinity Health of New England, said in an email statement that Vituity is not a private equity company.
“It is a 100% physician-owned, democratic partnership,” she said. “Our emergency medicine and hospitalist medicine physicians have the opportunity to join Vituity as practicing partners and equal owners.”
She added that Vituity has a “long-standing history of success in improving patient care, hospital efficiency, and provider support in many states across the country.
“This partnership ensures the long-term sustainability of emergency and hospitalist care at our hospitals, aligning with our commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care,” she said.
John Hansen, director of marketing and public relations at Vituity, said Trinity Health and Vituity have prioritized open communication throughout this transition.
“Unlike for-profit corporations, every dollar earned by Vituity stays within the organization to support our physicians, employees, and the communities we serve – nothing is paid out to external shareholders,” he said.
State Rep. Ron Napoli, D-73rd District, said that he had confidence in the physicians and health care professionals in the hospitals.
“However, I am concerned about emergency room doctors and nurses working directly for a California-based for-profit company instead of our local hospitals,” he said.
Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. said he is looking into the issue, adding if anything is going to interfere with the delivery of health care within the city it is concerning.
“I am gravely concerned about the announcement at Trinity Health,” said Sen. Joan V. Hartley. “They are talking about turning over 100 doctors from a not for profit to a for profit entity, a California entity. That raises a lot of questions.”