Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Monday that the state has reached an agreement with Northwell Health to maintain delivery services at Sharon Hospital for the next five years.
Northwell Health will be the new owner of Sharon Hospital until the merger with Nuvance Health is completed. According to an Aug. 26 press release from the Attorney General's office, the recent agreement was reached as a settlement to “resolve an antitrust investigation into a proposed partnership between the two hospital systems.”
“When it comes to childbirth, miles and minutes matter, and I'm pleased that Northwell is committed to preserving affordable, life-saving health care, particularly obstetric care, in Western Connecticut. This is a strong, enforceable agreement for access to health care in Connecticut,” Tong said in a statement.
The agreement follows investigations by the Connecticut and New York attorneys general's offices into the antitrust implications of Northwell becoming a competitor in the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut.
The agreement also included retaining the services and staff of Putnam Hospital for one year after the merger was completed, in addition to Sharon Hospital. Northwell agreed to implement an integrated electronic records management system across its expanded hospital network and allow contractors to work within the network and across state lines.
Sharon Hospital released a statement saying, “We are pleased to partner with the Connecticut and New York Attorneys General's offices to develop a bond agreement that sets out specific post-affiliation activities and commitments that will benefit the communities currently served by Nuvans Health. Under the affiliation agreement, Northwell has committed to providing capital, expertise and support to Nuvans Health to achieve long-term financial stability and make significant growth investments.”
“It is in the Northwest's best interest to keep Sharon Hospital's maternity ward doors open and operating. Our shared goal is to ensure affordable access to rural health care in our region. I thank Attorney General Tong for his work on this case,” said Republican Sen. Stephen Harding of Brookfield.
There remains a pending resolution before the Health Strategy Agency's Certificate of Need regulatory process that must be resolved before the Nuvance-Northwell merger can take place.
This article originally appeared in the Lakeville Journal.
