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CT approves closure of labor and delivery at Johnson Memorial Hospital

The state Office of Health Strategy announced a final decision on Thursday to approve the termination of labor and delivery services at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford.

Under the terms of the settlement, Johnson Memorial Hospital, owned by Trinity Health of New England, must hire an independent third party to assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a free-standing , an alternative to traditional hospitals for low-risk pregnancies, in the hospital鈥檚 service area. The hospital must 鈥渟upport鈥 the establishment of a birthing center if the study deems services needed and feasible.

According to some of the other measures in the agreement, Johnson Memorial must also maintain prenatal, postpartum and wraparound services, as well as provide free transportation to patients for labor and delivery at any hospital within a 50 mile radius.

鈥淭his agreement permits termination of labor and delivery services at the hospital but holds Johnson Memorial Hospital accountable to the community they serve and to the State of 海角换妻 for maintaining access to all levels of maternal and infant health care,鈥 said OHS commissioner Deidre Gifford in a statement released by the agency.

鈥淲e appreciate the thorough process that OHS went through to make the decision, and we remain committed to partnering with state officials to further our efforts to provide safe, high-quality care to the greater Stafford community,鈥 said Kaitlin Rocheleau, a spokesperson with Trinity Health of New England, in emailed comments.

State legislators who represent Stafford said they were disappointed with the state鈥檚 decision and concerned about the burden it would place on families in the area.

鈥淎s a doctor and a state senator, I鈥檝e fought to preserve Johnson Memorial Hospital鈥檚 labor and delivery services in our region. These services are vital to expectant mothers and families who cannot otherwise access this care or easily be transported elsewhere in emergencies,鈥 wrote Jeff Gordon, R-Woodstock, in emailed comments.

鈥淭his is a critical issue for our community, especially for expecting mothers and families in the region who rely on these essential health care services. The closure will place a significant burden on many who will now have to travel longer distances,鈥 said Rep. Kurt Vail, R-Stafford.

Labor and delivery in rural CT

The decision marks the third application to close a rural birthing unit that OHS has considered in the past year, two of which it approved.

In addition to Johnson Memorial, the state the closure of the birthing unit at Hartford HealthCare-owned Windham Hospital in December of last year. The agreed settlement contained similar provisions to those in the settlement with Johnson Memorial, including that Windham Hospital must hire an independent third party to assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a free-standing birth center in the area. The study, which will be conducted by Guidehouse Inc., began last month, according to a by OHS.

In February, the state an application from Nuvance Health to close labor and delivery at Sharon Hospital. Nuvance Health is currently seeking state approval for a merger with New York-based Northwell Health, and the parties have committed to keeping labor and delivery open for at least five years as part of a deal with state Attorney General William Tong.

Johnson Memorial stopped delivering babies in April 2020 under an executive order issued by Gov. Ned Lamont allowing hospitals to temporarily shut down services to increase capacity for COVID patients. It briefly resumed services for a few months later that year, and applied to close the unit permanently in September 2022.

Johnson Memorial currently faces a potential $153,000 fine for failing to resume labor and delivery services when the executive order expired. The state鈥檚 decision regarding the civil penalty is still pending.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from 海角换妻, the state鈥檚 local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de 海角换妻, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programaci贸n que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para m谩s reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscr铆base a nuestro bolet铆n informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that鈥檚 free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected 鈥 and civil! 鈥 海角换妻.

海角换妻鈥檚 journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.