The Boards of Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital announce that plans for a formal affiliation of the two organizations are moving forward, likely by fall 2010. Both Boards have approved the plan, moving into phase two due diligence with continued planning and development of a formal agreement, and reaching out to regulatory agencies for needed approvals.
Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital Put Community First
The core principle of this affiliation is to build the best possible health care delivery system for residents of western CT and adjacent NY State. Hospital leadership has expressed that community needs are a top consideration and that they are committed to keeping community stakeholders, physicians and employees apprised with regular updates.
John Murphy, Executive Vice President and incoming President and CEO at Danbury Hospital stated that “We are encouraged by the willingness for collaboration experienced to date by everyone involved. When you have that level of commitment, it only strengthens our ability to collectively build the best possible health care delivery system for our patients and community.”
Richard J. Henley, FACHE, FHFMA, Interim President and CEO, New Milford Hospital, said, “We are keeping our physicians, employees and the community top of mind in every decision that we make on this matter. We will continue with frequent communication to ensure that our key stakeholders understand our goal to strengthen both hospitals with improved quality of care, and better access and convenience for patients and the community.”
More Details About the Planned Affiliation
* Individual and collective planning teams continue to review operational and financial implications and perform necessary due diligence
* Applications have been filed with the State and ensuing meetings are taking place on schedule
* There is ongoing communication, outreach and collaboration among physicians and clinical teams
* A target date of October 1, 2010 is set for the formal affiliation to be in-place and operational. This coincides with the new fiscal year for both hospitals
About Danbury Hospital
Danbury Hospital is a 371-bed regional medical center and university teaching hospital associated with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, the Yale University School of Medicine, the Connecticut School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center. The hospital provides centers of excellence in cardiovascular services, cancer, weight loss surgery, orthopedics, digestive disorders, radiology and diagnostic imaging. It also offers specialized programs for sleep disorders and asthma management. Medical staff members are board-certified in their specialties, and most serve on the faculty of the nation’s finest medical centers offering a higher level of experience.
Danbury Hospital is recognized by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement program (NSQIP) as one of 25 ACE NSQIP participating hospitals in the United States to achieve exemplary outcomes for surgical patient care.
About New Milford Hospital
Founded in 1921, New Milford Hospital is an 85-bed community hospital and Planetree affiliate dedicated to patient-centered care that nurtures every patient’s mind, body and spirit. The Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission, designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, and Approved with Commendation by the American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer. Since 2005, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has recognized the Hospital for clinical excellence in heart failure care, critical care, infection control and surveillance, patient safety and healthy food initiatives. The Hospital operates specialty centers for one-day surgery, cardiovascular and cancer care, emergency medicine, orthopedic joint services, family birthing, women’s imaging, sleep medicine, hospitalist (inpatient) medicine.
As a not-for-profit community servant, New Milford Hospital provides more than $20 million annually to area residents through charity care, government-sponsored programs, education, outreach and screening. For more information, visit newmilfordhospital.org or call 1-800-350-1595.
