Hartford – The Department of Public Health Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) today issued its proposed final decision on the application for Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. (PMH) of Los Angeles, CA to purchase the assets and affiliates of Eastern Connecticut Health Network, Inc., including Rockville General Hospital (RGH) and Manchester Memorial Hospital (MMH).  The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General also issued its proposed final decision on the application today.

OHCA will be accepting public comment on the proposed final decision until Friday, June 3, 2016.  The final decision will be issued on June 10, 2016.

OHCA’s proposed decision approves the transaction, but places several conditions on the approval, including:

• Reporting on inpatient and outpatient services as of the time of the decision, any planned changes for the next three years and notification of any relocation of outpatient or reallocation of inpatient services
• Submission of a Health Needs Plan for supporting and implementing a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)/Study
• Maintenance of current charity care, indigent and community volunteer services
• Maintenance and enhancement of current community benefit programs and community building activities for three years to address the health needs of the community as identified in the CHNA and elsewhere
• Compliance with the general community benefit standards for at least three years, including: provision of public health programs, open medical staffs, participation in Medicare and Medicaid, and operation at both hospitals of 24/7 emergency departments with service to all patients regardless of their ability to pay
• Working toward making culturally and linguistically appropriate services available and integrated throughout the hospitals’ operations
• Holding a semi-annual joint meeting of Board of Directors and Local Board where the public is invited, informed of hospital activities, and given the ability to ask questions
• Designate two community ombudsmen to serve as non-voting members of the Local Board
• Submission of a semi-annual report for three years on cost savings achieved by PMH at ECHN, MMH and RGH, along with the effect of those cost savings on clinical quality of care
• Submission of a three year service plan for any consolidation, reduction, or elimination of services
• Submission of a semi-annual report to OHCA detailing how the $75 million PMH has committed to capital investments in MMH and RGH was expended
• Contract with an Independent Monitor for compliance with OHCA conditions and DPH’s Facilities Licensing and Inspection Section (FLIS) pre-licensing consent order and Quality Commitment letter

 To view OHCA’s Proposed Final Decision, please visit www.ct.gov/dph/ohca.

Public comments to OHCA can be submitted in writing to Kimberly Martone, Director of Operations, Office of Health Care Access, Connecticut Department of Public Health, 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134.  Public comments will also be accepted by email to ohca@ct.gov.

To view OHCA's full public record in this matter, please click here.

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