SEN. FLEXER, REP. BOYD ADVANCE UCONN HEALTH PURCHASE OF DAY KIMBALL HOSPITAL

HARTFORD – State Senator Mae Flexer voted today for a package of bills that protect state social services from federal budget cuts, build more housing, and – perhaps most importantly for the Quiet Corner – prepares for the University of Connecticut to purchase and operate Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.

Sen. Flexer and state Representative Pat Boyd today celebrated the next step towards a secure future for Day Kimball Healthcare in northeastern Connecticut with the passage of House Bill 8001, ” AN ACT CONCERNING THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HEALTH CENTER JOINT VENTURE INITIATIVE.”

“Day Kimball Hospital is a place that’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s the place where my grandmother – whose name was Mae Flexer and who I never met – it’s where her life ended, and it’s where the next generation of my family’s life began. To be here this evening, celebrating this merger is deeply personal to me,” said Sen. Flexer. “This venture between UConn Health Center and, ultimately, Day Kimball, is just an incredible moment for our little hospital and for our health care system in northeastern Connecticut. It ensures that in Windham County, there’s going to be stability where there hasn’t been, where there’s going to be some certainty where there’s been a great deal of uncertainty. Thanks to this legislation, there’s a bright path forward, a path that ensures that healthcare in our region will continue to thrive and prosper.”

“This vote is huge for the residents in the Quiet Corner and ensures our neighbors will continue to have access to essential health services,” said state Rep. Boyd (D-Pomfret). “An affiliation with Day Kimball and UConn Health will expand services, increase access to care, and provide financial stability, allowing the hospital to continue providing essential care and remain a top employer in the area. I am thrilled by this vote and remain dedicated to seeing this purchase through.”

“This agreement represents a significant step toward protecting health care access and hundreds of jobs for people who live in the Quiet Corner as UConn Health builds a partnership with Day Kimball to ensure that it can continue functioning well into the future,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Everyone deserves to have access to high-quality care close to home. Senator Flexer and Representative Boyd have been vocal advocates for northeastern Connecticut’s health care needs, and as this new partnership builds, I look forward to working with these lawmakers on enacting policies that will further strengthen Day Kimball and the services this hospital provides.”

“Day Kimball is honored and proud to have the very strong support and representation of Senator Flexer and Representative Boyd,” said Day Kimball Hospital CEO R. Kyle Kramer. “Their leadership in Hartford and through the passage of legislation enabling the advancement of affiliation with UConn Health creates a bright future for Day Kimball and ensures healthcare access for Northeast Connecticut residents for the long term. Day Kimball proudly stands with Senator Flexer and Representative Boyd, and we look forward to taking these important next steps!”

The legislation amends the bonding authority of the University of Connecticut 2000 Act by $390 million to not only allow UConn to purchase and operate the financially troubled Waterbury Hospital, but also to pay for deferred maintenance, information technology equipment upgrades, and working capital for five years at both Day-Kimball and Bristol hospitals once purchase agreements for those hospitals are finalized.

Day Kimball is a privately owned hospital that has been the subject of recent but unsuccessful mergers with other health care systems. Day Kimball is a 104-bed acute care community hospital that employs about 1,100 local residents and specializes in hip and knee replacement, specialty care maternity, and stroke care.

HB 8001 passed the Senate overwhelmingly and now heads to Governor Lamont for his signature into law.