Yale New Haven Health received approval from Connecticut officials to buy three struggling hospitals. Waterbury Hospital, Rockville General Hospital and Manchester Memorial Hospital, are owned by Prospect Medical Holdings — a private health system company previously owned by a private equity firm.
Governor Ned Lamont said now there should be no holdup to concluding the deal.
“Yale New Haven and the state are on the same page right now. Now’s the time for Prospect to come to the table and get the deal done,” he said.
Part of the problem is that the hospitals are saddled with a lot of debt.
“That’s taking money away from the hospitals in some cases,” Lamont said. “They are going to be part of the sales transaction. And at the end of the day, these hospitals are going to be free and clear with none of the debt hanging over them.”
Lamont said the sale remains a private deal and state money will not be involved.
“There are no more ambiguities. We know where the state stands on this," he said. "We know what the need is. We’ve got a good buyer with a strong track record in the state who is ready to make sure these hospitals are all that they can be. Let’s get the deal done.”
Lamont added that residents of the three communities served by the hospitals can be assured of continued access to safe and affordable health care.
