Conditions On Hartford HealthCare Takeover of Manchester Memorial Hospital Designed For 'Continuity'

MANCHESTER, CT — The wait is finally over for what officials have been touting as stable ownership for Manchester Memorial Hospital.

The keyword for state officials has been "continuity." It was also emphasized by Hartford HalthCare officials in comments made at the annual Manchester Road Race news conference. Hartford HealthCare is now a title sponsor of the famed race.

Local officials also touted the end result.

"This is great news," Manchester Mayor Jay Moran said. "It's a home run for Manchester and the surrounding communities as well as a home run for Hartford HealthCare. This guarantees quality medical care and employment for so many people. We exited to partner with Hartford HealthCare for the safety and wellbeing of our citizens."

This week, the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy issued a decision approving Hartford HealthCare’s Emergency Certificate of Need application (DN 25-32843-ECON for those who like the official documednt) for the transfer of Manchester Memorial Hospital, Rockville General Hospital and "other assets." They had been under the Eastern Connecticut Health Network banner.

The decision comes 40 days after OHS deemed the application complete.

"The expedited decision ensures continuity of care for Eastern Connecticut residents, while imposing specific conditions designed to ensure preservation of healthcare access and quality and control cost growth,” Acting Commissioner Amy Porter said. "The OHS staff conducted a rigorous and highly efficient process made possible by the emergency CON statute."

The decision does impose certain conditions on the transfer of ownership that are designed to "address potential areas of concern OHS identified with the transaction." Among other things, these conditions require the Hartford HealthCare subsidiary purchasing the hospital to:

• Provide an initial assessment of the condition of Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital, as well as a strategic integration plan, within nine months
• Engage the community in both strategic planning and community health needs assessment processes within nine months
• Maintain services offered under the Manchester Memorial Hospital license, which includes the Rockville campus, for the later of three years from the closing of the transaction or 90 days after the publication of the second CHNA, including current labor and delivery and intensive care services
• Maintain service levels unless OHS grants prior approval for reductions
• Notify OHS within 30 days of any reallocation of inpatient beds or relocation of outpatient services

In addition, the conditions require the "preservation" of a 24/7 emergency department in Vernon for at least three years and maintenance of the full complement of inpatient behavioral health services at or within 30 miles of the Rockville campus.

"This is a positive outcome to an initially challenging situation," said Governor Lamont. "Ensuring quality services remain both accessible and affordable for our families and communities has always been one of my top priorities, and I am very happy that Hartford HealthCare has made this commitment to Manchester, Vernon and the surrounding communities."

The Emergency CON decision also features conditions designed to slow cost growth. They require that the Hartford HealthCare subsidiary purchasing the hospital:

• Adopt all existing reimbursement rates with healthcare payers
• Negotiate future rates for Manchester Memorial Hospital separately from other hospitals in the Hartford HealthCare system
• Constrain growth in commercial reimbursements and tie negotiated rates to the Cost Growth Benchmark and the Consumer Price Index for Medical Care in New England (CPI-U Medical)
• Maintain existing ECHN outpatient, non-hospital physician offices, or any offices resulting from future acquisitions, without converting to hospital-based status for billing or reimbursement purposes for a period of three years

The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and Department of Public Health also have regulatory oversight of components of this transaction. Additional conditions may be imposed by one or both of these entities.

OHS worked closely with the Governor’s office to establish an Emergency CON process in anticipation of the State’s need to address the situation created by Prospect Medical Holdings’ declaration of bankruptcy. Legislation passed and was signed by Governor Lamont as part of Public Act 25-2 on March 3, 2025, and became effective upon passage.

This decision represents the first completed Emergency CON. The University of Connecticut Health Center filed an Emergency CON application (DN 25-32853-ECON) related to the transfer of ownership of Waterbury Hospital and related assets on December 5, 2025.