State Decision On Manchester Memorial Hospital — In A Nutshell

MANCHESTER, CT — To begin the long holiday weekend, state officials announced a decision that had an important effect on Manchester Memorial Hospital.

Here are the details, in a nutshell:

The state Office of Health Strategy on Friday, while most of north central Connecticut was clearing out for the long holiday weekend, approved parent company Prospect Medical Holdings' request to seek consolidation of the hospital licenses of RGH and Manchester Memorial Hospital.

MMH was established in 1920 and RGH opened in 1921.

Prospect owns Eastern Connecticut Health Network, which oversees both MMH and RGH.

The full decision can be viewed here.

In essence, once the licenses are consolidated into a new Connecticut Department of Public Health license, RGH must have a 24-hour emergency department while also offering in-patient behavioral health services for three years.

Manchester continues as a full acute care institution.

Prospect must also give advance notice to the Office of Health Strategy of any decisions to relocate inpatient beds or relocate outpatient services, and they must be relocated within 30 miles of the Rockville General campus, according to the decision.

The public must also be informed of any service terminations via a circulated publication and via the RGH website. All potential bids in an ongoing bankruptcy case must be divulged, according top the decision.

Prospect filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January to "advance a strategic pathway to realign organizational focus."