Transaction clears the path for sustained accessibility to high quality care in the Milford region
Pictured at table: Richard D’Aquila, president YNHH and YNHHS; Mark Toney, interim president and CEO of Milford Hospital; Michael Ivy, MD, interim president and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital
Standing behind: Gina Calder, vice president Bridgeport Hospital, Lead Administrator Milford Campus; Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO YNHH and YNHHS
Bridgeport, CT (June 7, 2019) – The unification of Bridgeport Hospital and Milford Hospital was approved by the State of Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy (OHS). Under the agreement, effective at 12:01 am on Sunday, Milford Hospital will become a fully integrated campus of Bridgeport Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health.
“Milford Hospital has played a critical role in the delivery of healthcare in our region for nearly a century and we are pleased to welcome this exceptional hospital to Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS),” said Yale New Haven Health CEO Marna P. Borgstrom. “We are excited to bring new clinical services, updated infrastructure and stability to this important organization that will allow us to grow access to high quality healthcare locally and regionally.”
Facing historic shifts in the healthcare environment, Milford Hospital has been experiencing a decline in volume and revenues in the past several years. In 2014, Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and Bridgeport Hospital partnered to create a highly successful Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) which generated exceptionally high patient satisfaction rates. However, the need for a broader relationship became apparent as financial performance continued to be challenged.
“The Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital ensures access to a high-quality and cost-effective hospital location while addressing bed capacity issues at Bridgeport and Yale New Haven Hospitals,” said Richard D’Aquila, president, YNHH and YNHHS. “This integration will bring greater efficiencies and more access to Yale New Haven Health clinical programs and expertise.”
Under the integration, Yale New Haven Health intends to develop the Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital into a vibrant, state-of-the-art community hospital and center for gerontologic health, staffed with clinicians who have the requisite geriatric competencies to care for an aging population based upon the patient’s goals, preferences and values. This new campus will not only invigorate healthcare services in the Milford community, but it will also invigorate the community as a whole.
“Today marks the beginning of a brighter future for Milford Hospital. The entire hospital family is excited that the transaction will now officially closed” said Mark Toney, president and CEO of Milford Hospital. “Looking forward, our staff and physicians will have the stability, resources and strong clinical partnerships that come as a direct result of being aligned with a nationally recognized health system. I am deeply grateful to our Board of Directors, our staff and to Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health for moving this transaction forward and ensuring opportunity for growth and a continuing healthcare for the residents of Milford and surrounding communities”
Current Milford Hospital employees, including those represented by organized labor, will become employees of Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health effective June 9, 2019. Bridgeport Hospital has agreed to recognize all existing labor relationships.
“We are pleased that Milford Hospital is becoming part of Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health” said Samuel Bergami, Jr., chairman of the Milford Hospital Board of Directors. “Our top priority in seeking a potential partner for Milford Hospital, our staff, patients and the community, was joining a system we trust and respect. Yale New Haven Health was the clear choice.”
“We deeply respect the legacy of caring that defines the history of Milford Hospital,” said Michael Ivy, MD, interim president of Bridgeport Hospital. “The addition of the talented physicians, nurses and staff to Bridgeport Hospital provides for clear alignment in our goal to provide the best possible care for the patients we serve.”
YNHHS will make significant investments in the MH infrastructure including capital improvements, expansion of clinical service lines and the implementation of the EPIC electronic medical record system allowing for enhanced data sharing among providers.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
