Athena sells 5 CT nursing homes

Financially troubled Athena Health Care Systems has sold five of its Connecticut nursing homes to a former competitor that has agreed to pay back taxes and debts owed to vendors and add $2.6 million to cover unpaid employee health insurance costs.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

The state Department of Public Health recently approved the deal, transferring the five facilities to National Health Care Associates, a long-time nursing home provider based in New York.

The five homes that are now owned by National are the Newtown Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Beacon Brook Health Center in Naugatuck, Montowese Health & Rehabilitation Center in North Haven, Sharon Health Center and Evergreen Health Care Center in Stafford Springs.

The five nursing homes have about 500 residents combined as of the end of May, according to state Department of Social Services data. The homes are at about 67% occupancy, lower than the statewide percentage of 86% occupancy.

The terms of the DPH licensure agreement highlight some of the financial difficulties that have befallen Athena — which, with this sale, is no longer the largest nursing home provider in the state. Athena still owns 14 nursing homes, down from 22 a year ago.

As part of the licensure transfer, DPH is requiring National to pay all vendors that Athena owed money to within 120 days, pay any back taxes owed to the towns where the facilities are located and contribute $2.6 million to its employees’ health care insurance fund to cover all medical bills.

Athena owed nearly $47,000 in back taxes to four of the communities where the nursing homes are located, records show.

Kevin Battistelli, National’s chief development officer, said the company has delivered quality post-acute care to residents throughout the northeast for more than 30 years. National already owns 14 nursing home in Connecticut, according to its website.

“We look forward to providing the same quality and compassionate care to these centers,” he said.

Full story at ctmirror.org

Latest News

Hotchkiss lacrosse ices Kingswood Oxford 19-0

LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School opened the girls varsity lacrosse season with a big win in the snow against Kingswood Oxford School.

The Bearcats won 19-0 in a decisive performance March 26. Twelve different players scored for Hotchkiss, led by Coco Sheronas with four goals.

Keep ReadingShow less
HVRHS releases second quarter honor roll

FALLS VILLAGE — Principal Ian Strever announces the second quarter marking period Honor Roll at Housatonic Valley Regional High School for the 2024-2025 school year.

Highest Honor Roll

Grade 9: Parker Beach (Cornwall), Mia Belter (Salisbury), Lucas Bryant (Cornwall), Addison Green (Kent), Eliana Lang (Salisbury), Alison McCarron (Kent), Katherine Money (Kent), Mira Norbet (Sharon), Abigail Perotti (North Canaan), Karmela Quinion (North Canaan), Owen Schnepf (Wassaic), Federico Vargas Tobon (Salisbury), Emery Wisell (Kent).

Keep ReadingShow less
Thomas Ditto

ANCRAMDALE — Thomas Ditto of Ancramdale, born Thomas David DeWitt Aug. 11, 1944 in New York City changing his surname to Ditto at marriage, passed peacefully on Pi Day, March 14, 2025. He was a husband, father, artist, scientist, Shakespeare scholar, visionary, inventor, actor, mime, filmmaker, clown, teacher, lecturer, colleague, and friend. Recipient of numerous grants, awards and honors in both the arts and sciences, a Guggenheim and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts fellow, he was a creative genius beyond his time. In addition to authoring scores of papers, he held several patents and invented the first motion capture system and the Ditto-scope, a radically new kind of telescope. He was a pioneer in computer generated video, film, and performance.

When not hard at work, he was always there to help when needed and he knew how to bring smiles to faces. He loved his family and pets and was supportive of his wife’s cat rescue work.

Keep ReadingShow less
Winifred Anne Carriere

SHARON — Winifred Anne Carriere passed away on March 6, 2025, at the age of 87. A resident of Sharon for many years, she later retired to Ancramdale, New York.

Born in New Haven to writers Albert Carriere and Winifred Osborn, Anne grew up in New York City. Raised in a Quaker family, she attended Friends Seminary, and The University of Wisconsin. Anne studied American Architectural History through Bard College’s University Without Walls. For her degree, she wrote a comprehensive history of the architecture of Sharon during its first hundred years.

Keep ReadingShow less