Community Health & Wellness, Wheeler Health explore potential new network

The Community Health and Wellness Center on Route 44 in North Canaan.
Riley Klein

The Community Health and Wellness Center on Route 44 in North Canaan.
NORTH CANAAN — In an effort to expand access to health care services in the state’s rural northwestern communities, two federally qualified health centers (FQHC’s) have signed a letter of intent to evaluate combining services into one network.
Community Health & Wellness Center, based in North Canaan, Winsted and Torrington, and Wheeler Health, an FQHC in Bristol, Hartford, New Britain, Plainville and Waterbury, are exploring the partnership to “significantly increase” health care services for residents in Torrington and the Northwest Hills region, according to a joint announcement late last month.
“FQHC’s are experiencing an ever-expanding patient population, increasing the demand on already strained resources, especially in our rural parts of the state,” said Joanne Borduas, who serves as president and CEO of Community Health & Wellness Center.
“Established over 25 years ago, we have been serving as the only comprehensive FQHC in Northwest Connecticut, and today, operating under continued uncertainty of future federal funding supports,partnerships like this one are a smart strategic option that will strengthen our ability to better plan for future sustainability, invest in long-term care solutions and expand services while honoring our commitment to the communities we serve.”
Sabrina Trocchi, president and CEO of Wheeler Health, noted that her organization and CHWC bring a “shared vision of high-quality, accessible and compassionate integrated health care.Wheeler’s proven success in its care model, and more than 55 years of innovation, pairs perfectly with CHWC’s knowledge of their communities and health center services already offered.”
Discussions are underway
By joining forces, leaders of the organizations are looking to expand access to care across a broader service area, deepen service offerings and specialty care and strengthen operational stability.
Management from both organizations are currently meeting to discuss commonalities and dynamics of the potential agreement.
“We agreed to enter a due diligence period which will help us to determine if a merger of our two organizations makes sense,” noted CHWC’s Borduas, who was appointed last November by Gov. Ned Lamont to the 38-member Health Care Cabinet (HCC) as a representative of community health centers across Connecticut.
“This is a commitment, to our combined patients, communities and staff, to be at the forefront of improving health care for all,” said Wheeler CEO Trocchi.
If talks proceed as planned, the creation of a new entity would likely take place next summer, according to Allison Separy, CHWC’s marketing and communications manager.
At this point the two health centers, she said, are in the early stages of evaluating operations, and are still determining what the new network will look like.
Under a merger, “they will continue to operate at each of their respective sites,” but would do so under one entity, said Separy, who noted that there are no plans to relocate staff from either location.
Separy said a merger would enable the FQHC’s to expand their network of service offerings for referral to services that either one of the organizations today, may not have immediate access to or have waitlists in place.
As examples, she said, Wheeler currently offers certain behavioral health services for depression that CHWC does not, such as the FDA-approved nasal spray, Spravato, used for adults with treatment-resistant depression, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS.
“Our patients would now have easier access to these treatments if needed,” said Separy.
An uncommon strategy for Connecticut FQHC’s
Deb Polun, Chief Strategy Officer for the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHC/ACT), which represents 16 FQHC’s in Connecticut, said while she is aware of health center mergers in other states, she does not recall a merger between Federally Qualified Health Centers in Connecticut in recent decades.
“It’s certainly possible that other health centers could consider this in Connecticut. Although we have been successful in achieving a plan for higher Medicaid rates here, there are still many challenges for health centers, including from the federal level.”
A recent survey by the National Association of Community Health Centers found that 85% of FQHC’s are facing financial and operational strain, with many anticipating staff reductions and service cutbacks.
According to the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health, the financial jeopardy is so severe that a significant portion of the nation’s health centers are at risk of closing or having to reduce their operations.
Healthcare advocates in Connecticut fear current challenges could lead to disruptions in care, especially for underserved communities which rely on FQHC’s for safety-net services, potentially resulting in increased disease severity and higher healthcare costs.
About Community Health & Wellness Center
CHWC is an award-winning 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization and the only FQHC in the northwest corner of Connecticut providing comprehensive services. CHWC delivers a range of integrated healthcare services including medical, behavioral health, chiropractic, and nutrition, as well as an in-house lab and pharmacy. Serving more than 7,000 patients, CHWC operates health centers in Torrington, Winsted and North Canaan, with school-based health centers in all Torrington schools and three Region One Schools.
About Wheeler Health
Wheeler Health’s integrated approach to primary and behavioral health, education and recovery creates “measurable results, positive outcomes and hopeful tomorrows” for nearly 70,000 individuals across Connecticut annually, according to a statement announcing the signing of a letter of intent with CHWC.
Wheeler offers medical and dental care, behavioral health, addiction treatment, chiropractic care, nutrition services, community services and special education services throughout five locations.
“This is a commitment, to our combined patients, communities and staff, to be at the forefront of improving health care for all,” said Trocchi. “We are committed to transparency as we listen, learn, share and discover the possibilities. Together, we can measurably improve the health of Torrington and the Northwest Hills communities.”
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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.
The weekend of Homecoming at HVRHS was packed with events including rival games under the lights, senior night, and a new take on Homecoming that moves it outside — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the students of Housatonic.
Orchestrating was no easy feat, especially considering much of the work was left up to the students.
Historically, HVRHS has hosted night games for boys and girls soccer and the GNH football team, but when members of the soccer team asked the athletic director, Anne MacNeil, she left it up to the students to acquire the lights necessary to host a night game.
“I said, ‘Hey, if you can find the lights, we can make it happen,’” MacNeil said. “I usually take control of it, but I really wanted to have the teams have the initiative and take responsibility for it. I think by having them do that, they have a lot more invested in it.”
Finding lights for the game was a challenge in and of itself, and it fell on the students, parents, and alumni to come together if there was to be a night game at all.
Luckily for the players, Patricia and Dino Labbadia, parents of senior Anthony Labaddia, were able to amass the support of the community and get all the necessary equipment donated for the night game.
“We’re fortunate with our communities. Our parents know people in communities and they were able to ask… [and] find the resources,” MacNeil said. “We’ve got a great senior group and senior parent group who have really taken charge … and really made the whole season possible.”
In the end, the night came together spectacularly, and the senior ceremonies, rivalry games, and nighttime fixtures made for a memorable night on the day before Homecoming.
The action began at 4 p.m. Thursday, when the JV Girls Volleyball team played rivals Lakeview High School at home.
At 4:30, the middle school boys soccer team as well as the cross country team faced Northwestern at Housatonic’s lower field and cross country course respectively. Also at 4:30, the JV boys soccer team took on rival Lakeview at Housatonic’s upper field.
At 5:15, the girls varsity volleyball team honored their seniors at Housatonic’s Senior Night ceremony, including captains Katie Crane and Victoria Brooks, before an intense match against Lakeview.
At 6:15, the boys varsity soccer team honored their seniors, including captains Everet Belancik and Abram Kirshner, before kicking off under the lights at Housatonic’s upper field against the Bobcats.
Friday night changes
Typically, Homecoming is hosted in the cafeteria with a DJ and the entire room open as a dance floor. Dancing is the main event, with a small photo op stationed next to one of the exits.
The typical formal dance filled with LED lights and glitter looked a bit different this year. For the HVRHS 2025 Homecoming, the activities all took place outside. There was a large bonfire for students to hang around, a tented area perfect for dancing, and lawn games to play.
The inspiration for this change comes from the Homecoming hosted during the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions put into place at the time. Senior class President Madison Graney said “Other years passed, graduating classes really enjoyed it and we wanted to give it a try.”
Although the theme of Homecoming remains the same, new tasks came in preparation for the event. Including the Bonfire “adds a whole new component,” Graney said. “[We] have to contact the fire department to ensure that the bonfire is being contained.” Hosting the dance outside also demanded “more preparation the day before … set up the tents and make sure it’s a safe and fun space for everyone to enjoy.”
Opinions about Homecoming’s new look vary amongst the student body, with some excited for change and others comfortable with the familiarity of an inside dance. Alexa Meach, an HVRHS senior, expressed that “Everyone that I’ve talked to’s plan is to get dressed up, take photos, and then change into more comfortable clothes because it’s going to be freezing. I feel like we could have had a different event for the bonfire. I think they could have been two separate events.”
Graney said the change is “A really great way to change up the tradition ... [and] another good way to get to know your peers and your teachers and interact with the student body all at once.”