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The decision marks the second closure of a CT birthing unit within the last year.
The state Office of Health Strategy announced a final decision on Thursday to approve the termination of labor and delivery services at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford.
Under the terms of the settlement, Johnson Memorial Hospital, owned by Trinity Health of New England, must hire an independent third party to assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a free-standing birth center, an alternative to traditional hospitals for low-risk pregnancies, in the hospital’s service area. The hospital must “support” the establishment of a birthing center if the study deems services needed and feasible.
According to some of the other measures in the agreement, Johnson Memorial must also maintain prenatal, postpartum and wraparound services, as well as provide free transportation to patients for labor and delivery at any hospital within a 50 mile radius.
“This agreement permits termination of labor and delivery services at the hospital but holds Johnson Memorial Hospital accountable to the community they serve and to the State of Connecticut for maintaining access to all levels of maternal and infant health care,” said OHS commissioner Deidre Gifford in a statement released by the agency.
“We appreciate the thorough process that OHS went through to make the decision, and we remain committed to partnering with state officials to further our efforts to provide safe, high-quality care to the greater Stafford community,” said Kaitlin Rocheleau, a spokesperson with Trinity Health of New England, in emailed comments.
State legislators who represent Stafford said they were disappointed with the state’s decision and concerned about the burden it would place on families in the area.
“As a doctor and a state senator, I’ve fought to preserve Johnson Memorial Hospital’s labor and delivery services in our region. These services are vital to expectant mothers and families who cannot otherwise access this care or easily be transported elsewhere in emergencies,” wrote Jeff Gordon, R-Woodstock, in emailed comments.
“This is a critical issue for our community, especially for expecting mothers and families in the region who rely on these essential health care services. The closure will place a significant burden on many who will now have to travel longer distances,” said Rep. Kurt Vail, R-Stafford.
Labor and delivery in rural CT
The decision marks the third application to close a rural birthing unit that OHS has considered in the past year, two of which it approved.
In addition to Johnson Memorial, the state approved the closure of the birthing unit at Hartford HealthCare-owned Windham Hospital in December of last year. The agreed settlement contained similar provisions to those in the settlement with Johnson Memorial, including that Windham Hospital must hire an independent third party to assess the need for and feasibility of establishing a free-standing birth center in the area. The study, which will be conducted by Guidehouse Inc., began last month, according to a statement by OHS.
In February, the state denied an application from Nuvance Health to close labor and delivery at Sharon Hospital. Nuvance Health is currently seeking state approval for a merger with New York-based Northwell Health, and the parties have committed to keeping labor and delivery open for at least five years as part of a deal with state Attorney General William Tong.
Johnson Memorial stopped delivering babies in April 2020 under an executive order issued by Gov. Ned Lamont allowing hospitals to temporarily shut down services to increase capacity for COVID patients. It briefly resumed services for a few months later that year, and applied to close the unit permanently in September 2022.
Johnson Memorial currently faces a potential $153,000 fine for failing to resume labor and delivery services when the executive order expired. The state’s decision regarding the civil penalty is still pending.
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Nov 20, 2024
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Collides with tree
On Monday, Nov. 11, at approximately 5:45 a.m. Peter Cotier, 57, of New Milford, was southbound on Rt. 7 in Sharon near West Cornwall Road in a 2024 Ram Laramie pickup when he collided with a medium-sized tree blocking both the northbound and southbound lanes. Cotier said he didn’t notice the tree and was unable to stop. There was minor damage to the vehicle’s bumper and undercarriage. Cotier was given a verbal warning for failing to keep safe stopping distance.
Hits guardrail, tree
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, at approximately 8:15 p.m, Ashyln Bernard, 22, of Torrington, was southbound on Route 272 in Norfolk north of Smith Road when the 2005 Cadillac CTS she was driving left the road and struck a metal guardrail, then a tree, sustaining disabling damage. Bernard was transported ot Charlotte Hungerford Hoptial with minor injuries, and was issued a written warning for failure to drive in the proper lane. The Cadillac was towed from the scene.
Collision at Rts. 7, 126
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Helen Shabason, 68, of Salisbury, was traveling westbound on Route 126 in the intersection of Route 7 in Canaan in a 2022 BMW 330Xi and failed to yield right of way, proceeding through the intersection and colliding with a 2011 Lexus Rx 350 driven by Eric Korbel, 58, of Lakeville. as he was traveling through the intersection. Shabason was issued a written warning for failure to yield right of way. Both vehicles were able to leave the scene on their own power.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Contact us by mail at P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send an email, with “police blotter” in the subject line, to johnc@lakevillejournal.com
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At the David M. Hunt Library Nov. 16, Darlene Kascak, member of the Schaghticoke tribe, recounted the traditions of her ancestors and explained the timeline of decades-long effort to attain tribal nation status.
Patrick L. Sullivan
FALLS VILLAGE — Darlene Kascak of the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, Conn., and a member of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation told an audience about the history of Native Americans in Northwest Connecticut and gave an update on the tribal nation’s current status at the David M. Hunt Library Saturday, Nov. 16.
Kascak noted that she is not an archaeologist or a historian, but a storyteller.
“I’m just a native person who wants to share our story.”
She said Native American history is poorly taught in American schools.
She recalled how she and her young son visited a museum and saw an exhibit labeled “Primitive Technology,” including a stone axe.
Holding a similar implement, she said her son was embarrassed that his ancestors were “primitive.”
So, she set out to show her son how Native Americans took down trees.
What the two didn’t do was hack at the tree with a stone axe.
What they did do was use fire and river mud — and the axe — to take down a tree.
After completing the demonstration, her son said “Mom! They were geniuses!”
Kascak noted that Native Americans have inhabited what is now Connecticut for 12,000 years. The first European settlers arrived roughly 500 years ago.
She said native practices were better for the environment, such as rotating crops, or harvesting fish only after they have spawned.
On a deer hunt with her uncles, the teenage Kascak, who was an excellent shot, learned the protocols involved.
“Don’t shoot the first one you see. It could be the only one.”
Rather, the hunter should wait to be sure there is a healthy population before killing a deer.
The same principle applies to harvesting wild berries. “Take one third for yourself, one third for the animals to eat, and one third for seed.”
Kascak said as the United States formed and Connecticut was developed, Native Americans were squeezed out of their lands on the Atlantic coast.
She said the Schaghticokes are an amalgamation of different tribes.
With a small reservation in Kent, the Schaghticokes entered the 20th century needing to adapt to the new reality.
One way they did this was by providing urban elites with a rough and tumble, frontier experience.
The Schaghticokes held rattlesnake hunts, and invited politicians and journalists to come to Kent.
After a fair bit of drinking, the city men would go out with snake-catching implements and burlap bags and capture the timber rattlesnakes that live on the reservation.
The resulting publicity was good for the tribe.
Kascak said what the city men didn’t know was the day before the hunt, the Schaghticokes went to snake dens, captured a number of the creatures and transported them to the trails where the hunters could find them easily.
Kascak provided a timeline of the tribal nation’s attempts to gain federal recognition, a process that began in 1981.
She said the tribe gained recognition in 2004, had it rescinded in 2005, and in 2015 were informed that any tribe that had been previously denied could not re-petition.
She held out some hope, in light of recent developments with the Golden Hill tribe in Trumbull, but added that if the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation is given any land beyond the small reservation that now exists, it won’t be where the Kent School is today.
“That’s the reality.”
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Beverly Becker of Canaan at the Pilgrim House where the 17th Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner will take place on Nov. 28. She has organized all 17 dinners.
Robin Roraback
NORTH CANAAN — Beverly Becker first got the idea for community dinners when she “heard a priest read a passage about giving to people you don’t know and expecting nothing in return.”
After some thought, she came up with the idea of doing spaghetti dinners every Friday during Lent. “When Lent was over everyone wanted to continue and so we continued it for quite a long while,” Becker said. “It got to be Thanksgiving and people would ask, are you doing one for Thanksgiving?”
This year will be the 17th year she has held the Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner.
“In the beginning when I started it, I started it for people who were impoverished,” she said. “But it became so much more. People came to spend time with people, people brought their families, people came who didn’t want to cook, people came who were alone.”
Becker is proud to say, “We serve everyone and are open to everyone.”
She uses cloth table cloths, China dishes, silverware, and glasses on the tables. “I want people to feel that they’ve been invited for dinner, so it’s set up as if you were at someone’s home.”
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all the trimmings make up the menu.
She has the food, volunteers, set up and clean up all organized down to the last detail. “Over the years and with my notes it has become very scheduled. I know when and what I have to do.” She is now semi-retired, which makes things easier.
The day after Thanksgiving, she takes leftovers to Wangum Village in Canaan for the people there to enjoy.
Churches in the area all help with the dinner. “This meal is sponsored by the local parishes, St. Martin of Tours, Lakeville United Methodist, the North Canaan Congregational, and now, since Christ Church has closed, Trinity Lime Rock Episcopal church. The North Canaan Congregational Church supplies the location and the utilities,” Becker said. “The United Methodist Church supplies the condiments. (Cranberry sauces, butter, pickles, and olives), and half of our potatoes. As well as workers. Trinity Episcopal supplies lots of workers.”
“My philosophy is that myself and others are doing God’s work and God will provide the people who want to come and help,” Becker said.
Dinners were even served during the pandemic. “We did it just like we do shut-ins,” she said. “We put everything together and you drove through, and you said how many meals you needed, and you were given that many meals and you drove out the other way. Since the pandemic though I find a lot of people come in and get the meal and take it home which is fine.” But then, “They miss the camaraderie and the fine dining music that we have from Paul Ramunni, who plays the accordion for us.”
In the beginning, Becker got donations from local business owners. “Curves was a women’s exercise place in Canaan,” she said. “The owner, Carol Ann Routhier, furnished all the turkeys for over 12 years.” But “Now I buy most of my items with solicited funds from businesses and community people.”
She recalled “I had one gentleman call me over ten years ago. He said, ‘I’ve just recently gotten separated, and I wanted to know if it would be all right if I come and help and maybe bring my daughter for dinner.’ I said absolutely. It made my heart feel good to know that this was a service that was helping in trying times for someone.”
Becker concluded, “It becomes more than a community event. It’s a lot of work but it’s a lot of joy.”
The dinner is held from noon to 2 p.m. at Pilgrim House, 30 Granite Ave., in Canaan. “Everyone is welcome,” Becker said. The dinner is not just for Canaan residents. For take-out meals or if delivery for a shut-in, call 860-824-5854. There is no cost, but donations are accepted.
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