Northwell Health commits to five years of L&D at Sharon Hospital

SHARON — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Monday, Aug. 26, that an agreement was reached with Northwell Health to maintain labor and delivery services (L&D) at Sharon Hospital for the next five years.

Northwell Health is set to become the new owner of Sharon Hospital pending a merger with Nuvance Health. The recent agreement was reached as a solution to “resolving the antitrust investigation into the proposed affiliation between the two hospital systems,” stated the Aug. 26 press release from the attorney general’s office.

In the statement Tong was quoted, “Miles and minutes matter when it comes to labor and delivery, and I am pleased that Northwell has committed to preserving affordable, lifesaving care—especially maternity care—for Western Connecticut. This is a strong, enforceable agreement for healthcare access in Connecticut.”

The agreement was reached following an investigation by the attorney general’s offices of Connecticut and New York as to the antitrust implications of Northwell becoming a competitor in Hudson Valley and western Connecticut.

In addition to Sharon Hospital, the agreement included the preservation of services and staffing at Putnam Hospital for one year after the merger is finalized. Northwell agreed to install a unified electronic records management system across its expanded hospital network and to permit contractors to work across state lines within the network.

Sharon Hospital released a statement Aug. 26: “We are pleased to partner with the Connecticut and New York Offices of the Attorney Generals in developing an Agreement of Assurances which identifies specific post-affiliation activities and commitments that will benefit the communities currently served by Nuvance Health. Under the Affiliation Agreement, Northwell has made a commitment to provide Nuvance Health with capital, expertise, and support to achieve long-term fiscal stability and make critical growth investments.”

State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30) stated, “This has been a top concern in the Northwest corner: keeping the doors of Sharon Hospital’s Maternity Ward open and operational. Our mutual goal is to maintain affordable access to rural health care in our region. I thank Attorney General Tong for his work on this.”

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) stated, "This community has made its commitment to preserving access to care, including labor and delivery, clear, and I am very heartened by the Attorney General’s work with Northwell to ensure the continuation of those services through this enforceable agreement. I’m grateful for the work of the Attorney General to ensure this result, and look forward to working with Northwell as a new partner in the effort to keep our community healthy."

Lydia Kruge Moore, president of Save Sharon Hospital organization, commented, "Expecting parents and the doctors, nurses and other medical staff who work at Sharon Hospital’s maternity unit need to know that the new owners will be there for them. This agreement is a great first step. Save Sharon Hospital looks forward to working with Northwell as it fulfills its commitment to our community under this agreement."

A pending resolution remains before the Office of Health Strategy’s Certificate of Need regulatory process, which will need to be resolved before the merger between Nuvance and Northwell can occur.