State: Hartford Healthcare Can't Ax Windham Hospital Maternity Ward

HARTFORD/WILLIMANTIC, CT — A state hearing officer has recommended against allowing an eastern Connecticut hospital operated by Hartford Healthcare to cease birthing services.

Windham Community Memorial Hospital in Willimantic, owned and operated by Hartford Healthcare, has been trying to get approval from the state to no longer offer birthing services to expectant mothers in that part of the state.

It has cited a decline in births and staffing worries, saying expectant mothers served by that hospital could, instead, utilize Hartford Healthcare facilities in Norwich and Hartford, among other locations.

The state Office of Health Strategy, however, issued a preliminary decision of "no," meaning Hartford Healthcare is close to being denied permission to permanently end birthing services in Willimantic.

The Connecticut Mirror news website obtained and published the full, 35-page decision document rendered Tuesday by hearing officer Daniel J. Csuka.

Hartford Healthcare ceased birthing services in 2020 and was, subsequently, fined $65,000 last February by OHS for doing so without necessary approvals from the state.

Now the state has ruled against WCMH's plans altogether.

The proposed final decision was rendered Tuesday by the OHS, which has the regulatory power to approve or deny any healthcare provider's plans for service changes.

Hartford Healthcare can appeal the decision, something it is reportedly looking into.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong Wednesday applauded the decision.

He said Hartford Healthcare's plans would have left "vulnerable families in the region to drive to Norwich, Manchester or Hartford to give birth."

Tong praised the application denial of Hartford Healthcare seeking to terminate obstetrics services at Windham Hospital.

Tong last year had submitted comments to OHS "urging careful scrutiny of the planned termination of obstetrics services at Windham Hospital."

“This is the right decision for the health and safety of mothers and babies in the Windham area. Asking parents to travel another 25-45 minutes to undergo a major medical procedure at a different hospital would have created an additional burden and risk. I thank the Office of Health Strategy for carefully considering these critical factors and for this draft decision,” said Tong.

According to Tong, the Department of Economic and Community Development has ranked Windham, which is home to the city of Willimantic, as Connecticut’s most economically distressed municipality based on population, unemployment, poverty, educational attainment and property value.

He said families impacted by this proposed closure are among the most underserved in Connecticut.

The OHS' decision seemed to echo similar concerns as Tong, with the hearing officer ruling Hartford Healthcare failed to prove many of the necessary justifications to abandon birthing services at WCMH.

For Connecticut Attorney General William Tong's full statement, click on this link.

For the Connecticut Mirror report on this issue, click on this link.