Connecticut's Office of Health Strategy has reached an agreement with Stafford, Conn.-based Johnson Memorial Hospital, part of Hartford, Conn.-based Trinity Health of New England, to allow the hospital to terminate labor and delivery services.
Here are eight things to know:
1. The hospital shared plans to close its labor and delivery services in July 2022 to meet the needs of an aging population and redesign care delivery. OHS rejected the hospital's plan in January, citing that it would reduce care access and not save patients money. Johnson Memorial then appealed a $394,000 fine by OHS for not resuming the services despite requirements from the state to do so.
2. Under the new agreement, Johnson Memorial will prioritize maternal and infant health services and study the possibility for a new birthing center in the area the hospital serves, according to a Nov. 14 news release.
3. While OHS approved the hospital's certificate of need to close the services, it is still accountable for maintaining maternal and infant care access in the community.
4. An independent third party must be hired by Johnson Memorial as part of the agreement to maintain all current prenatal, postpartum and wraparound services such as wellness programs, lactation consulting and assistance with resources like the Diaper Bank and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Women, Infants and Children food programs.
5. Free and non-emergent transportation for labor and delivery must be offered by the hospital to any hospital that is in a 50-mile radius for patients and their support person. The hospital will also continue emergency deliveries at its emergency department when needed.
6. Should specific certification criteria be developed by the state's Department of Public Health, certified nurse midwife recruitment, professional development and the creation of a doula training program must be supported by the hospital.
7. "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," a spokesperson for the hospital said in a Nov. 15 statement shared with Becker's.
8. Johnson Memorial still faces a separate $153,000 civil penalty for not resuming its labor and delivery services following the expiration of a temporary waiver during the COVID-19 pandemic. The penalty status will not be affected by the agreement, the release said.