Connecticut Attorney General Won't Reopen Waterbury, Vanguard Joint Venture Review

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen has denied a request from healthcare advocates that he restart the certificate of need process for a joint venture between Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital and Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems, according to a report from the Republican-American.

Mr. Jepsen determined that redoing the certificate of need application process — which the attorney general's office deemed complete as of last month — would be unnecessary and conflict with his legal responsibilities.

Earlier this month, Connecticut legislators decided not to reintroduce a bill that could open a pathway for for-profit entities to own hospitals in the state. Gov. Dannel Malloy vetoed the bill July 11. The legislation would have allowed hospitals to structure certain joint ventures, such as the one between Vanguard and Waterbury.

Gov. Malloy's veto did not exclusively end the Vanguard-Waterbury transaction, but he said in his veto message that "further consideration is warranted to determine whether such exceptions are appropriate."

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