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A proposed merger between the University of Connecticut Health Center and Hartford Hospital that backers hope could boost research funding and stimulate the local economy is in legislative limbo because of its hefty price tag.
Advocates believe that merging the Farmington-based UConn Health Center with Hartford Hospital would result in cross fertilization of ideas and practical treatments. This would mirror the way Harvard Medical School benefits from partnerships with local partner hospitals in Boston. The merger plan would most likely include replacing UConn’s aging John Dempsey Hospital with a new academic facility on the Farmington campus.
“There would be more people, more research and more grant money coming in,” said Rita Zangari, the director of the UConn technology incubation program on the Storrs campus. “It would be great for a lot of reasons.” There would be cash for translational funding to turn medical device and biotech research into companies, and that would benefit the local economy, she said.
“We have a much better opportunity to leverage the size and scope of what we’re doing here,” said Elliot Joseph, CEO and president of Hartford Hospital. The result would be $300 million in more research and 3,500 jobs, he said, with partners coming up with $25 million in venture capital money to incubate new companies.
The state would have to pony up about $475 million to replace the Dempsey facility, and the Hartford Hospital would pay most of the operating costs thereafter.
Administrators from both hospitals went before the state legislature earlier this year to advocate for the proposal, but no action has been taken. Crucial to success is the support of Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who believes it’s too costly given the poor financial condition of the state. “In short, this is an intriguing proposal, but we simply cannot afford it at this time,” she stated.
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