Anwar: Trinity Health Of NE deal with Calif.-based medical group could affect quality of care

HBJ FILE PHOTO St. Francis Hospital is part of Trinity Health Of New England.

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A co-chairman of the state General Assembly’s Public Health Committee raised concerns Thursday about a partnership between Trinity Health Of New England (THONE) and a California-based medical group, saying it could adversely affect the quality of care in the health systems’ hospitals here.

THONE confirmed to Hartford Business Journal on Friday that it has entered into a partnership with Vituity, the nation’s largest physician-owned and -led medical partnership group, to manage emergency medicine and hospitalist services at its Connecticut acute care hospitals — St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs.

“With nearly 50 years in practice, over 500 practice locations, and care provided to more than 10 million patients annually across the United States, Vituity has a proven track record of success in partnering with hospitals and health systems to improve access to care, hospital throughput, and patient experience,” the health system said in an emailed statement.

Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), co-chair of the Public Health Committee, however, said he has concerns about the partnership with the out-of-state company.

In a news release, Anwar, who is a doctor specializing in lung diseases and critical care medicine and chairs the Department of Internal Medicine for Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, said he is “alarmed” by a recent message THONE sent to ER physicians and hospitalists at its three acute care hospitals in the state.

“Trinity Health recently sent a message to more than 100 emergency room physicians and hospitalist physicians, informing them of a 90-day notice for them to shift their employment to a California-based company under risk of otherwise losing their jobs,” the release states, adding the notice could affect “physician availability amid an already-stressed environment for medical staffing” in the state.

“Our state is already experiencing a severe shortage of physicians and this decision by Trinity threatens the state’s efforts and efforts of all the health care systems to recruit and retain physicians.” Anwar said.

He continued, “Not only would the loss of these physicians directly impact the patients receiving care from them — likely creating even more demand amid limited supply Connecticut — but it risks a ‘brain drain’ effect, where these talented workers, who have been established in our state for years and even decades, are forced to move elsewhere for employment.”

Anwar states that “individuals involved with Trinity Health” have told him the organization did not discuss the decision with medical leadership. If physicians decide to continue their careers with Trinity and move out of state, he said, that would limit emergency room coverage at the three hospitals.

He added that some THONE physicians also support University of Connecticut graduate medical programs, so if the affected physicians decide to relocate it would have “further negative consequences for soon-to-be physicians and medical professionals seeking to serve the state.”

“My colleagues and I have worked for years to address our state’s shortages of medical professionals and this irresponsible decision could hamper those efforts,” Anwar said. “Trinity should make decisions in the best interests of public health in our state, not their bottom line.”

In its response to Hartford Business Journal, THONE said its hospitals have benefitted from its association with Vituity.

“Vituity has been a trusted partner to Trinity Health for 15 years, serving ministries in nine states,” the organization said in its statement. “This collaboration strengthens our commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered care.”