BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Oct. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — St. Vincent’s Medical Center is now officially part of Hartford HealthCare.

On Tuesday, Hartford HealthCare completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, and its related operations, from Ascension. During a special ceremony and celebration, employees and leaders noted the rich history of St. Vincent’s in the greater Bridgeport area, and marked a significant milestone for its future.

“This is a historic day for St. Vincent’s, Hartford HealthCare and all the residents in the communities that we serve,” said Jeffrey A. Flaks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hartford HealthCare. “Together we are dedicated to creating more ways for people to get and stay healthy — to live their healthiest lives through quality, compassion and greater access across our entire system of care.”

St. Vincent’s, with more than 3,500 associates, includes a 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multispecialty provider group, and St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services for adults and children. It is the first hospital in Fairfield County to be integrated into the Hartford HealthCare network, and is now the system’s second-largest hospital. St. Vincent’s, founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1903, was part of Ascension since its founding in 1999. As part of Hartford HealthCare, it will continue to operate as a not-for-profit, Catholic hospital.

With St. Vincent’s, Hartford HealthCare now has more than 24,000 employees at its more than 350 locations across the entire footprint of Connecticut.

Vincent DiBattista, President of Hartford HealthCare’s new Fairfield Region, said Hartford HealthCare commits to improving access to physicians and health services, making investments in community-based programs, enhancing expertise in key clinical areas, and providing the best patient experience.

“We are honored to continue St. Vincent’s faith-based mission of care. St. Vincent’s brings a major presence in southwestern Connecticut to Hartford HealthCare, and Hartford HealthCare brings a wide range of resources to St. Vincent’s,” DiBattista said. “No matter how you look at it, the future is bright.”

That future also includes Soundview Medical Associates, a medical practice with offices in Norwalk and Darien that recently partnered with Hartford HealthCare. The practice includes 30 primary and specialty physicians and 120 employees.

Additionally, Hartford HealthCare recently affiliated with the Bridgeport-based Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, which provides home and hospice care in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties.

St. Vincent’s, Soundview and Visiting Nurse Services will all be linked to Hartford HealthCare system’s Epic electronic medical record, enhancing care coordination by providing patients and providers with seamless access to health information.

“St. Vincent’s Medical Center has always been an important part of Fairfield County, and now it’s an essential part of an integrated system of care,” Flaks added. “Patients in the region will have even more access to expertise, services, unparalleled care coordination and all the resources that differentiate Hartford HealthCare from other health organizations.”

About Hartford HealthCare
Hartford HealthCare is Connecticut’s most comprehensive healthcare network. With 24,000 employees and total operating revenue of $4.3 billion, Hartford HealthCare has cultivated a strong, unified culture of accountability and innovation. Its care-delivery system, serving 161 towns and cities, includes two tertiary-level teaching hospitals, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, three community hospitals, the state’s most extensive behavioral health network, a large multispecialty physician group, a clinical care organization, a regional home care system, an array of senior care services, and a large physical therapy and rehabilitation network at more than 350 locations in Connecticut and Rhode island. Hartford HealthCare’s unique, system-wide Institute Model offers a single, high standard of care in crucial specialties at hospital and ambulatory sites across Connecticut. The institutes include: Cancer; Behavioral Health; Heart and Vascular; Neuroscience; Orthopedics and Urology. Visit Hartford HealthCare at www.hartfordhealthcare.org

About St. Vincent’s Medical Center
Founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1903, St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a mission-driven organization committed to exceptional health care for all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those who are most vulnerable. St. Vincent’s, with more than 3,500 associates, includes a licensed 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multispecialty provider group, and St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services. St. Vincent’s was awarded the Nursing Magnet Recognition, the highest national award for nursing excellence. In 2013, St. Vincent’s Medical Center was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, and has been recognized by both the Joint Commission and OSHA as a model of a highly reliable organization dedicated to patient safety. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer awarded St. Vincent’s an Outstanding Achievement Award with Accreditation in 2012, and it also has earned its designation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancer. For more information on programs and services, visit www.stvincents.org

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SOURCE Hartford HealthCare