The Hospital for Special Care in New Britain is seeking state approval of a $1.2 million project that would add nine new beds to accommodate patients from a Waterbury nursing home slated for closure.
The nonprofit Hospital for Special Care provides long-term acute care and currently has 236 beds.
Under the proposal, the hospital would add nine licensed beds for patients with complex respiratory care needs, including those on ventilators.
The additional beds will accommodate patients from Waterbury Gardens, which is in receivership after being ordered to close due to poor quality of care and financial distress, according to the Hospital for Special Care’s Certificate of Need application.
The state Department of Social Services requested that the Hospital for Special Care admit the respiratory patients from Waterbury.
The Hospital for Special Care submitted a Certificate of Need application, signed by Lynn Ricci, president and CEO of the hospital, in September.
“Hospital for Special Care has partnered with the State of Connecticut for decades to ensure that patients with complex medical needs have access to the highest-quality care available,” Ricci said in an emailed statement. “We have continued that collaboration to serve patients from Waterbury Gardens in recent months and must also ensure that we continue to maintain capacity to serve new patients whose needs cannot be met in other settings.”
The additional beds will be added to an existing space within the hospital at 2150 Corbin Ave.
“We have enhanced our staffing resources to meet the needs of our current patients and those patients waiting to be admitted to our facility,” Ricci said.
On Monday, the Office of Health Strategy issued a decision stating that a CON is required for the project.
The Hospital for Special Care operates at 93% capacity across its programs, according to the application.
