ProHealth Physicians, part of Optum and the UnitedHealth Group family of companies, has announced it will permanently close its primary care medical practice in Putnam next month.
In a letter posted online on Nov. 24, Putnam Medical Associates, located at 300 Pomfret St. in Putnam, said it will permanently close on Dec. 23.
“We made the difficult decision to close the Putnam office due to various factors, including the expiration of our lease there,” an Optum spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Hartford Business Journal.
The statement added that the company “is committed to guiding every patient through this transition,” while also supporting “affected team members with job placement resources.”
Officials with Day Kimball Health, which operates Day Kimball Hospital at 320 Pomfret St. in Putnam, posted a statement online saying they were disappointed and that ProHealth’s decision to close its office on the hospital campus was unexpected.
“Day Kimball did not make any changes to the lease terms,” the hospital said.
Day Kimball officials said their priority is to ensure patients have uninterrupted access to primary care, adding that its “existing and soon-to-arrive primary care providers are prepared to support individuals and families throughout northeast Connecticut.”
ProHealth’s letter online provided information about some of Putnam’s medical staff, stating that Dr. Timothy Cooper and Dr. Emily Ferguson are both retiring, while Dr. Ruth Benet, who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine, and Dr. Rosemary Maduka will both join ProHealth’s pediatric and family medicine practice in Vernon.
“We expect to have information for the rest of the care team by the end of November,” the letter states.
According to its website, in Connecticut ProHealth has adult and family medical offices in 30 locations and pediatric offices in 19 communities.
