🔒State: Trinity Health Of NE Medical Group can close 2 behavioral health facilities in Hartford

State health regulators ruled Monday that Trinity Health of New England Medical Group does not need a certificate of need (CON) to close two behavioral health service facilities in Hartford. In a letter dated July 14 and addressed to Kathleen Natale, regional director of strategy for Trinity Health Of New England Provider Network Organization Inc. (THONE Medical Group), Amy Porter, the acting commissioner of the state Office of Health Strategy, states that her agency has determined that no CON is required to close the facilities under state law. The state can require a hospital or healthcare organization to seek a CON for a variety of reasons, including when a facility wants to terminate a health service or close a facility. “While the Petitioner proposes to halt outpatient behavioral health services in two (2) Hartford, CT, offices, the services are provided to patients through individual clinicians’ professional licenses,” the letter states. “Service delivery, administrative processing, and billing for the services do not take place through a hospital’s facility license,” so no CON is needed, it states. Trinity Health of New England Medical Group operates behavioral health services in two office locations in Hartford — at 675 Tower Ave., and 1000 Asylum Ave. The services provided include outpatient psychiatry, medication management and psychotherapy. In its CON determination request, Trinity Health of New England Medical Group stated that outpatient behavioral health services in the Hartford region “are projected to increase 27% over the next 10 years,” and that the demand is creating a nationwide workforce challenge, “forcing a redesign of care delivery to improve access.” The medical group states that it is “experiencing workforce challenges with limited provider capacity and access,” and will “utilize multiple community resources, such as Wheeler Hartford Family Health & Wellness Center and Capital Region Mental Health Center.” In addition, the medical group states it “will make available to our patients ZocDoc and Talkiarty,” virtual platforms that provide telemedicine appointments. The group added that there also are private psychiatrists and psychotherapists in the area who will accept its patients “to ensure there is no delay in care.” Trinity Health of New England Medical Group treats patients who reside in Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven and Tolland counties, it said. In a statement emailed to Hartford Business Journal, Trinity Health of New England said it remains committed to meeting the community’s needs. “We are in ongoing communication with the state regarding this service and continue to look at opportunities to evolve it as needed to best meet community needs,” it said in the statement. “At this time, no changes have been made. If anything changes, we will communicate appropriately with our patients, colleagues, and community.”