Yale New Haven Health is further growing its reach into central and northern Connecticut through an expansion of its clinical partnership with St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.
Nearly four years ago, Yale and St. Francis started a cancer partnership, promising to bring cutting-edge clinical trials to Greater Hartford. It included opening of the Smilow Cancer Hospital at St. Francis in Hartford.
Since then, St. Francis has been acquired by a large Catholic system, Trinity Health. Now, Yale and Trinity Health of New England want to expand their relationship into new areas, such as neurosurgery and solid organ transplants, with a similar intent to bring more advanced treatments, and in some cases, clinical trials, to Greater Hartford.
The two hospitals said the expansion, under discussion for the past year, doesn’t include any acquisition or formal affiliation, which would require state review. As proposed, no such approvals are needed, Yale said.
The two sides aren’t disclosing the financial terms of the deal, such as whether one will pay the other, or if there is some revenue-sharing component. They’ve been similarly tight-lipped about the terms of the agreement governing Smilow Cancer Hospital at St. Francis.
That secrecy is not unusual in such partnerships, which in some cases have involved payments to the bigger or more prestigious partner.
“We are unable to provide any specific financial information associated with the collaboration, but the goal of this relationship is to provide the state’s highest quality, safest care with the best patient outcomes and experiences,” Yale spokeswoman Dana Marnane said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the expansion of the partnership has already begun.
“We have recruited neurosurgeons to St. Francis who are providing services already,” Marnane said. “We will be providing telestroke access in the months ahead.”
