Tell L+M Leadership: It’s OUR Health
Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce D. Cummings & L+M Hospital Board of Directors
A coalition of healthcare, consumer, civil rights and labor advocates have came together to urge a closer look at the proposed take-over of Southeast Connecticut’s largest health network. Since it was first announced in the summer of 2015, the “merger” between Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Health and Yale-New Haven Health System (YNHHS) has generated more questions than answers.
Together we have started a much-needed community dialogue about the risks of higher prices, restricted access and loss of local control if the “deal” goes forward as proposed. State health officials and regulators are now beginning the oversight and review process for the formal applications allowing L+M to be taken-over by YNNH.
It is vital that leadership of our community hospital answer our many questions and address our legitimate concerns before signing off on this take-over. Add your name to our petition in support of a shared vision for high quality, affordable, community centered healthcare for everyone in our region.
Sponsored by
To:
Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce D. Cummings & L+M Hospital Board of Directors
From:
[Your Name]
We the undersigned are committed to advancing a vibrant and healthy community for Eastern CT residents. Central to achieving this goal is a high quality, fully functioning, fully accessible healthcare system that is committed to the community’s health and well-being, with a community hospital as the anchor.
We believe a community hospital and its network needs to provide healthcare services that promote preventive care and overall health and wellness and improve the health status of the affected community, including working families and populations at risk within the affected community.
We seek the following standards and commitments from Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Health, and any healthcare entity that seeks to affiliate or purchase our local community hospital:
Accountability:
In the event of any transaction, L+M Hospital and the acquiring health system will negotiate with a representative cross-section of the community a written Community Benefits Agreement with binding commitments enforced by an independent monitor on the issues of access, affordability, benefits, efficiencies and jobs;
L+M Hospital will remain under the control of locally controlled Board of Directors with decision making authority and accountability to the community;
L+M Hospital will develop, finance and implement a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), independent of its affiliated partner and will devote sufficient resources to address the health priorities identified in the needs assessment; &
The CHNA will be conducted every three years, and will include on-going accountability structures for measuring implementation progress and effectiveness.
Community Access & Well-Being:
L+ M Hospital will continue to provide all current existing services;
L+M Hospital will expand acute detox care for medically complex patients, increase and improve its coordination of services and expand mental health and behavioral services available to the community;
Any purchase price or investment by an acquiring entity will include both expanding existing services and developing new services identified through the triennial Community Health Needs Assessment; &
L+ M Hospital will provide comprehensive, effective community programing for everyone in the community including low-income and communities of color.
Affordability:
L+ M Hospital shall provide healthcare services at reasonable and affordable costs to all residents throughout the community. Prices will be maintained at current levels and will increase only by the rate of general inflation;
L+M Hospital shall agree to fair and reasonable Executive Compensation;
L+ M Hospital will ensure full transparency and communication of financial policies and billing procedures with specific provisions barring aggressive debt collection practices; &
L+ M Hospital will sustain a strong commitment to providing full healthcare services to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.
Workforce:
L+M Hospital will have a strong commitment to ensure hospital employees receive high quality training and will provide fair and just compensation for all hospital employees;
L+M Hospital will ensure that its workforce is reflective of the community they serve;
L+M Hospital will ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate services available to patients.
L+M Hospital will hire employees under usual and customary hiring process and in an effort to ensure the growth and maintenance of good middle class jobs; &
L+M Hospital shall work with the appropriate unions to ensure continuity and stability in the workforce.