Bridgeport Hospital to spend $30M this year on integration of Milford Hospital
Bridgeport Hospital spent more than $83 million acquiring Milford Hospital last year, and has since invested about $15 million on infrastructure, equipment and technology, according to Bridgeport Hospital President and CEO Anne Diamond.
Another $30 million in expenditures is planned for this year, Diamond said, including work at what is now the Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital, the outpatient site at 831 Post Road.
Diamond made the announcement at a March 2 public forum about the integration process, alongside other Yale New Haven Health System leaders.
Since the Connecticut Office of Healthcare Strategy approved the integration last June, a number of enhancements have been made to the Milford Campus, according to Gina Calder, campus administrator and hospital vice president.
In addition to facility improvements to the main lobby and several patient care areas, Calder said the Milford Campus is now connected to the Epic electronic medical record system that links other Yale New Haven Health System hospitals, ambulatory sites and many physician offices from Westchester County to Westerly, Rhode Island.
The former Maternity Unit at the Milford Campus, closed several years ago because of low patient volume and insufficient physician coverage, is being renovated into a “geriatric friendly” surgical unit that will cater to the specific needs of older patients. It is expected to open later this year.
Joining Diamond and Calder in fielding questions from the public were Chris O”™Connor, chief operating officer, YNHHS; Vin Petrini, senior vice president, Public Affairs, YNHHS; Pam Scagliarini, chief operating officer, Bridgeport Hospital; and Vic Morris, interim associate chief medical officer, Milford Campus.
Periodic public updates on the integration, which is being overseen by an independent monitor, are mandated by the Office of Healthcare Strategy for at least three years. The next forum is expected to take place in the early fall.