The UConn Health Center will be undergoing major changes due to the passage of House Bill 5027 which approved spending on several Connecticut hospitals, according to Carolyn Pennington, a spokeswoman for the UConn Health Center (UCHC).
“The Act Establishing the University of Connecticut Health Network and Connecticut Bioscience Initiative” was signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell on June 4 after it was passed by the house last month. The press release from the Governor’s office stated that this legislation approved $362 million in state spending for projects at the UCHC, Hartford Hospital, Bristol Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and the Hospital of Central Connecticut. Additionally, $30 million will be utilized to institute more teaching and research positions within the UConn Health Network.
The act specifically targets the John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington, Conn., which has not been kept up to date since its construction 35 years ago. The main goal is to build a new tower that can hold at least 200 patients, said Pennington. Also, to accommodate UConn’s expanding medical and dental schools, new classrooms and labs will be part of the renovation plans. Although design plans have not been created yet, Pennington said that the construction will take between a year-and-a-half and two years.
Recruitment for the UConn School of Nursing and the Connecticut Institute for Nursing will also be increased. Rell said in a press release that these improvements would “elevate the UConn Health Center to a top-tier teaching institution in the nation.” Corey Schmitt, the undergraduate representative on the Health Center’s Board of Trustees, agreed that the influx of resources would help to attract more prospective students and raise UConn’s national rankings. “If we can boost the efficiency of the Dempsey Hospital and the overall health care system and its efficiency in Connecticut, then it will attract more high caliber faculty and students to this hospital and its programs,” said Schmitt.
The new patient tower has been coveted by the UCHC for a long time. “Because UConn is subsidized partially by the state it accepts more patrons than some of the private hospitals located nearby,” said Schmitt, a 7th-semester political science major. He said that because the Dempsey Hospital has expanded its pool of patients, beds were being put in the hallways. The additional rooms will allow the hospital to hire more staff and offer a more comfortable experience to its patients. Schmitt also said that the extra space would help UConn students to get a good learning experience by observing an efficient and well-staffed health care system.
The changes implemented by House Bill 5027 will affect non-UConn entities as well. Future plans include the construction of a simulation center at Hartford Hospital, a cancer treatment center in New Britain, a Clinical Trials Unit at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, and a Primary Care Institute at St. Francis. Furthermore, renovations will be implemented on patient rooms at Bristol Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, which will help to catalyze clinical trials, will be opened in Farmington. The state will also be promoting research and healthcare training in Hartford’s minority communities, according to the press release.
The funding for these projects will come from federal and private resources, the UConn 21st Century initiative, and state bonds. Adam Liegeot, director of communications for the governor’s office, said that Rell is confident that the state will get a $100 million federal grant within the next five years. However, legislators cannot use state bonds until these $100 million are secured. If Connecticut does not receive enough federal support the government will have to rely on philanthropic sources.
Schmitt admits that the large price tag for the projects may cause some anxiety within the community. “Yes, $362 million is a lot of money, especially for a state already in a large economic hole,” said Schmitt. However, he added that the bill’s budget would be matched by a valuable payback.
“For every $1 the state invests in our university, the university can return $5 on that initial investment,” said Schmitt, while describing his theory of “UConn-omy.” “Therefore, it makes sense to take advantage of this rare opportunity of federal funds as well as state support now and invest in the University’s largest entity,” he concluded.
While the $362 million will be used to improve Connecticut’s health facilities, it is also expected to stimulate the state’s economy by added approximately 5,000 jobs. These employment opportunities will be found in bioscience sectors and the healthcare industry, Rell said in the press release. The state will offer tax breaks to private bioscience enterprises, which will allow companies to hire more individuals.
Schmitt said that the availability of healthcare jobs would influence more students to pursue an education in medical fields. More students lead to more competition, and this results in more effective graduates who will go on to improve the state’s medical institutions.