September 25, 2009

UConn hospital plan "dead"

A proposed new hospital for the University of Connecticut in Farmington is dead, at least for this year.
That's great news for Bristol, said state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat.
"It would have clobbered Bristol Hospital," the senator said, by pulling away patients who might have gone to Bristol instead.
UConn hoped to snag $40 million or more to begin designing a replacement for the John Dempse Hospital in collaboration with Hartford Hospital.
But the plan couldn't attract enough support to move ahead.
Colapietro said that in a Democratic caucus Thursday, "probably 85 percent" of the lawmakers said they opposed spending even $5 million on the project.
"It's dead," Colapietro said.
He said the decsion will surely shock the university's backers.
"They are used to running roughshod over the legislature," Colapietro said. "But now we have a new generation" that's more skeptical of its big money requests, he said.
Colapietro called it "terrific" that Bristol Hospital won't get cut out by a costly new state plan.


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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

8 comments:

Citizen said...

Wouldn't there have been some big benefits to the hospital, including updated technology and more space for patients? Wouldn't that have resulted in improved care as well?

I understand wanting the best for Bristol, but I'm not sure anyone(including Sen. Colapietro) should be celebrating over the demise of the hospital plan.

Anonymous said...

UCONN's John Dempsey Hospital and Hartford Hospital are dangerous places. Stay away! Both are harboring criminals who wear white coats and call themselves "doctors."

Hartford Hospital is worse than UCONN, but not by much!

Anonymous said...

Okay, Tom

Anonymous said...

Hey Tom: Is this an unfunded state mandate?

Anonymous said...

Sorry Republican't . My names not Tom. It's anonymous like yours Art!

Anonymous said...

What the City of Bristol is missing in this debate is the fact that UConn is a teaching hospital. There is an outcry of not having enough doctors or nurses, and yet, the expansion of a teaching facility like UConn is suppressed because of the economics driven to keep Bristol Hospital open.

I have had the displeasure of dealing with Bristol Hospital at three separate times and must say that the drive to UConn would have been more beneficial than putting up with the ignorance of the staff at Bristol Hospital. There emergency department is a joke, at best, and should be looked at closely by the licensing boards. When Bristol Hospital is unable to get the necessary professionals to work for them, instead of the physicians who have graduated from the Hospital of Veternary Science of India, then rethink about UConn.

The level of ignorance that flails about here in Bristol amongst the politicians, some who have no education, is staggering. I wonder if they ever think before they speak about things they have no perception of. To say something as stupid as the harm that would be caused to Bristol Hospital is like saying that Walmart will hurt the business here in Bristol. Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot how damaging Walmart has been to Bristol and the downtown revitalization. Maybe with some luck, Walmart will open a walk-in hospital that will take care of all you morons.

VERY CONCERNED HERE IN BRISTOL.

Anonymous said...

Any one can see the real ignorance is here.

Anonymous said...

7:37

Very perceptive.

While some compromise may have been possible, I am of the opinion that local politicians might have been influenced by the big money people, who also fund their campaigns.

Sorta like Dodd