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Politics & Government

Connecticut's Cambridge?

Bill that gave birth to Bioscience Connecticut leaves some legislators with questions.

Questions linger weeks after legislators approved a massive plan to remake the University of Connecticut Health Center. 

In the last days of the 2011 legislative session lawmakers approved an $824 million plan to expand UConn’s medical and dental schools, construct, a new 100-bed in-patient tower on the Farmington campus’ John Dempsey hospital, and inject millions of dollars into bioscience research and development. But exactly how this vision will become reality and how the health center will end its troubled financial history, particularly at a time when the state’s coffers aren’t flush with cash, remains a puzzle.

“Now oddly these kinds of things are front and center. Whether it’s the bus way, light rail, or this thing, one could argue those scarce funds could be applied elsewhere,” said state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, a Democrat representing Westport in the 136th House District.

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Steinberg ultimately voted for the deal.

In the end, the promise of developing a bioscience research corridor in the manner of Cambridge, Mass., or Research Triangle Park, NC, is what swayed legislators, be they Democratic or Republican.

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“It’s an opportunity for Connecticut to distinguish itself in research,” Steinberg said. “It will create a research corridor and can identify where Connecticut can be a leader.”

Thomas Q. Callahan, UConn Health Center’s chief of staff, said the plan will allow the state to compete regionally, nationally, and globally. It will help create a broad environment for innovation, discovery and commercial application of those ideas., he said.

Yet, there appears to be no specific benchmarks to help transition the plan from concept to reality. For example, there is no timeline attracting needed venture capital for start-up companies.

“Bioscience Connecticut doesn’t address all those issues,” Callahan said. “It takes care of the front end. It’s a very important step the state is taking.”

In other words, the plan calls for ensuring there is adequate research and laboratory space, and it provides an environment for potential commercialization of such research.

“The governor made clear this was not the end of bioscience, that going forward bioscience based economy will be a strong component going forward,” Callahan said.

Those supporting the deal said it will create thousands of jobs in a state with a 9.1 unemployment rate. They argue it will position Connecticut as a leader in bioscience research. And, they said, it will put the health center on sound financial footing.

Those opposing the deal said it would harm competing hospitals. They question the cost of the program. And, they question the center’s ability to run efficiently.

The deal will add $254 million in bonding to the $362 million in bonding the legislature approved last year. Private donations are expected to fill in the remaining $203 million 

However, UConn’s Callahan said the deal doesn’t impact this biennium’s budget; there is no new debt service and no operating costs. Rather Bioscience Connecticut builds on a plan begun during the last legislative session.

Another question surrounds the numbers.

Using numbers crunched from the University of Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, Malloy said the deal would create 3,000 new construction jobs that will last during the center’s six-year construction.

Still unanswered is whether expanding the John Dempsey Hospital is necessary given the area’s concentration of hospitals. 

“Off the top of my head, I can count six hospitals within fifteen minutes of UConn. I have said many times in the past that I don’t even think we need the hospital at all,” said state Rep. Jason Perillo, a Republican representing Shelton in the 113th House District. “The cost of running it is higher than other hospitals in the state because the employees are state workers and paying for their benefit packages typically requires that the state bail them out to cover their losses most years.”

The General Assembly bailed out the health center four times since 2000. Malloy asserts the health center would break even by 2018; but skeptics remain, even among the supporters.

These legislators said the deal provides zero assurances UConn’s inefficiencies will end.

“The state tends to throw money at it whenever it gets in trouble. It has a reputation for inefficiency,” Steinberg said. “This is the last shot UConn gets.”

However, the health center’s contract with the state stipulates it must care for the state prison population and a large percentage of Medicaid patients. That means the hospital is financially set up to fail, said some.

“It’s a true public service facility,” said state Rep. Bill Wadsworth, a Republican representing Farmington in the 21st House District. “They have a high percentage of uninsured patients. We owe public health to our residents.”

Medical education is another component to the plan. On any given day Hartford Hospital has 275 residents, the majority of whom are from UConn, said the hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rocco Orlando.

"We don't anticipate that will change significantly," Orlando said. 

As to increasing the number of beds at Dempsey, Orlando said "Connecticut has about the right number of beds for the current population. The increase in the number of beds is more to answer [UConn's] need to meet its academic mission, not so much its clinical mission."

While the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) won’t discuss details, it said it was pleased Malloy acknowledged the healthcare industry’s contributions to the state’s economy.

“CHA has been supportive of the Governor’s goal of jobs, economic growth, and innovation -- most particularly his objectives of increasing access to high quality healthcare and graduating and retaining more physicians and dentists to help address our forecasted workforce shortage,” said Kim Hostetler, CHA’s vice president of communications.

The plan would reportedly add 100 students to the medical school, 48 students to the dental school, and about 50 bioscience researchers. That’s key for Connecticut to grow and keep a crop of doctors, according to some legislators.

“For several years, the Connecticut State Medical Society has been advocating for student loan forgiveness and forbearance programs as a means of beginning to address our state’s physician workforce shortage and increasing Connecticut patients’ access to quality medical care,” said Matthew C. Katz, executive vice president for the Connecticut State Medical Society. "Too few of the physicians in training from our medical schools stay in Connecticut; these programs go a long way to helping reduce the burden of debt while helping them establish practice and offsetting the higher-than-average cost of living.”

Yet, the bill contained no such language regarding student loan forgiveness and forbearance. Callahan said that’s because it will likely be addressed during the next biennium.

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