House Republican Press Release

April 16, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Reps Hamzy, Burns: $750,000 State Grant Awarded to Bristol Hospital

Grant to Be Used to Replace Equipment in Fluoroscopy/Non-coronary Angiography Suite

The state Department of Social Services has awarded a $750,000 grant to Bristol Hospital from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund, state representatives William A. Hamzy, R-78^th District, and Ron Burns, R-77^th District, announced today.

The funding will be used to replace outdated equipment in the hospital’s fluoroscopy / non-coronary angiography suite, said representatives Hamzy and Burns, who helped secure the funding.

“The radiology equipment in the hospital’s fluoroscopy / non-coronary angiography suite is more than 13 years old and needs to be replaced,” said Representative Hamzy. “It is no longer under warranty from the manufacturer and parts are no longer available for repairs. If the equipment were to malfunction and go down, it would take the hospital a minimum of four months to replace it. That would mean the approximately 100 patients per month the unit serves would have to go elsewhere to undergo the procedures performed at the unit. I’d like to thank Commissioner Michael Starkowski and the Department of Social Services for supporting this grant.”

“The replacement of this equipment is critical for Bristol Hospital to maintain the high quality services the fluoroscopy / non-coronary angiography suite provides,” Representative Burns said. “The unit currently performs more than 1,000 special procedures a year with about 175 of them performed on Medicaid and self-pay patients. Bristol Hospital has been providing these services to area residents for over a decade. This grant will help ensure the hospital has the tools it needs to continue providing quality care to Greater Bristol residents for years to come.”

“We’re thankful and excited that Commissioner Starkowski and other state officials involved in the approval process, as well as representatives Hamzy and Burns, and representatives Frank Nicastro, and Betty Boukus; Senator Thomas Colapietro and Governor Rell for their strong support of our need for specialized capital equipment. Like many Connecticut hospitals we are unable to access the funding we need to undertake badly needed capital improvements at this time. This grant will be put to very good use on behalf of the communities we serve.  All of our radiology professionals are thrilled and delighted that equipment that is no longer supported by their manufacturers will be replaced soon,” said Kurt A. Barwis, Bristol Hospital’s president and chief executive officer.

In January, DSS also approved a $500,000 grant from the Hospital Hardship Fund for Bristol Hospital’s quality improvement program and for a strategic planning review that identifies optimal hospital service offerings in consideration of specialty services at other area hospitals.

Grants from the Hospital Hardship Fund are used to help upgrade and modernize services and facilities, or meet extraordinary operating expenses at Connecticut hospitals.

The funding was authorized under 2007 legislation that established a $30 million Hospital Hardship Fund that is administered by DSS. Selection factors for the grants include hospital utilization by patients eligible for state assistance programs, licensure and certification compliance history; and reasonableness of actual and projected revenues and expenditures.