The Waterbury Hospital to Join Saint Mary’s Hospital in Connecticut Merger

PLANO, Texas — Officials at LHP Hospital Group, Inc announced they have signed a letter of intent to merge the previously announced joint venture between LHP Hospital Group, Inc. and Saint Mary’s Health System, Inc. with the Greater Waterbury Health Network, Inc., which includes The Waterbury Hospital.

The combined joint venture will invest $400 million to construct a new state-of-the-art medical center that will replace both The Waterbury and Saint Mary’s hospitals. The combined revenue of both hospitals will be over $520 million, making it one of the larger hospitals in Connecticut.

“This is a momentous day for The Waterbury Hospital and the community we serve,” said Carl Contadini, chairman of The Waterbury Hospital Board of Trustees. “After thoroughly analyzing the healthcare needs of the Greater Waterbury region, we concluded that coming together with LHP and Saint Mary’s to build a modern, state-of-the-art replacement facility would bring the best in healthcare to patients for generations to come. We will not only create new construction jobs and help the local economy, but we will position the Greater Waterbury community to become the regional leader for healthcare services in southern New England. We could not be more pleased.”

LHP will own an 80 percent interest in the JV, with GWHN and Saint Mary’s each owning a 10 percent interest. Governance will be shared between all three parties.

The combined joint venture will commit to operate its healthcare facilities in accordance with the “community benefit standards” applicable to not-for-profit healthcare systems, and will also operate in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic healthcare services. Day-to-day management will be provided by an affiliate of LHP.

“We are delighted that The Waterbury Hospital has chosen to partner with LHP and Saint Mary’s,” said Dan Moen, CEO of LHP. “These two fine hospitals have provided quality healthcare services to the Greater Waterbury region for more than 100 years, and LHP is honored to become a part of that tradition and the exciting future that lies ahead.”

“We look forward to facilitating the construction of a new modern, state-of-the-art hospital facility and building a collaborative hospital environment that includes physicians, caregivers and the community. I commend the leaders of Waterbury and Saint Mary’s for their vision and courage in taking this significant step,” added Moen.

The next steps in the transaction will be to complete customary due diligence, negotiate and finalize the definitive agreements, and obtain the necessary approvals from various regulatory bodies.

Waterbury Hospital is a private, non-profit acute care teaching hospital licensed for 367 beds and affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Founded in 1890 as Waterbury’s first and Connecticut’s fourth hospital, Waterbury Hospital is a full-service community healthcare institution with centers of excellence in primary care, cardiac services, behavioral health and orthopedics.

Saint Mary’s Health System is a leading regional healthcare provider anchored by Saint Mary’s Hospital, an acute-care community teaching hospital that has served Greater Waterbury for more than 100 years. Licensed for 347 beds, Saint Mary’s is designated as a Level II Trauma Center and Primary Stroke Center, offers award-winning cardiac care and houses the region’s only pediatric emergency care unit. As the leading provider of surgical services in Greater Waterbury, Saint Mary’s was the first to introduce the daVinci® Robotic Surgery System.

LHP Hospital Group, Inc. is a privately held company established to provide essential capital and expertise to community hospitals and hospital systems. In cooperation with local hospitals, LHP forms joint ventures to operate and manage acute-care facilities in small cities and select urban markets throughout the United States. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, LHP is owned by affiliates of the private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC and the CPP Investment Board as well as selected members of management and the board of directors.

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Posted September 12, 2011

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