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| Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of August 29.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, click on the play button to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter. |
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This newsletter is coming to you a little early this week, for a couple of reasons. The first is that I am embarking on my second daughter-adventure this month, which this time means driving with my daughter Maude out to Arizona. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning and will spend a few long days on the road, after which I’ll be back in time to catch the final day of the Goshen Fair on Labor Day weekend, followed by the Cornwall Ag Fair on September 9.
The more important reason for the early delivery, however, is that there is big news from the state relating to maternity services at Sharon Hospital. Sharon Hospital’s parent company, Nuvance, had applied to the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) for permission to cease providing maternity services, and last night OHS released its preliminary ruling denying that application. I provide more details below, but this is a really big step forward for the community and a testament to a lot of thoughtful work that went into making the case that closure would harm healthcare in the region.
After I reported on my recent hike of the CT section of the Appalachian Trail, I heard from so many of you about your adventures outdoors: thank you so much! I loved hearing all of the stories, and it reinforced how important getting outside is for all of us. In light of that, I thought I’d share Nick Kristoff’s recent piece in The New York Times, Hungry Mosquitoes, Irritable Bears, and the Glories of Wilderness, which is about exactly that - click here to read the article. |
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Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- Office of Health Strategy Issues Ruling to Keep Maternity Services Open at Sharon Hospital. Click here.
- Washington Friends of Music Receives State Grant. Click here.
- Comcast Presents Virtual Session on Access to Free or Reduced Internet. Click here.
- Job Fair in Winsted. Click here.
- The Little Guild Run and Wag 5K. Click here.
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On Tuesday, the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) issued a Proposed Final Decision denying Nuvance’s application to close maternity services at Sharon Hospital. As the name makes clear, this isn’t final yet, and Nuvance has the opportunity to request an appeal by September 18. If no appeal is filed, OHS will render the decision final.
The ruling, which you can read here, concludes that the Hospital failed to establish that five of the eight applicable statutory criteria set forth in C.G.S. § 19a-639 were met. Therefore, the Hospital failed to carry its burden, and Nuvance’s application was denied.
There remains work ahead, but this is a tremendous victory for the community and a recognition of all the thoughtful, knowledgeable, and fact-based advocacy, particularly from healthcare professionals that work at Sharon Hospital, for keeping maternity services open. The state relied heavily on those facts in its thorough and well-reasoned findings, and it will be difficult to refute. |
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| Washington Friends of Music (WFM) was recently awarded a $5,800 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities, with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature. These investments help connect Connecticut residents to cultural institutions that are vital to the well-being of our communities |
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| Comcast will be conducting two virtual sessions on access to free or reduced cost home internet by enrolling In the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Comcast’s Internet Essentials, a broadband option for eligible households. The sessions will be help on Wednesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 27, both at 1pm.
Click Here to RSVP for the Webinar. |
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| It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend. |
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| Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative |
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