In the midst of an expedited 90-day review by the R.I. Department of Health, the acquisition of Care New England Health System by Boston-based Partners HealthCare-owned Brigham Health has been paused as the state of Rhode Island seeks additional information from Brigham Health.
Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel has been president of Brigham Health since 2010. Affiliated with the Harvard Medical School, Brigham Health includes Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, and the Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization. Nabel, a cardiologist and biomedical researcher, is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She spoke with PBN about plans for the Care New England acquisition.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
PBN: Please give us an example of how the acquisition will preserve access to affordable, high-quality care.
NABEL: Brigham Health’s acquisition of Care New England will create a stronger health care system for Rhode Islanders. Keeping care local is paramount to us. This is about bringing affordable, world-class care to Rhode Island, ensuring that Rhode Islanders will continue to have access to high-quality care close to home. Patients will only be cared for in Boston when it’s medically necessary and in the patient’s best interest.
Our experience at Kent Hospital proves our point: Cardiology, vascular, thoracic and colorectal patients in Rhode Island have been cared for by Brigham physicians at Kent for a decade. Through this relationship, we deliver high-quality care locally, and triage to Boston only when necessary. When a patient’s condition requires it, we’ve provided seamless access to care at the Brigham – followed by well-coordinated follow-up care back at home in Rhode Island. Less than 1 percent of patients have been transferred out of Kent, and those are patients with rare or challenging conditions that require highly specialized care.
PBN: Dr. James E. Fanale, president and CEO of Care New England, has said the acquisition will enable an “expansion of services in Rhode Island.” Could you provide some more detail on that?
NABEL: Brigham Health’s acquisition of Care New England will provide access to more resources, including physicians, and the potential for new clinical jobs in Rhode Island to complement the existing medical staff. Our support will strengthen both outpatient and inpatient services. We’ll also be able to jointly recruit physicians, particularly in specialty roles, enabling an expanded array of clinical services to be delivered locally.
PBN: Can you provide an example of how the partnership will allow physicians and nurses to more closely collaborate than before?
NABEL: Our medical teams have enjoyed close collaborations throughout our decadelong partnership at Kent Hospital. Bringing the Care New England hospitals into the Brigham family will provide even greater opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing on everything from quality improvement, diagnoses and patient care to training and research opportunities. Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School will be the primary academic research and teaching institution, and we’re committed to partnering with Brown, CNE and other Rhode Island stakeholders to advance and support the state’s growing health care research ecosystem.
PBN: Lifespan Corp. President and CEO Dr. Timothy J. Babineau wants to renew talks with Care New England, which has left the possibility open following a completed merger with Partners/Brigham. Are talks at that point likely?
NABEL: We’re focused right now on finalizing the transaction with CNE. While our formal talks with Lifespan ended in the fall, we share a common mission with Lifespan – to ensure that patients in Rhode Island have access to excellent care – so our relationship will always be an important one and we would be open to further discussion post-transaction.
PBN: What capital improvements are planned following the merger?
NABEL: Bringing CNE into the Brigham family will further stabilize their finances, with the goal of establishing a healthy margin that will fund needed capital investments. We’re in a proactive planning process now to evaluate what improvements are necessary after the transaction is approved by state regulators and believe that improving the physical plant of the care facilities will be a priority.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN contributing writer.
