Trinity Health of New England, part of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, has transitioned 147 emergency and hospital medicine providers to Vituity as part of a major emergency department and inpatient care overhaul across its Connecticut hospitals.
Effective April 7, Vituity — the largest physician-owned and -led medical group in the country — manages emergency and hospitalist services at the health system’s three acute care hospitals in Connecticut: Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs.
The shift includes 94 emergency medicine providers and 53 hospitalists moving from Trinity Health of New England employment to Vituity, with more than 30 additional Vituity providers joining the team to expand coverage. Overall, 180 clinicians now provide care under the Vituity model, which temphasizes clinical leadership, physician ownership and local accountability, according to the company.
Trinity Health framed the move as a strategic investment to support long-term sustainability and enhance access, efficiency and provider support — “not a sale of services.” The system said the transition was designed to be seamless, with the majority of existing providers retained.
“Partnering with Vituity allows us to enhance patient care, support our providers and ensure our emergency departments and inpatient units remain a trusted and reliable resource for our community, now and into the future,” Jennifer Martin, MD, chair, department of emergency Medicine, Saint Francis Hospital, said in an April 9 news release shared with Becker’s.
However, the decision has sparked concern among some state leaders. In January, state Sen. Saud Anwar, MD, chair of Connecticut’s Public Health Committee, criticized Trinity Health for issuing 90-day notices to physicians, urging the system to reconsider the move. Dr. Anwar expressed alarm about the potential impact on staffing and care continuity amid a broader physician shortage in the state.
Trinity Health responded by reiterating its commitment to retaining physicians and sustaining high-quality care. “We are fully committed to collaborating with our providers to ensure continued exceptional care across our ministries in Connecticut,” the system said in a statement.
The collaboration builds on a 15-year relationship between Vituity and Trinity Health across nine states. The health system said the move positions its Connecticut hospitals for future success by leveraging Vituity’s national experience in emergency and inpatient operations, professional development opportunities and focus on provider well-being.
