Message from Deans Laurencin and MacNeil
This is an unprecedented moment for the Health Center. After years of seeking increased support for our medical and dental schools, and making our case for a replacement hospital, we are finally at the threshold of a major change to transform the Farmington campus, elevate research and education throughout the region and provide a significant source of financial support.
Besides state support for a new hospital, this change would launch the enactment of both the proposed Partnership with Hartford Healthcare Corp., and the Regional Collaboration with all of the major teaching hospital affiliates in the area. Led by President Hogan and with help from many of you, we have been immersed in the development of these simultaneous plans and can say with confidence that they represent our best chance for growth and fiscal stability, both academically and clinically, and for improvements in day to day working conditions for our medical and dental school faculty. Not only would we obtain the new hospital that we need, but the Hartford Healthcare Corp. would guarantee $7M per year in the first five years toward our academic mission, $5M per year in perpetuity thereafter, and a share of profits over 4%. This does not count the transfer of $10M in research funding to our portfolio, $40M in transition funding, and other revenues, not to mention the $300M that Hartford Healthcare will invest in the Hartford campus of the new University Hospital.
We are now, as we have been for the past several months, patiently waiting for legislative approval to move the Partnership forward. At the same time, our state’s legislative leaders and Gov. Rell are faced with the daunting task of settling the state’s budget in a time of shortfalls and economic unrest. While the environment is unsettling, we are optimistic that all of these challenges, including sensitive negotiations for a new hospital on this campus, will be resolved in the next few months.
Until then, we have a specific, earnest request for you. We are asking for time to allow the legislative process to continue before you sign cards that will pave the way for a formal election regarding faculty unionization. As you may know, once a certain percentage of the faculty signs election cards and they are submitted to the Labor Board, the election process will move forward very quickly. We believe it will greatly complicate the deliberations with State government and with our potential partner.
As noted in an earlier message, there is no deadline by which to sign a union card. The conversation over the decision to unionize can certainly proceed and we urge you again to become fully informed before you make a decision to sign a card. We do not need a formal campaign, or a fixed election date, for the discussion to move forward. (For those who have already signed cards, your signature is valid for one year, so a hiatus in this process will not invalidate your signature.)
Drs. Laurencin and MacNeil have been holding faculty meetings to discuss the Partnership and Dr. Hogan has participated in some as well.
In the next few weeks you will be invited to a Town Hall meeting with Deans Laurencin and MacNeil and President Hogan to continue the discussion. In the meantime questions can be directed to any of us via e-mail: to Dr. Laurencin’s blog or to your department chairs, Center directors, and/or elected leaders on the Councils http://medicine.uchc.edu/faculty/governance/index.html.
Like you, we are deeply concerned about the future of the Health Center. We have an undersized hospital and because of our small size our clinical mission cannot break even. The proposed partnership with HHC will bring an infusion of much needed revenue, will make us part of a much larger hospital at least equal to those medical schools with which we compete for faculty and students. As we’ve said before, we strongly believe the Partnership is our best path to sustained clinical growth, improved faculty recruitment and retention and expanded research and educational opportunities. Please give us time to resolve this worthy initiative before proceeding with an election on faculty unionization.
Sincerely,
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, School of Medicine
Monty MacNeil, D.D.S., M.Dent.Sc.
Dean, School of Dental Medicine
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