Working together for all of Tolland
The past few years have been incredibly challenging for local government, especially for more rural communities like ours when it comes to crafting a budget that meets the needs of our neighbors both young and old.
Dramatic increases to insurance claims and inflationary costs on road maintenance and waste management have been of significant concern, as well as continuing to be an attractive community in which to live and for which to work. As we moved through the process, the two political parties had clear desires and visions for the Tolland budget.
Ultimately, we as a council sought to work together and seek compromise where we could. We assisted the Board of Education’s insurance claims with $200,000 in ARPA funds on a near-unanimous 6-1 vote. We ultimately adopted a budget to be voted on by the entire community at referendum on May 2 by a bipartisan margin of 5-2 that maintained the manager’s education proposal, reduced spending by $140,000 on the town and found savings of $50,000 for our debt payments.
It was without a doubt a difficult, nearly three-hour discussion and debate that left no one member on the council absolutely satisfied. But we knew we were doing the best possible to support our whole town. This is why we are encouraging our neighbors to vote yes on May 2 for a budget that supports our town to the best of our abilities in the face of ongoing financial challenges.
Steve Jones and John Reagan, Tolland
ECHN is better off under Yale umbrella
As a physician dedicated to providing care to people across eastern Connecticut, I am very much in support of the acquisition of Eastern Connecticut Health Network’s (ECHN) hospitals by Yale
New Haven Health System (YNHHS). Both Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals are pillars in the community, dedicated to providing high-standard, quality care that is personable and kind to the patients we serve.
From their inception over 100 years ago, Manchester Memorial and Rockville General have maintained their commitment to provide a haven where superior medical care can be obtained in their respective communities. In the 1960s, Manchester Memorial Hospital was on the forefront of progressive medicine when it introduced the concept of an Intensive Care Unit and stepdown care to the hospital world, attracting visitors from many states and countries to learn this new model. Manchester Memorial also led the way by being one of the first to open birthing rooms in a community hospital setting and one of the first U.S. hospitals to offer the Lamaze method of childbirth.
Rockville General Hospital was also leading the way by being one of the first to provide physical therapy services in the Rockville region and one of the first hospitals in eastern Connecticut to introduce bone densitometry equipment designed to detect early osteoporosis. With the cooperative merging of the two hospitals in the early 1990s to form Eastern Connecticut Health Network, the operating goals have always been community-focused. Continuing with this excellence, in 2022 Manchester Memorial Hospital received the HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and four-star rating for overall care from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Yale New Haven Health is a nonprofit, world-renowned medical institution leading in advanced research, latest medical treatments and innovations. It ranks among the highest in the nation utilizing cutting-edge technology to offer integrated, higher-value, patient-centered care. As one of Connecticut’s largest healthcare systems, YNHHS has maintained its pledge to deliver extraordinary, compassionate, cost-effective healthcare and to improve access and value that enhances the health of the communities it serves. The successful affiliations with other community hospitals, most recently Lawrence + Memorial Healthcare and Milford Hospital, exemplify this commitment.
Combining YNHHS resources, advanced technology, superior medical care delivery systems and ongoing commitment to improve healthcare delivery with ECHN’s fundamental ethos of community-focused care, a merger will only continue to enhance the services provided in the eastern Connecticut region. Furthermore, this acquisition would reestablish a not-for-profit model allowing for much-needed capital reinvestment in our communities.
Eyone Jones