Public forum tonight about St. Mary’s Hospital purchase and for-profit conversion

At 5pm tonight there will be a public forum at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Conference Center Auditorium about plans to sell the hospital to Tenet Healthcare Corp. Tenet is a for-profit hospital chain based in Dallas with hospitals and clinics in 16 states. Tenet plans to purchase five CT hospitals, including nearby Waterbury Hospital, and create a strong financial relationship with Yale-New Haven. Advocates and labor representatives have raised serious concerns about for-profit health care in CT and about Tenet specifically. The state passed legislation this year making it easier for non-profit hospitals to convert to for-profit status.