Huggins seeking new services, 'regardless of affiliations'

WOLFEBORO — In the wake of a decision by the state Attorney-General’s Office that Dartmouth Health’s planned acquisition of GraniteOne Health would violate consumer protection laws, Huggins Hospital’s vice-president of strategy and community relations, Monika O’Clair, said the Wolfeboro hospital will continue looking “to bring new services to the area, regardless of any affiliations.”

Huggins is a member of GraniteOne Health, which also includes Catholic Medical Center and Monadnock Community Hospital.

Declaring that “Huggins Hospital is in a strong position and has been for many years — even throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic — and we anticipate that strength to last us well into the future,” O’Clair said, “The proposed combination of GraniteOne Health and Dartmouth Health would have focused, at least initially, on the Manchester region. Huggins Hospital was hopeful to have a closer connection to Dartmouth Health to bring new services, such as cancer care, to the Wolfeboro area once the focus could be shifted.”

O’Clair added, “While Huggins Hospital doesn’t anticipate a negative impact to our organization or area due to this decision, strengthening healthcare throughout the state would have a positive impact on our hospital and our community. Huggins Hospital will continue to plan for the future and continue to grow and adapt as our community needs.”

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health originally sought an affiliation with Catholic Medical Center in 2009, but the AG’s Charitable Trusts Unit objected that it would result in a “profound change in the governance structure” of Catholic Medical Center, including the exclusion of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester from membership, although he would continue to hold some powers. Charitable Trusts also expressed concern that the agreement could adversely affect the cost of health care, among other issues.

The more recent “change of control transaction” under which GraniteOne Health would become part of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system went before the Charitable Trusts Unit for review on December 30, 2019. While much of the agreement focused on CMC, it outlined plans to determine the feasibility of expanding general and orthopedic surgery, as well as cancer treatment, at Monadnock Community Hospital and Huggins Hospital, and to integrate back-end services and data-sharing to reduce costs.

Based upon a review of the plan conducted by the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau, Attorney General John Formella determined there was “reason to believe the proposed transaction is unlawful because it likely will adversely impact competition for certain health care services in Manchester and the surrounding area, the Southwest region, as well as for certain services statewide.

“Free, fair, and robust competition is critical to providing employers and patients with options for lower-cost and high-quality health care services,” Formella said in a news release. “Our state has experienced significant consolidation in health care over the past several years, and this transaction, seeking to combine two of our top four largest systems, is unacceptable without appropriate protections for consumers in place.”

Joanne Conroy, the chief executive officer of what now is known as Dartmouth Health, said, “Although we disagree with, and are deeply disappointed by, the result of the regulatory review, we respect the process that led to this decision.”

She added, “During the 2-3 years of review by state and federal officials, the dynamics of the healthcare landscape in New Hampshire — and beyond — have continued to change dramatically. Despite the unforeseen challenges of the pandemic, Dartmouth Health and GraniteOne remained committed and focused on how we would deliver the benefits and promises of the combination for our patients and communities. But it has become clear to us that those benefits and promises that we envisioned several years ago are no longer practical and realistic in the current environment.”

Lauren Collins-Cline, speaking for GraniteOne, called the outcome “disappointing for GraniteOne Health and its members.… It’s also disappointing for the patients and communities of New Hampshire. Based on the public forums we held last fall, it was clear how much the community supports our organizations and recognized the benefits this combination would have provided.”