Sen. Gordon Responds to Governor Lamont’s Announcement on Healthcare Legislation

January 23, 2025

HARTFORD, CT – In response to Governor Ned Lamont’s announcement regarding a legislative proposal to increase the oversight and financial stability of Connecticut hospitals and protect patients in Connecticut, State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), a practicing physician and member of the Public Health Committee, released the following statement:

“I commend Governor Lamont and Attorney General Tong for recognizing the critical importance of stabilizing Connecticut’s healthcare system and protecting patient care and health care jobs. As a practicing doctor and a legislator, I have been deeply involved in addressing the financial and operational crises impacting our hospitals and healthcare workers. This has been one of the cornerstones of my work for the past two years.

I have been vocal on these issues long before the recent events with private equity firms in health care highlighted the vulnerabilities in our system. My bipartisan Putting Patients Over Profits Act and my legislation on reforming the Certificate of Need process offer real, common-sense solutions to prevent the type of corporate exploitation and mismanagement that jeopardize the stability of our hospitals. The legislation addresses the root causes of these problems by:

  • Preventing private equity firms from exploiting hospitals for profit.
  • Stopping predatory sale-leaseback schemes that financially cripple healthcare institutions.
  • Safeguarding medical professionals from undue corporate interference, ensuring patient care decisions remain in the hands of those who know best.
  • Establishing timelines for decision-making by the Office of Health Strategy, similar to what is done in other states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, so as to stop delays in approvals that serve the common good of patient care.

While I applaud the administration for moving this conversation forward, I strongly urge them to fully support my proposed legislative efforts, which have been carefully crafted with these goals in mind. Now is the time for decisive action to protect the health and well-being of all Connecticut residents, and the many health care jobs in our state.

I remain committed to working with the Governor, the Attorney General, my colleagues in the legislature, and all stakeholders to ensure meaningful reforms are enacted for the good of our state.”