Trinity Health of New England has informed medical staff at its three hospitals in Connecticut that they now have to work for a third-party company based in California.

Trinity Health told employees they will lose their jobs if they don’t agree within 90 days to work for the company, called Virtuity.

“Trinity Health Of New England has entered into a partnership with Vituity, the nation’s largest physician-owned-and-led medical partnership group, to manage emergency medicine and hospitalist medicine services at our Connecticut acute care hospitals,” the healthcare provider said in a statement.

The decision affects more than 100 medical employees at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford.

Lawmakers are concerned the decision could worsen the existing statewide staffing shortage.

“If these things do not work in the right direction, this is going to be a healthcare challenge and a disaster,” said Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor).

Anwar and Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock) both raised the alarms Tuesday about what happens if medical staff decide not to work for Virtuity.

“Could there be disruptions to patient care in a transfer if some of the doctors do not go over to this new group?” Gordon asked.

Both lawmakers are doctors. Anwar is chairman of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, while Gordon is also a member.

Trinity Health said it’s had a 15-year partnership with Vituity, which describes itself as a physician-owned company.

“This collaboration prioritizes physician engagement, ensures smooth transitions, and upholds exceptional patient outcomes,” Virtuity said in a statement.

Neither Trinity Health nor Vituity answered several questions, including whether the staff were guaranteed to receive the same salary and benefits.

They also would not say if Trinity Health would offer similar positions elsewhere for any workers who don’t want to work for Vituity, or if Vituity is committed to maintaining staffing levels if employees choose to leave.

The deal does not require state approval but Anwar and Gordon both said they’re trying to convince Trinity Health to back out of the deal.

“This is just more of what we see with regards to these types of arrangements, the business-type of decisions that get made,” Gordon said.

Trinity Health would need approval from the state’s Office of Health Strategy if it wanted to cut or eliminate services due to declining staff, though.

Lawmakers said they are trying to make major reforms to Connecticut’s healthcare system this session.

The news of Trinity Health’s decision comes on the heels of Prospect Medical Holdings’ decision to file for bankruptcy over the weekend.

Prospect Medical, a California-based private equity firm, owns Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, and Rockville General Hospital.

Both Gordon and Anwar said they favor legislation that keeps private equity firms like Prospect from buying hospitals in the future.

“How can we make sure that not only the people are healthy, but the healthcare systems are healthy?” Anwar said.

They also plan to consider ways to recruit more people into the medical field. And they want additional protections to safeguard patient care whenever hospitals or other healthcare providers cut staff.

It was a deadly weekend on the roads with several crashes across the state. That includes one that took the life a 14-year-old girl in Shelton.

“She was our beacon for everything. She was an amazing little girl,” Valentine Philoche said.

Memories are being held close for the family of 14-year-old Chloe Ramsubhag. They’re grieving after she was killed in a crash early Sunday morning on Route 8 in Shelton.

Her 10-year-old brother is finding it difficult to process.

“It’s just hard not to think about her all the time. Like last night, I couldn’t really go to bed,” Jeremiah Mayes said.

State troopers say the car Chloe was in was struck from behind by a Honda van. It pushed them into opposing traffic where the car was struck again.

Philoche, Chloe’s aunt, is still reeling from the shock of losing her niece.

“She was just a wonderful little human. She deserved everything,” she said.

That crash was one of several deadly accidents that happened that same day. Two people were killed on I-84 in Danbury in the morning.

A pedestrian was struck and killed on Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill later in the evening.

Just after that, one person died on I-84 in Farmington, causing the interstate to shut down in both direction for hours.

The state Department of Transportation said this was a bad weekend for crashes with some factors at play.

“It’s dark earlier, a lot of commuting happening, a lot of people out and about, when it’s pitch black out, even though it’s only 6 o’clock at night,” Josh Morgan, director of communications for the DOT, said.

The DOT said there were 321 road deaths last year on Connecticut roads. That’s down from 2022 where the state saw more than 360 deaths, but up from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, which saw 250 deaths.

“Historically speaking, we see that 30% of our fatalities in Connecticut can be attributed to speed. Another 30 to 40% can be attributed to impairment,” Morgan said.

Chloe’s family said the string of deadly crashes is unacceptable and they’re urging drivers to make responsible decisions on the road, so everyone is able to make it home safely.

“Be careful of what you’re doing, especially in small cars. Just be careful of what you’re doing,” Mayes said.

Philoche said the family has received thousands of dollars in donations from the community to help pay for funeral expenses. They’re planning to hold a vigil in Waterbury on Jan. 26.

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