Hartford Business Journal

12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 4, 2024 ON THE RECORD | Q&A A. Well, we have a variety of trav- elers, whether they be respiratory therapists, or even somebody who works in HR, for example. But you recall, just a while ago, there was an explosion (in the use of temporary workers) in hospitals around the country because of the reduction in (full-time employees). Hospitals post-COVID had to rely on these travelers, who were being paid pretty exorbitant rates to fill in. They don't live in the community, they fly in and out. It just has an impact on their level of commitment and support of our patients in our community. They're also more expensive. In some cases, three and four times what you would normally pay, and then the bad news is your people — who are committed, who work for you — you can't pay them. It's just not right. So, we moved away from relying on travelers and really hired people who cared, who wanted to be in this community and really wanted to contribute. Q. You mentioned the cyberattack and that ECHN has been profit- able since that occurred. What is the status of the recovery overall on all three Prospect hospitals in Connecticut? A. I can assure you that actually all the organizations are at the tail end of recovery. Of course, that involves a lot of catch-up paperwork and so forth, but we have worked really hard at that piece. We learned a great deal from this cyberattack, and we want to parlay those learnings into being better organizations in the future. But what has occurred is, within about 60 days, ECHN returned to profitability after the cyberattack, and Waterbury has improved its performance every month in this fiscal year. Q. Some of the issues related to the cyberattack had to do with aging equipment and computers and software problems. Have those been addressed? A. We've been able to isolate some areas for sure, and we have them pulled out and we're ready to address them when we can, if we haven't already addressed them. But that is not unique to us or to anyone else who's gotten attacked by an outside bad actor. That constant surveillance of your own internal system, your own internal security system, needs to go on for everybody. Q. Given the cyberattack and other issues that have come to light involving Prospect Medical Hold- ings, like reports the company wasn't fully paying vendors, are you confident that Waterbury Hospital and ECHN can continue to survive and provide a high level of care until the sale to Yale New Haven Health is completed? A. I am confident that it's in the best interest of the communities involved that these hospitals survive and thrive going forward. And we've done many things to communicate that to the folks involved in the decision at hand to make that understandable going forward. My confidence lies in the people and the physicians and the commu- nities themselves. And, of course, I'm not an ultimate decision-maker. But my motivation is to deliver the highest quality care that we can for these communities that we're connected to. Waterbury Hospital's campus on Robbins Street. PHOTO | SHAHRZAD RASEKH/CT MIRROR EXECUTIVE FIAT | WALLINGFORD, CT EXECUTIVE CHEVROLET | WALLINGFORD, CT HAMDEN MAZDA | HAMDEN, CT WALLINGFORD BUICK | WALLINGFORD, CT Driven By Your Success R e t a i l • I n d u s t r i a l • C o m m e r c i a l • I n s t i t u t i o n a l • E d u c a t i o n • H e a l t h c a r e • R e l i g i o u s Auto dealership construction is a specialty of ours. Over the years, PDS has had the great privilege of working closely and often with some of the area's most respected names. Having built over a dozen dealerships in our history, we work to build lasting relationships based on trust and communication. With in-house disciplines of engineering from civil to mechanical, PDS can design the right building to fit your budget and timeline. CONSTRUCTING EXCELLENCE 860.242.8586 | pdsec.com MITCHELL SUBARU | CANTON, CT

• Cover