Hartford Business Journal

14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MAY 5, 2025 Hospital for Special Care CEO Crista F. Durand in her New Britain office. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER CEO Homecoming Durand returns to CT from Rhode Island to lead New Britain's Hospital for Special Care; reimbursement rates, worker burnout among key challenges In addition, an analysis by ProPublica.org found that 95% of the hospital's revenue, or $129.3 million, was from program services, while 2.6% ($3.5 million) was investment income and 0.9% ($1.26 million) was from donations. Durand, though, says the hospital has historically struggled financially because 85% of its reimbursement revenue is from Medicaid — the government program administered by the state that provides health coverage for low-income individuals. "I've worked in hospital systems that have had a high government payer mix, but 85% is unheard of," she said. The hospital's staff of about 1,300 cares for patients that range in age from infants to the elderly. It has eight areas of focus, including autism, brain injury, cardiac, complex pediatric, neuromuscular, pulmonary and spinal cord injury care, as well as therapy and rehabilitation. "We have very sick, complicated patients," Durand said. "For some patients, it's a hospital. For others, it's a home." HSC's patients run the gamut from those suffering from paralysis, a traumatic brain injury or Alzhei- mer's/dementia, to individuals with muscular dystrophy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Durand noted that HSC is the fourth-largest long-term care hospital among the 330 that operate in the U.S., and is one of just two nation- wide that provides long-term acute care for children. Of its 236 beds, 48, or about 20%, are for kids. That includes 28 beds for chronic, long-term care pediatric patients, and 20 for the hospital's inpatient autism program. "The fact that we treat kids that are really sick, I think, really sets us apart," she said. Goals and challenges In accepting the leadership role at Hospital for Special Care, Durand said she was not given any specific goals by the organization's board. But, after nearly two months on the job, she has developed some of her own. "My observations are that we're steeped in history and culture," she said. "We've got a phenomenal reputation and brand. So, one of my early goals would be to formalize our physician recruitment process. I think that's something I'd like to do in time." She also wants to develop a strategic plan. "I think that's super important, and to continue to elevate our quality and brand, those are some of the short- term goals," she said. Longer term, she intends to develop a three-year strategic plan, which would include having "annual work plans to continue to drive our finan- cial performance, our operational performance and our quality and community involvement," she said. As for challenges, Durand cited what she considers to be at the top of the list. By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com W hen Lynn Ricci, the longtime president and CEO of New Britain-based Hospital for Special Care (HSC), announced in June last year that she planned to retire, the hospital began a national search for her replacement. HSC hired Chicago-based executive search firm WittKieffer to help find its next chief executive. After that nation- wide hunt, they found Ricci's successor — practically in the hospital's backyard. Meet Crista F. Durand, a Connecticut native born and raised in Putnam, and a die-hard New England Patriots fan. Since 2014, Durand, 54, had served as president of Newport Hospital, a 129-bed community care provider in Rhode Island that is part of the Brown University Health System. Before that, she served as vice president of strategic planning, marketing and business development at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London. When Durand's appointment was announced in February, Diane Chace, chair of the Hospital for Special Care board, said she was confident Durand would "further our commitment to our mission." For her part, Durand believes she was selected because she possesses a trifecta of skills. "I was a hospital chief financial officer, a chief strategy officer and a CEO," she said during a recent inter- view with Hartford Business Journal. "So, I deeply understand the financial aspects of a hospital-operations strategy, and I'm a seasoned CEO." She added that her Connecticut roots were also a plus. Durand, who officially assumed her CEO role on March 3, is still settling into her job, but already has set goals for the 236-bed hospital located on 32 acres on Corbin Avenue in New Britain. But unlike the facilities she has worked for in the past, this hospital is, well, special. It's one of only two long-term, acute-care hospitals in the state; Gaylord Hospital in Wall- ingford is the other. Two additional facilities are in the works, one in Danbury and another in Waterbury, which will double compe- tition in the state. That, combined with concerns over possible cuts to Medicaid reim- bursement rates, offers significant challenges for HSC's new leader. 85% Medicaid Founded in 1941, Hospital for Special Care is an independent, not-for-profit healthcare facility. According to its most recent tax filing, for the fiscal year ended March 2024, the hospital reported revenue of $136 million, expenses of $131 million and net income of just under $4.8 million. Hospital for Special Care's operating performance FISCAL OPERATING OPERATING OPERATING YEAR REVENUES EXPENSES MARGIN 2019 $107,679,036 $103,675,375 $4,003,661 2020 $111,947,664 $108,257,982 $3,689,682 2021 $112,682,019 $110,979,299 $1,702,720 2022 $118,771,464 $116,297,425 $2,474,039 2023 $127,438,397 $125,098,872 $2,339,525 Source: Office of Health Strategy CRISTA F. DURAND President & CEO Hospital for Special Care Age: 54 Education: Bachelor's degree, finance and financial manage- ment services, Salve Regina University; MBA, Nichols College

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