Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 20, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 5 Bus ridership linking UConn's Storrs campus to Hartford grows Ridership for the expanded CTtransit bus route linking UConn's Storrs and downtown Hartford campuses and UConn Health in Farmington has surged to more than 32,000 passenger trips since it launched on Aug. 13, state officials said. During the month of October, the service averaged 439 weekday trips, 324 trips on Saturdays, and 228 trips on Sundays, according to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. In addition, more than half of the passengers on the route took advantage of the state's new U-Pass CT program, which provides students with unlimited use of all buses and trains within the state (the cost is included in student university fees). The state invested $1.9 million in the expanded bus line, according to the state Department of Transportation. Moody's: CT budget 'adds to challenges' for UConn Connecticut's new $41.3 billion budget will be "credit negative" for UConn even though it is "credit positive" for the state as a whole, according to Moody's Investors Service. The budget's passage is favorable for the state "because it restores revenue expenditure predictability" in state aid for municipalities. It also puts into place improved financial management measures, according to Moody's analyst Joseph Manoleas. In contrast, UConn, whose credit rating had been downgraded to Aa3 negative in July because of its financial reliance on the state, has a "credit negative," outlook. The budgeted $107 million in cuts to the university "adds to near-term operating challenges," Manoleas said in his Nov. 9 report. The reductions are higher than the $70 million in cuts UConn planned for in its approved 2018 budget, the analyst noted. UConn President Susan Herbst has said the university will institute several measures to cope with the cuts, including a hiring freeze, restructuring of administrative positions and departments and some service reductions. MGM Springfield begins hiring workers for casino debut MGM has opened a downtown career center in Springfield, Mass., to begin hiring employees ahead of its planned fall 2018 casino debut. The center at 1259 East Columbus Ave. will cover targeted outreach sessions, interviews, licensing and training, the casino said. The MGM Springfield resort casino will compete with Connecticut tribal casinos in Uncasville and Mashantucket for patrons and slot revenue. New England Urgent Care adding primary care to mix in Enfield A West Hartford- based urgent-care operator is adding a new primary care facility to its mix as it looks to diversify and expand patient services. New England Urgent Care is planning to open New England Primary Care next door to its urgent care clinic in Enfield in January, working to satisfy two markets in what amounts to one location, co-founder Dr. Michael Gutman said. "We feel that there's a huge need in Enfield for that because over 50 percent of our patients claim that they don't have primary care coverage," said Gutman, who opened his first New England Urgent Care clinic in West Hartford in 2011 and added locations in Bristol, Enfield, Manchester and Simsbury. The Simsbury office, however, is closing after five years of operation. Gutman said he and his co-founder wife, Yahel, a nurse, are reallocating resources as part of the Enfield expansion. The West Hartford and Enfield offices are about the same distance away for much of Simsbury, Yahel said, adding, "sometimes you just have to re-evaluate." Gutman has no current plans for additional primary care offices and said the Enfield office, in the same building as the urgent care clinic at 55 Hazard Ave., will focus on providing a full spectrum of family medicine, seven days a week. "We're basically putting the urgent care model into primary care," he said, and taking patients "when it suits them rather than us." A primary care office needs fewer resources to operate than an urgent care center dealing with acute injuries, he said, but patients who need X-rays or an IV, for example, can get those at the neighboring urgent care. Each office will send patients to the other, he said. The primary care office will include physician coverage, as well as family practice APRNs and take Anthem insurance, as do the urgent care clinics, Gutman said, referring to the current rate standoff between Anthem and Hartford HealthCare that has put HHC facilities out of network until a new contract is reached. Visit Customer Service in Center Court or call 860-561-3024 LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT? GIVE A WESTFARMS GIFT CARD! The expanded CTtransit UConn-to-Hartford line has gained riders. PHOTO | HBJ FILE

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