Hospital Agrees To Re-Stock                        Volunteer Ambulances

By Steve Bigham

Danbury Hospital announced this week that it would resume its policy of re-stocking local volunteer ambulances with medical supplies. The announcement was made by hospital president Frank J. Kelley in an effort to mend the relationship between Danbury Hospital and groups like the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Mr Kelly said the hospital’s “no re-stock” policy was a result of an anti-kickback law which prohibits re-stocking. The law is designed to stop one hospital from providing perks to entice an ambulance to bring patients there rather than to another hospital. In this case, however, Danbury Hospital is the only hospital serving the area.

The week’s announcement came as welcome news in Newtown, where the hospital’s practice of not re-stocking ambulances was costing the corps $20,000 a year. First Selectman Herb Rosenthal had been an outspoken opponent of the hospital’s policy. He commended Mr Kelly’s decision.

“I’m pleased they’re finally doing it. Danbury Hospital saved a couple hundred thousand dollars by doing this. Danbury Hospital was the only hospital in the Northwest region that was not re-stocking ambulances,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Last September, Mr Rosenthal spoke out against the hospital’s policy, saying it was “unfortunate that Danbury Hospital has chosen to interpret the anti-kickback law so literally which has worked to the financial benefit of the hospital and to the detriment of the volunteer ambulance services.”

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has stated that he does not believe the re-stocking of ambulances is a violation of any anti-kickback laws.