Day Kimball - Staying Strong For Our Community
Letter to the Editor | Villager Papers |  May 6, 2022

Last week, the leadership teams of Day Kimball Healthcare and Covenant Health took an important next step in our affiliation process by filing formal Certificate of Need documents with the State of Connecticut. Over the next several months, this proposal will undergo review by a number of regulatory agencies to assure that this partnership is beneficial for our community.

We are excited and optimistic for the future as this process progresses. Like Day Kimball, Covenant Health shares a deep commitment to serving people of all faiths, backgrounds and incomes. In fact, our affiliation with Covenant will serve to deepen our commitment to serving our community and all patients. Our shared values and commitment to serving the community and all patients will provide a strong foundation for our future. Navigating the future, we look forward to the continued strong local input and guidance of the Day Kimball Healthcare community-led board of directors as we work together to preserve the vital healthcare resources that we have built and made highly accessible in our local community.  

It is important to note that Covenant Health is a Catholic system and a healing ministry of the Catholic Church. Covenant is committed, just like Day Kimball, to providing high quality, accessible care to all who seek it without imposing a Catholic way of life on others. Covenant does promote and defend human dignity, act on behalf of justice and care for the poor and vulnerable persons. Further, Covenant holds the patient-provider relationship sacred, and will address the needs of their patients within that trust-building relationship. These values are very similar to what Day Kimball has always held up in support of our community.   

Day Kimball Healthcare has explored several affiliation opportunities over the years, and unfortunately none of them have come to fruition for various reasons. Additionally, the global pandemic has highlighted our need to be part of a larger system. We have had extensive conversations with the leadership of Covenant Health and believe this affiliation will provide stability and the resources Day Kimball needs to continue to balance the many health care needs of our area residents.

Day Kimball is proud to be a top-ranked hospital and health system, and we are very proud to bring these recognitions to our partnership with Covenant Health. Day Kimball has achieved the highest five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nationally, DKH ranks in the top 13 percent (one of just over 400) of eligible hospitals that have earned this distinction. Further, over the last two years, DKH has consistently earned an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing DKH’s achievements protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

We are committed to keeping the community informed throughout the affiliation process. We encourage those with additional questions to contact Kyle Kramer, DKH Chief Executive Officer, at 860-928-6541, extension 2218, or kkramer@daykimball.org.

Janice Thurlow, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Day Kimball Healthcare

Peter Deary, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Day Kimball Healthcare