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Danbury, Norwalk Hospitals Officially Announce Affiliation

NORWALK, Conn. -- Norwalk Hospital is now part of Western Connecticut Health Network, with Danbury Hospital, after approval of the merger by the state.

Norwalk Hospital, left, is now part of the Western Connecticut Health Network, with Danbury Hospital,

Norwalk Hospital, left, is now part of the Western Connecticut Health Network, with Danbury Hospital,

Photo Credit: File

The Health Network, now comprising Danbury,  Norwalk and New Milford hospitals, will have 822 licensed beds, nearly 6,000 employees and approximately a $1.1 billion annual budget.

"We are thrilled to begin this affiliation,” Dr. John M. Murphy, who will remain president and chief executive officer of Western Connecticut Health Network, said in a statement. “Our exploration of this collaboration began nearly two years ago, when we started considering the benefits of working together to improve health care for our communities. We each bring strong legacies in not-for-profit, community-based care to our shared goal: providing greater access to a broader range of resources to help people lead healthier lives."

Teams comprising staff from both hospitals are working to implement plans to integrate operations. Dan DeBarba, Jr., the former president and chief executive officer of Norwalk Hospital is the newly named executive vice president of the network and president of Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals.

"Even in the short term, patients in our communities will experience the benefits of our collaboration," DeBarba said in a statement. "The new organization will offer greater access to a wider range of surgical and specialty care than either organization offered on its own. For staff, the new organization will continue to be a great place to work as we strengthen our commitment to medical education and research across all entities."

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