Three nursing homes go to new operator

Hartford (WTNH) - Three nursing homes in Eastern Connecticut, formerly operated by Haven Healthcare, emerged from state receivership at midnight, September 15, with a state court's approval of their sale to a new operator, Michigan-based Ciena Healthcare Management, Inc.

The sale ends a long period of uncertainty for employees and residents of the former Haven of Danielson and Haven of Norwich facilities, which will now be known as Regency Heights of Danielson and Regency Heights of Norwich.

More than 300 nurses, nursing assistants, dietary, laundry, housekeeping and other support staff at the Danielson and Norwich facilities are members of the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU Healthcare.

The new owner, Ciena, agreed to assume the terms and conditions of the current collective bargaining agreement with former operator Haven Healthcare, keeping employee wages, health insurance, pensions, education and other benefits and contract provisions for employees intact.

The new agreements will expire on March 15, 2011, the same expiration date as the new contracts District 1199 recently settled at 25 other Connecticut nursing homes.

"Throughout the disruption and uncertainty that resulted from the Haven scandal and bankruptcy, our members remained focused on delivering care to residents," said Carmen Boudier, president of the state's largest union of health care workers, District 1199. "I am extremely proud of their dedication to their residents and their determination to protect their hard-won contracts. With this sale, we can turn our full attention to the challenges of providing the best possible care at a time when state budget cuts and flat-funding are undermining already-inadequate staffing levels in Connecticut's nursing homes."