RIAG and RIDOH to hold second public comment
meeting today from 3-5 on proposed Lifespan-CNE
merger
Third public comment meeting scheduled for February 10; written comments now being accepted through February 11, 2022
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Attorney General and the Rhode Island Department of Health will hold a second virtual public comment meeting concerning the proposed merger of Lifespan and Care New England Health System (CNE) today from 3pm-5pm. A third copmment meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2022 from 6pm-8pm.
The first public comment meeting last week welcomed more than 250 people looking to share their input on the proposed merger.
Sign up here to provide public comment at one of these meetings.
Virtual meeting access information:
· January 26, 2022
3pm-5pm
https://esquiresolutions.zoom.us/j/93624453049?pwd=ZmJXMWtNSTlxSWVYendRdXlqbWhGZz09
+1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 US Toll
If joining from an H.323/SIP room system: Dial: 162.255.37.11 (US West) or 162.255.36.11 (US East)
· February 10, 2022
6pm – 8pm
https://esquiresolutions.zoom.us/j/94511682732?pwd=WUNlYVpYSnVwdjZqVXdtdmcrQndudz09
+1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 US Toll
If joining from an H.323/SIP room system: Dial: 162.255.37.11 (US West) or 162.255.36.11 (US East)
Written comment
The Attorney General and RIDOH are also accepting written comments regarding the proposed transaction. The date has been extended from now through February 11, 2022. Written comments may be forwarded to:
Maria R. Lenz
Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street Providence, RI 02903
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fernanda Lopes, MPH,
Chief, Office of Health Systems Development
Rhode Island Department of Health
Three Capitol Hill, Room 410 Providence, RI 02908
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Merger application available online for public review
The transacting parties’ application is available on the RIAG web site here: https://www.riag.ri.gov/about-our-office/divisions-and-units/civil-division/public-protection/healthcare and the RIDOH web site here: https://health.ri.gov/programs/hospitalconversionsmerger/.
The Lifespan/CNE application was deemed complete and accepted for review on November 16, 2021. Prior to being made public, the application and all attached documents were subject to a confidentiality review, which is required by the Hospital Conversions Act. As part of this review, Lifespan and CNE requested that documents or parts of documents they consider confidential be withheld from public disclosure. Those requests were reviewed by the Attorney General and anything deemed to be confidential, such as confidential business/propriety information and personally identifiable information, was redacted or withheld from this public disclosure.
A complete list of all the documents submitted as part of the application – including documents deemed confidential and the reasons why – is available here. (Application_confidentiality_review.pdf)
At this stage in the process, the Attorney General and RIDOH continue the review process, which involves requesting information from the transacting parties.
Under the HCA, the deadline for a decision approving, approving with conditions, or denying the transaction falls 120 days from the date of completeness. In this case, the deadline remains March 16, 2022.
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