HARTFORD — Senator Mae Flexer (D-Killingly), Representative Christine Rosati Randall (D-Killingly) and Representative Danny Rovero (D-Killingly) met last week at the State Capitol with more than 30 employees and volunteers from Day Kimball Hospital, who had traveled to Hartford to advocate for the restoration of funding for their local healthcare provider.

Holding signs that said “Restore Our Hospital Funding – DKH #BecauseWeCare,” lawmakers and hospital advocates walked to the Capitol office of Governor Dannel Malloy to protest his decision to again cut $3.8 million in funding to the community hospital two weeks ago.

As Governor Malloy left a meeting, Day Kimball President and CEO Bob Smanik, Day Kimball employees and Sen. Flexer, Rep. Rosati Randall and Rep. Rovero met him at the door, to personally communicate the human cost of cuts to the hospital, and to express their fervent desire to see the funding restored.

Smanik said it was important he and other Day Kimball supporters were able to speak face-to-face with the governor, who has repeatedly cut funding to Day Kimball as the state grapples with a budget deficit.

“It was terrific to speak to the governor about the specific needs of Day Kimball and Northeast Connecticut, and how vital these funds are, how we really focus on community-based care. I believe the Governor recognized that, and recognized that not all hospitals are the same – and what we are doing at Day Kimball is worth continuing and preserving,” said Smanik.

Lawmakers believe that the governor does know the difference between small community-based hospitals and larger healthcare networks in Connecticut.

“Rep. Randall, Rep. Rovero and I led a group of Day Kimball Hospital employees to Governor Malloy’s office to make it clear to him how devastating the cuts are that he has made yet again to Day Kimball,” said Sen. Flexer. “The cuts are devastating not just to healthcare in our region, but also to our economy. Frankly, we heard today from Day Kimball’s chief medical officer that these cuts are affecting patient care, the quality of care and the safety of patients. People’s lives are on the line at this point.”

Day Kimball’s Board of Directors has taken an aggressive approach to manage operating losses and cuts to funding, through a deficit mitigation plan that would reduce operating expenses by $7 million per year. That includes cutting pay for top administrators, layoffs, wage freezes and attrition of positions in senior management.

“They can’t sustain any more cuts in state funding,” said Sen. Flexer. “This cut to funding is unacceptable. The legislature has said again and again that Day Kimball Hospital needs this money, and the governor just keeps taking it away. It’s not fair, it’s not okay – and we’re not going to stand for it.”

“We had made a deal, and the governor was in on it, that we would not cut funding to hospitals – my main concern was for Day Kimball,” said Rep. Rovero. “They said they would not cut funding, and then they did cut funding. That’s what has me the most upset – when I make a deal my word is good, and that is what we should be doing up here in Hartford.”

Rep. Rosati Randall argued that small community hospitals like Day Kimball should not be treated with the same “broad brush” as larger, profitable hospitals in Connecticut.