(HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy (OHS) will host a community forum to engage the public in identifying funding priorities for grants to support a range of maternal and infant health services in the greater Stafford community. OHS reached an agreed settlement with Johnson Memorial Hospital (JMH) in January requiring the hospital to provide grants to community programs or providers in lieu of a civil penalty related to their closure of labor and delivery services.
JMH will provide a total of $153,500 in grant funding to support reproductive health, prenatal care, postnatal care, and other fields related to childbirth in the hospital’s primary service area as required by the agreed settlement. The primary service area is defined as communities comprising 75% of inpatient discharges from the facility and includes the following towns: East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Hartford, Somers, Stafford, Suffield, Union, and Windsor Locks.
The forum, to be held April 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM, will provide opportunities for community members to share their views on the need for the types of reproductive, maternal and infant health services to be funded by the proposed grants. The forum will be held at the Stafford Community Center, 3 Buckley Hwy, Stafford Springs, CT and will provide opportunities for participation in-person or via Zoom. Registration is open to the public and may be completed online for virtual or in-person participation. Sign up for speakers will also be available in the Stafford Community Center at 6:00 PM. In-person and virtual participants may be asked to limit remarks to three minutes to maximize participation opportunities for all interested community members.
OHS will also accept written comments during a 60-day public comment period extending through May 27, 2025. Written comments may be submitted to OHS@CT.gov, subject line JMH Community Forum.
OHS will accept brief grant applications from eligible organizations proposing to provide identified services to communities within the JMH primary service area through May 27, 2025. The application form, and additional information regarding eligibility, is available online.
A work group comprised of community representatives and state officials will evaluate grant applications based on the priorities identified by the community through the forum and written comments. Fund distribution will be determined by the work group.
For assistance accessing the forum, grant application or related information, or to request language or other accessibility support, please contact: OHS@CT.gov
###