The City of Danbury is standing with Danbury Proton and calling for the state to reconsider their application for a Certificate of Need. Mayor Dean Esposito and members of the Danbury delegation in the Connecticut General Assembly spoke at a press conference on Wednesday. On July 14, the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy denied the CON application. In response, on July 29, Danbury Proton submitted a formal Petition for Reconsideration, imploring OHS to engage in a dialogue to address any concerns.
OHS will accept letters of support. With this petition process, officials say they can engage with OHS and have a dialog in a way that they couldn't before. The deadline is 25 days from submission.
Esposito says the denial doesn't compute. He says it needs to be better justified, or approval needs to be given.
OHS approved a Wallingford facility, which is affiliating with Yale-New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare. OHS would prefer Danbury Proton to be a “multi- institutional arrangement.” The company says their facility would be open to all health systems’ patients, excluding none. Danbury Proton stated its intent to partner with regional medical schools, noting the request by the New York Medical College to place interns at Danbury Proton for training. Officials are calling on residents to let the state know if they back the proposal by using a fill-in comment form on their website, https://danburyproton.com/.
State Representative Bob Godfrey says he's befuddled, noting that he wouldn't want to have to make the drive to Wallingford because there's no easy or quick way from here to there. He believes Governor Lamont and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Lehman are interested in high tech industries. Godfrey says the delegation is looking to sign onto a letter together to send to Lamont and others voicing their support.
State Senator Julie Kushner says those in Hartford don't get what it is to live in Western Connecticut. She echoed Godfrey's remarks about Lamont and Lehman looking to invest in new technology that would provide construction jobs, but also permanent jobs in health care. Kushner called it a win-win. As for being part of a larger medical system, she says Nuvance and similar systems have to think about how they provide services in an efficient and economic manner and that might not be development of a new technology like this. Kushner added that it's good to have difference sources of medical care in the community
State Representative Pat Callahan says there is no downside to this cutting edge treatment. He says quality of life is another reason to bring this to Danbury, giving families a place to get some rest and relaxation when they're going through the worst time in their lives.
State Representative Ken Gucker shared a story of his mother's battle with cancer and recovery from the effects of radiology and chemotherapy treatment meaning she couldn't see him sworn in. He also says the location by Danbury Municipal Airport is perfect. The applicant modified their designs because it is the runway of the airport, and Gucker says not much can really be built there. The City's Land Use agency approved plans for the building.
The proton therapy cancer treatment center proposed at 85 Wooster Heights would create over 100 construction jobs during a two-year period. Danbury Proton would employ over 30 full-time equivalent workers including radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiation therapists, medical support and administrative staff. The non-invasive cancer-fighting tool was first used to treat patients in 1954, and received FDA approval in 1988. Unlike traditional radiation which uses photons, or x-rays, protons can deliver nearly all of their energy within a tumor.
