Incumbent Mayor Justin Elicker and challenger Liam Brennan convened on Thursday evening at Yale’s Sterling Law Building to deliberate the expansion of Yale New Haven Hospital and its consequences for New Haven.
The event was organized by the Yale Law School Democrats and moderated by Thomas Breen, the managing editor of the New Haven Independent, along with political science professor Jacob Hacker and law professor Anika Singh Lemar.
Sage Mason, President of Yale Law Democrats, expressed their satisfaction at hosting the event, stating, “We were proud to see so many people from across the Law School, the University, and New Haven engaging with local issues, participating in the democratic process, and holding our leaders accountable.”
To center the discussion around Yale-New Haven relations, the three moderators posed questions related to different aspects of the city influenced by the University, using Yale New Haven Health as a focal point to tie these issues together.
Yale New Haven Health System comprises five hospitals across Southern Connecticut and Rhode Island, ranking as the fifth-largest hospital system in the country and the largest in Connecticut. Last year, the system signed an agreement to acquire three more Connecticut hospitals, bringing its total to eight.
As the system expands, concerns have arisen among residents that consolidation might lead to increased medical costs and reduced wages in affected areas.
When asked about their support for these acquisitions and their plans to address accompanying challenges, one candidate, Liam Brennan, appeared less optimistic about the consolidation’s potential impact on New Haven.
Brennan’s primary concern with the system’s expansion revolves around tax revenue in New Haven and neighboring towns where YNHH has acquired hospitals. Given that the health system falls under Yale’s academic tax exemption, YNHH properties are exempt from taxation. As YNHH acquires additional hospitals, Brennan explained, this tax exemption spreads to surrounding towns, making it harder for them to generate property tax revenue.
“I think it’s something to really be concerned about,” Brennan stated. “We need to make clear to the University that it’s in everyone’s best interest that towns and cities like New Haven and others have other ways to raise revenue than just property taxes.”
In contrast, Elicker identified potential benefits to the regional economy resulting from the hospital system’s expansion. He suggested that it would create more job opportunities for health professionals in New Haven, solidifying the city’s position as a leading hub for bioscience and life-science research. A larger hospital conglomerate could facilitate increased collaboration with the School of Medicine, providing more opportunities for medical students and residents.
“New Haven has become a hub,” Elicker emphasized. “We have to make sure that with this growth, it’s done with the populations that historically haven’t had access to these resources. We need to lean into this to make sure that our residents, especially our most vulnerable, have access to jobs. That’s not just PhD jobs in the sector; there are many jobs driven by lab technicians and health technicians.”
To create incentives for training, hiring, and job creation, Elicker mentioned that his administration is actively developing programs to prepare workers for these roles and collaborating with high schools to enhance their curricula for bioscience professions.
In response to Elicker’s optimism about the YNHH expansion, Brennan argued that hospital consolidation “presents a real challenge to everyday residents” and asserted that the city’s economy does not reap the benefits of hospital acquisitions in other parts of the state.
In accordance with Yale Law Democrats’ policy, neither candidate received an endorsement.
Mason added, “Each one has something to offer the City and wants what’s best for the people living in it, including members of the Yale community.”