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Hartford HealthCare Announces A Bold New Vision
April 29, 2026
Hartford HealthCare announces a transformative investment to reinvent the system’s flagship hospital, Hartford Hospital, into a premier, quaternary academic medical center. Investing nearly $1 billion in Hartford Hospital’s campus, HHC is expanding access, advancing innovation and creating world-class spaces that put patients, families and the community first at every moment of care.
“This is far more than a building project. This is a massive investment in our community and for the future of health care in Hartford and Connecticut,” says Jeffrey A. Flaks, President & CEO of Hartford HealthCare. “This new vision will be the most advanced, most sophisticated hospital campus anywhere in the country and will deliver exceptional, more accessible care for generations to come.”
The announcement came at Hartford Hospital’s annual Black & Red, which raised $4.3 million in support of Health, Healing & Community in the Hartford Region. The sold-out event welcomed more than 1,200 guests to The Bushnell on Saturday, April 25, 2026, and showcased Hartford HealthCare’s mission, to improve the health and healing of all.
Historic center of healing
For nearly 200 years, Hartford Hospital has been a center of innovation, hope and healing, bringing the greatest, most world-renowned experts in medicine to Connecticut’s capital city. This once-in-a-generation investment into the campus and community will include a new patient arrival center, a healing garden, 250 private smart rooms, three floors of state-of-the-art procedure space and a significantly improved emergency department. This investment goes beyond clinical impact, creating opportunities and reflecting Hartford HealthCare’s role as a major economic engine and committed partner to the city and state.
“This incredible investment in the Hartford Hospital campus emphasizes access to care, patient safety and the continued revitalization of our city and community,” said Cheryl Ficara, RN, MS, President of Hartford Hospital & Hartford HealthCare’s Hartford Region. “The plans will allow us to meet the needs of our patients by delivering advanced, high-quality care through expanded, modernized spaces of healing.”
At the heart of it all is the new Hartford Hospital tower, an in-patient and procedural facility that will stand as an iconic symbol for innovation, access, excellence, and a long-term commitment to the Hartford community. The tower, expected to open in 2031, will rise 14 stories above the city’s skyline and provide meaningful benefits for patients, caregivers, and the community.
Construction will begin next year and will include 216 private inpatient beds. It will feature a two-story atrium with public amenities and a direct connection to the new arrival center. Three floors of advanced, modern procedural space, including procedure rooms and prep and recovery bays will support needs for electrophysiology, cardiac catheterization, gastroenterology and ambulatory surgery care, all while featuring leading-edge technology and innovation.
Emergency department renovation
Hartford HealthCare also is expanding and renovating the Hartford Hospital Emergency Department. The redesigned space will directly address overcrowding, patient boarding and patient flow to improve overall safety and access to care. It will include a new front entrance with reimagined areas for check-in, waiting and triage, and will be home to new treatment beds and a medical observation unit. A continuous awning will be the backbone of the building connecting each newly renovated structure to the next.
“We have the best health care in America here in Connecticut. We have the best people, most devoted, most talented people,” said Flaks. “This is going to bring people to work in Connecticut and going to support our local suppliers. This is a win, win, win and I couldn’t be prouder.”