As Physicians Alliance of Connecticut (PACT), PACT-Hartford HealthCare went live in 2013, after five physician groups came together in search of a common goal: to preserve and protect private medical practice in southern Connecticut. In 2020, PACT partnered with Hartford HealthCare and became PACT-Hartford HealthCare, an independent medical practice operating under the Hartford HealthCare umbrella.
Back then, we saw that as rising costs and complexity drove more and more physicians away from independent private practices and into employer-physician relationships with large medical systems, something was being lost. Autonomy—and frequently, job satisfaction—were being replaced by bureaucracy and a corporate mindset.
We set out to create a third option—one that provides centralized administrative services to allow medical groups to retain independent control of their businesses in a physician-owned and physician-managed multi-specialty group. PACT-Hartford HealthCare takes care of business operations so physicians and their offices can focus on providing quality medical care.
The benefits to our member divisions are extensive. PACT-Hartford HealthCare stays ahead of industry changes and anticipates new requirements and opportunities, avoiding regulatory complications and eliminating the time, cost and frustration of running business operations. Instead, PACT-Hartford HealthCare brings stability to private medical practices, helping member physicians to maintain or increase business levels in the months and years ahead.
The benefits to our member divisions are extensive. PACT-Hartford HealthCare stays ahead of industry changes and anticipates new requirements and opportunities, avoiding regulatory complications and eliminating the time, cost and frustration of running business operations. Instead, PACT-Hartford HealthCare brings stability to private medical practices, helping member physicians to maintain or increase business levels in the months and years ahead.
Our members also benefit from implementation and training on the Epic electronic health records system, discounted group rates on malpractice insurance, and increased purchasing power from economies of scale. In addition, faced with dwindling reimbursement for fee-for-service, our size and emphasis on information technology allows PACT-Hartford HealthCare members to participate in value-based agreements and shared-savings programs, thereby protecting their clinical income as alternative payment models become established. Members also benefit from diverse income streams such as shared ancillary service revenue and profits from optional equity investment in PACT MSO.
As a physician-owned and managed business, PACT-Hartford HealthCare not only allows physicians to run their own practices, it gives them a say in how PACT-Hartford HealthCare is run. Every member has an equal voice, and each division is represented on the PACT-Hartford HealthCare board of directors.
In July 2020, after seven years of planning and refining our processes, PACT celebrated a new milestone: a partnership with Hartford HealthCare. Under the agreement, the renamed PACT-Hartford HealthCare remains an independent medical practice operating under the Hartford HealthCare umbrella. PACT-Hartford HealthCare is still managed by its independent managed service organization, PACT MSO. The partnership enables PACT-Hartford HealthCare to expand its membership levels to increase economies of scale, ensure the organization’s longevity, and solidify its already strong business model. Our goal is controlled and limited growth while remaining nimble enough to maintain an exceptional level of service to our members and anticipate industry changes and opportunities.
Our future plans call for additional ancillary services, with continued expansion of our primary care base and additional specialist divisions. Our new members will enjoy what current PACT-Hartford HealthCare members now take for granted: the independence of a private practice with the advantages and support of a large, state-wide medical group.
I have been in a private practice gastroenterology group for 13 years but with the changing landscape of healthcare my group, Gastroenterology Center of CT, decided to join PACT in 2013. PACT has given us an opportunity to preserve private practice and retain how we deliver our care to our patients. PACT has allowed my division to grow and expand. We now have new opportunities that we never had before as a single specialty practice. We have been supported on multiple levels as providers and as a business. Most importantly I was able to preserve my deliverance of care to my patients. I feel very fortunate to have had PACT as an option to join in CT and I am looking forward to a strong and robust future.
—Renu Umashanker, M.D. Gastroenterology
I am very pleased with my decision to join PACT because I feel it will better serve providers like myself in remaining current with the changes in the healthcare delivery system. It is reassuring to be able to work with my peers from New Haven County facing the same challenges. PACT is a great option for primary care physicians who want to stay in private practice and continue to succeed. Since PACT is a primary care majority it can allow my colleagues and myself to remain independent and enjoy the benefits and negotiating power of a larger group.
—Lazaros (Larry) Lazarides, M.D. Internal Medicine
I have been part of The West Haven Medical primary care group for over 21 years. We have always been able to determine our own destiny and mode of practice, both as individuals and as a group. With the changes that are here, and those that I know are coming, I understand the need to align with a larger entity. PACT, unlike other entities, allows me and my group (division) to practice much as before. We are not ‘cogs in a wheel,’ but rather a self-determining part of a greater whole. I feel well prepared to meet the increasingly complex requirements of modern medical practice.
—Joseph A. Balsamo, M.D. Internal Medicine
We are a private surgical practice with good clinical volume. However, prior to joining PACT we struggled with the business side of running a small practice. PACT has provided us with management service which is accessible and genuinely cares about the health of our practice, a billing service with billers dedicated to our practice and specialty, and an EMR with robust IT support. Most importantly it has allowed us to align with other likeminded quality physicians dedicated to preserving the private practice model of patient care. This has clearly been a great decision for our group.
—John Aversa, DO Colon and Rectal Surgery
Joining PACT was my practice’s attempt at preparing for the future in this changing healthcare landscape. That gamble has more than paid off, in less than two years with PACT. Among many other successes, we are actively participating in an ACO. With PACT, the future is now looking very bright.
—Bayode Afolalu, M.D. Nephrology
As a physician assistant/advanced practitioner I have found PACT to be welcoming and eager to listen. The culture in my office is warm and friendly. The best part of my job is coming to work knowing that I’m appreciated and making a difference.
— Current Employee, Advanced Practice Provider in an Internal Medicine Subspecialty
322 East Main Street, Suite 1B, Branford, CT 06405 | (203) 488-7228 x276
322 East Main Street, Suite 1B,
Branford, CT 06405
(203) 488-7228 x276
PACT, LLC & PACT MSO, LLC
322 East Main Street, Suite 1B
Branford, CT 06405
