Department of Public Health staff told the committee that the industry continues to experience ownership turnover: eight changes of ownership completed so far this state fiscal year and nine pending.

The item matters because ownership changes can affect facility operations, oversight and resident outcomes; committee members pressed staff about what ownership types the department tracks and what disclosure is available at the federal level.

Lorraine Cullen reported the tally of change of ownership activity and noted ongoing industry churn. She said one recent completed change listed on the slides was Grandview Rehabilitation in New Britain, which changed hands in a for‑profit to for‑profit transaction. Committee members asked whether ownership types—such as private equity or real‑estate investment trusts—are being tracked.

Cullen said the department does collect ownership information and that the details exist but may not be immediately available in a one‑click report. Matthew Barrett and Mairead said federal reporting and state review processes have increased transparency in recent years. Barrett told the panel that federal requirements are expanding to require more detailed owner disclosure (he cited CMS provider ownership disclosure work) and said the department’s change‑of‑ownership review now involves heightened scrutiny of ownership and managerial control.

Mairead said the committee is asking questions about prospective owners’ track records in other facilities and that the office does not want low‑quality owners acquiring homes. She invited members and residents to watch the program’s annual Voices Forum for resident perspectives on care and ownership decisions; the video will be posted on the program website.

Why this matters: change‑of‑ownership activity remains frequent, and committee members want clear, accessible data about ownership types and owners’ histories so regulators and legislators can evaluate whether specific ownership structures correlate with quality outcomes. DPH said reviews have become more rigorous in recent years and that the data to evaluate ownership‑quality relationships is increasingly available, though some federal disclosure requirements remain in development.

DPH said it will continue vetting ownership changes closely and that staff can provide more detailed ownership data on request.