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Board continues Porter & Chester Bridgeport closure hearing, asks for teach‑out plan by Aug. 20
Summary
Porter and Chester Institute notified the board of a voluntary closure of its Bridgeport day and evening nursing programs; the board cancelled the July 29 closure hearing date, continued the hearing with no new date, asked for a written teach‑out plan by Aug. 20 and requested Department of Public Health site visits prior to that meeting.
Porter and Chester Institute told the Connecticut State Board of Nursing it intends to voluntarily close its Bridgeport day and evening nursing programs and proposed a teach‑out that would end with the final cohort’s graduation in May 2026. After discussion the board voted to cancel the July 29 special hearing date, continue the closure hearing without rescheduling it immediately, and asked Porter and Chester to submit a detailed teach‑out plan by Aug. 20.
Sherry Greif (identified in the record as representing Porter and Chester) described steps the institution has taken since notifying the department: staffing hires, added clinical placements, revised course weighting and a required clinical orientation intended to address prior survey findings and student concerns. “Our goal is to teach in place, if you allow it,” she told the board, while also saying students could be relocated to Porter & Chester campuses in Hamden or Waterbury if necessary and if students agree.
Board members expressed concerns about the Bridgeport campus given prior Department of Public Health site‑visit findings and mixed NCLEX/pass‑rate history at some Porter & Chester campuses. Sal Diaz said he was “disturbed” by parts of the earlier DPH visit and recommended relocating students to Hamden or Waterbury so they would be under closer oversight. Board chair Gina Reiner and other members stressed the need to protect students and to provide clear records and transcripts.
Attorney Eric Del Pozzo (counsel for Porter & Chester) and DPH counsel Ryan Burns joined the discussion. Burns described procedural options and recommended continuing the hearing and canceling the immediate July 29 special meeting while allowing the board to schedule a later hearing if the teach‑out plan is unsatisfactory.
Action taken: Mary Dieteman moved to cancel the July 29 meeting and continue the hearing without a new date; the motion passed on roll call (ayes from Sal Diaz, Mary Dieteman, Lisa Freeman, Camille Payne and Chair Gina Reiner). The board asked Porter & Chester to deliver a written teach‑out and corrective plan by Aug. 20 and requested that DPH undertake campus and clinical site visits, if staffing permits, before that date. Porter & Chester confirmed they would submit their formal plan to accreditor ACCSC and to the board.
Key numbers and logistics: Porter & Chester reported 80 remaining students after the most recent short‑term graduation; the institution proposed a final program end date of May 2026 for the Bridgeport cohorts. The board’s next step is to review the written plan on Aug. 20 and then determine whether a formal closure hearing will be needed.
