NEW HAVEN & UNCASVILLE, CT – The partnership between Mohegan Tribe, Mohegan Sun and Yale New Haven Health has cut the ribbon on its latest endeavor – the Uncasville Medical Center at Mohegan Sun. The opening marks the latest phase of the partnership’s ongoing commitment to improving healthcare in southeastern Connecticut.
The 8,500 sq. ft. medical center at 2 Sandy Desert Road, offers primary care, walk-in care and specialty care. The new health center welcomed its first patients on May 10 and is open to the public including Mohegan visitors and individuals from the surrounding communities. The facility includes nine exam rooms and one procedure room.
The Mohegan Tribe, headquartered on its reservation in Uncasville, and Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the state’s largest healthcare system, have been working in collaboration for nearly two years. The mission of the collaboration is to holistically manage the health of those with chronic disease in collaboration with all members of the healthcare team with the goal of providing safe, compassionate, patient-centered care that is high quality and achieves cost-effective outcomes.
“The Mohegan Tribe has always prioritized the health and well-being of, not just our own tribal members and employees, but also our neighbors and surrounding communities,” said James Gessner, Chairman of the Mohegan Tribe. “Our ongoing partnership with Yale New Haven Health is a testament to our tribe’s belief in thinking beyond our own borders and caring about our neighbors. Today’s opening was not our first step together in this partnership, nor will it be our last – the Mohegan Tribe is committed to being a long-term partner in improving public health in southeastern Connecticut.”
Over the past several months, YNHHS, the Mohegan Tribe and Mohegan Sun have been collaborating on health initiatives including large scale COVID vaccination clinics open to the public and team members. The clinic has provided more than 28,000 vaccines. The partnership also operates a COVID-19 testing site at the casino’s Thames Garage, which is open to the public and has conducted more than 19,000 tests.
“Mohegan Sun’s goal is to significantly expand healthcare accessibility, resources and overall services provided to our nearly 5,000 team members and this partnership, alongside The Mohegan Tribe and Yale New Haven Health, especially with the opening of the Uncasville Medical Center, will allow us to realize that goal,” said Jeff Hamilton, President and General Manager of Mohegan Sun. “Yale New Haven Health began providing healthcare services to our WNBA team, The Connecticut Sun, a few years ago, and to now see this partnership extend to team members, Mohegan Tribal members and the surrounding community is really special. We’re looking forward to the continued work together.”
“Today marks another milestone in our journey with the Mohegan Tribe to bring the greatest of clinical care to the Mohegan Sun family and the surrounding communities that Yale New Haven Health serves,” said Patrick Green, President and CEO, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. “The Uncasville Medical Center will create access to world class care closer to home, fulfilling our commitment to innovation and excellence in patient care.”
Last year, Yale New Haven Health opened the Wellness Center at the Eagleview Employee Center at Mohegan Sun. It provides team members convenient, on-site walk-in care for common illnesses and injuries five days a week. Patient Resource coordinators are also available six days a week to help with navigating the healthcare system, assisting in finding facilities and services, managing scheduling and appointments, and assisting with priority appointments for musculoskeletal conditions. In addition to this, YNHHS also offers Mohegan team members confidential health coaching called livingwell CARES. This program helps team members and their families manage chronic conditions and make important lifestyle changes.
The relationship between the tribe, Mohegan Sun and YNHHS launched in April 2019 when YNHHS was named the official health partner and sports medicine provider for Mohegan Sun’s two professional sports teams, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and the National Lacrosse League’s New England Black Wolves. Later that year, the duo announced that YNHHS had been named the preferred provider partner to deliver high quality and more affordable health care for all Mohegan tribal members, employees and their families.