October 20, 2003

People's Lends Torrington Hospital $2.1 Million for New Building

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and People's Bank will hold a ceremony at 12:00 noon, October 20, at 200 Kennedy Drive in Torrington to break ground for the hospital's new Hungerford Diagnostic Center. Invited guests include U.S. Representative Nancy Johnson, Governor John Rowland, local legislators, and bank and hospital leadership and staff.

People's Bank recently closed a $2.1 million financing package for the hospital, enabling it to soon begin construction of the new Hungerford Diagnostic Center. The 15,600 square-foot facility will be located adjacent to the Hospital's Center for Cancer Care on Kennedy Drive.

"People's Bank is pleased to meet the borrowing needs of a community hospital so important to the residents of Northwestern Connecticut," said Scott Barnett, vice president of Commercial Lending for People's Bank. "With healthcare procedures increasing as our population ages, community hospitals are under pressure to treat an escalating number of patients. Charlotte Hungerford's new diagnostic center will be conveniently located on the hospital's Kennedy Drive campus, with easy access for many from the region's major roads and highways."

The Hungerford Diagnostic Center is a two-story facility that will house general x-ray, mammography, computed tomography (CT) scans, bone densitometry, stereotactic breast biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scan services, as well as medical offices. The facility opening is planned for fall, 2004.

"Our new facility will be a technically advanced treatment center offering a full spectrum of radiology services," said Daniel McIntyre, president and executive director of The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. "With this new building and the fine health professionals who will staff it, the Hungerford Diagnostic Center will enable the Hospital to better meet the growing needs of the Northwest Connecticut community, as well as offer more convenient and timely access for patients."

Designed by the international architectural firm of Perkins & Will, which specializes in structures housing healthcare, technology and educational facilities, the new building will be constructed by All Phase Enterprises of Stafford Springs, Connecticut.

People's (peoples. com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with assets of $12 billion, 155 branches and more than 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales and supermarket banking and is the nation's 19th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing and insurance services.

The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital is a 109-bed, general acute care hospital located in Torrington, Connecticut, serving a twelve-town primary service area comprised of approximately 86,000 persons. The Hospital also serves as a regional health care resource for the residents of Litchfield County, providing a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services including general medicine and surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology and psychiatry.