Who We Are

 In 1947, six physicians practicing independently in New Britain, Connecticut took the bold step of merging their practices into one medical group. This was a relatively new concept at the time, and only a few organizations like the Mayo Clinic were successfully introducing the idea of merging dissimilar specialists into a single medical practice.

The six innovative physicians - each Chief of his particular specialty division at New Britain General Hospital - were: Dr. Bliss Clark (Surgery), Dr. John White (Internal Medicine), Dr. George Perakos (Gastroenterology), Dr. Dwight Wilson (Urology), Dr. Donald Bristol (Obstetrics & Gynecology), and Dr. Louis Daley (Otolaryngology).

These physicians immediately recognized that a multi-specialty approach to medicine would be advantageous to patients. They believed that timely consultation with their specialty colleagues in a single setting would promote more efficient and effective care.

The physicians purchased the Gates-Judd residence located on Grove Hill Street in downtown New Britain, and named this new enterprise The New Britain Medical Group. At the end of their first year together, the doctors looked for a more distinctive group identity, so they adopted the name of the street to form the Grove Hill Clinic.

The following year, Dr. William Livingston joined Dr. Clark in Surgery and Dr. Edward Martin joined Dr. White in Internal Medicine. To further enhance patient convenience and the concept of coordinated care at a single-site, Orthopedic Surgery was added with Dr. Anthony Nevulis, and a variety of radiology equipment was purchased.

The idea of a multi-specialty group practice continued to draw interest from physicians across the country and Dr. Bliss Clark was invited to serve as one of the first officers of the National Association of Medical Clinics.

Over the course of the next sixty years, the modest enterprise on Grove Hill Street grew to a level that undoubtedly exceeded the visions of its founders. The original office migrated across town to build a large facility on farmland near the Berlin town line. This allowed the Internal Medicine Department to expand and attract specialty practices in Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Pulmonology, Endocrinology, and Dermatology.

Despite several building “add-ons” to accommodate growth in Pediatrics, OBGYN, Hematology/Oncology, and Radiology, space constraints prompted the group to purchase the former world headquarters building of Stanley Tools at One Lake Street. This facilitated the establishment of the Grove Hill Laboratory, Grove Hill Optical Shop, Grove Hill Physical Therapy, and the specialty practices of Cardiology, Orthopedics, Urology, General and Vascular Surgery, Interventional Pain Management, and Physical Medicine and Rehab. Reflective of this larger scale, comprehensive array of services, the “clinic” moniker gave way to the more aptly titled “Medical Center”.

The next growth spurt took the Grove Hill Medical Center beyond the confines of New Britain and into the surrounding communities of Plainville, Avon, Cromwell, Newington, Bristol, and Southington.

In 2007 Grove Hill celebrated its 60th anniversary as the largest multi-specialty healthcare group in Connecticut, and one of the largest independent practices in New England. With a staff of over 450 dedicated professionals, we currently serve the medical needs of over 120,000 patients at nine (9) convenient office locations throughout central Connecticut.