Hospital Newspaper New England May/June 2017 ebook

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Professional Development & Recruitment Section Begins page 15

See page 24 for details

MAY/JUNE 2017

Nightingale Program Recognizes Exceptional Connecticut Nurses

Nightingale Nurse a “Ray of Sunshine” to homebound patients p7

Putting the Heart in Kidney Transplants p11

Stethoscopes and Sneakers: One Nightingale’s Tools for Healing

p9

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

2017 Hartford Nightingales Sarahi Almonte, BSN-RN, MS

Community Health Center, Inc.

DECEASED Margaret Anastasio, RN, WOCC Eastern Connecticut Health Network Nicholas Arsenault, MSN, RN, CNL, CCM

Tara Astorino, BSN, RN, CMSRN Iwona Bak, BSN, RN, CMSRN Stacey Barber, RN

Hartford Hospital

Dorothy Bazzano, RN

Sharon Hospital

Catherine Bolles, JD, BSN, RN-BC

Bristol Hospital

Anne Bresnahan, BSN, OCN, RN

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Michelle Broems, RN

Eastern Connecticut Health Network

Joanna Bronhart, RN

The Hospital of Central Connecticut

Judy Caliolo, RN

Lutheran Home of Southbury

Ann Marie Capo, MA, BSN, RN

Brenda Cash, RN

Monica Castonguay, RN, BSN, CHFN Susan Caterino, BSN, RN, CCRN Sue Cavaliere, RN

Julia Corriveau, LPN

Ruth DeLallo, RN, BSN

Sharon Hospital

Kimberly Enright, RN, BSN

Fiona Campbell Furlong, APRN, MS

James Furness, RN Lisa Jo Gavin, RN

Christine Ghiglia, RN, MSN, CNM

Christine Hart, RN, BSN

Rosemary Hathaway, PhD, RN Taylor Helm, BSN, RN, CPEN Laura Johnson, RN

Stephanie Kasek, BSN, RN, CCRN Theresa LeDuc, BSN, RN, NCSN Jill Lombardi, MS, BSN, RN

Susan Long, RN

UConn Health

Johnson Memorial Hospital

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Genesis HealthCare

Hartford HealthCare at Home

UConn Health, John Dempsey Hospital

University of Hartford

Hospital for Special Care

Village Green of Bristol, Genesis HealthCare

Laura Karwoski, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM

Angela Leininger, RN, BSN

Jefferson House

State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health

Bibi Hafford, LPN

Nicole Lajoie, RN

East Region, Hartford HealthCare

Hartford Hospital

Nicole Gonzalez, LPN

Emily Kavanaugh, RN, ADN

Eastern Connecticut Health Network

Saint Mary's Hospital

Helen Funari, RN

Jasmina Guster, RN, ADN

Bristol Hospital

Hartford Hospital

Ellen Edge, RN

Lori Ann Griffin, RNC

Lutheran Home of Southbury

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Hartford Hospital

Janice Edmonds, RN, ASN

Kim Groot, MSN, RN

UConn Health, John Dempsey Hospital

Hartford HealthCare at Home

Jacqueline Dietrich, MSN, RN

Beata Gottner, RN

MidState Medical Center

The Hospital of Central Connecticut The Hospital of Central Connecticut

Deborah Bass, RN, AD

Elizabeth Grala, RN

Hartford HealthCare at Home

Hartford Hospital

Goodwin College

Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Johnson Memorial Hospital

The Hospital of Central Connecticut

Hartford Hospital

Hospital for Special Care

Woodlake at Tolland

Farmington Valley VNA Hartford Hospital Bristol Hospital

MidState Medical Center

Jannette Lopez, APRN

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Steve Mahier, BSN, RN

Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Kathleen Marrero, RN

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Katelyn Marullo, BSN, RN

MidState Medical Center

Joan Galvin Matus, BSN, RN

UConn Health, John Dempsey Hospital

Wendy McCloskey, RN

Johnson Memorial Hospital

Christina McCulloch, BSN, RN

Julie Michaelson, RN, BSN

Kathryn Miller, RNC-NIC Connecticut

Sharon Hospital

Patricia Padula Morgan, PhD, RN, CNE Tiffany Otto, RN, BSN

Nancy Ouellette, MSN, RN

Cindy Pengelly, RN, OCN

Eugena Pepin, BSN, RN, ACM

Leah Philipp, MS, RN

Jane Presnick-Lyon, BSN, RN

Carolyn Reading, LPN

Jasmine Rivera, RN, BSN, BC, ACM

Heather Rodgers, LPN

Ryan Roth, APRN

Trisha Rubbo, RN, MSN

Ann Russell, MSN, RN, CCRN-K

Karen Sage, BSN, RN, CRNI

Margrit Saghafi, BSN, RN, ONC

Robert Samartino, RN

Maria Santos, RN, MSN

Bianca Sharp, RN, BSN

Ellen Skoly, BSN, RN

Wendy Spurrier, RN, MSN, CDE

Claudia Stancavage, RN, CPAN

Elizabeth Stavola, RN, ADN

Marie Sudsbury, MPH, RN

Maria Svitkova, LPN

Michele Tardif, BSN, RN

Catherine Thomas, DNP

Melanie Tidmarsh, RN

Abby Usko, RN, BSN

Tamara Vasquez, BSN, RN

Shelby Verrone-Webb, LPN

Hartford Hospital

Children's Medical Center

University of Saint Joseph Institute of Living

The Hospital of Central Connecticut

The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Hartford Hospital

UConn Health, John Dempsey Hospital

Community Health Center, Inc. Hartford Hospital

Visiting Nurse & Health Services of CT Community Health Services Saint Mary's Hospital Hartford Hospital Bioscrip

Connecticut Children's Medical Center MidState Medical Center

Masonicare Partners Home Health & Hospice Hartford Hospital

Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

The Hospital of Central Connecticut Hospital for Special Care

UConn Health, John Dempsey Hospital Jerome Home

UConn Health, University Medical Group

Central Connecticut State University

The Hospital of Central Connecticut Interim HealthCare of Hartford Federal Occupational Health

Southington Care Center

Amanda Waddicor, BSN, RN Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, Urology Division Michelle Wallace, BSN, RN, ACM

Christopher Weigert, RN, BS

Beth Weldon, RN, BSN

Hartford Hospital

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Saint Mary's Hospital

Maureen Williams, RN, BSN, MSN State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health

Laurie Worster, BSN, RN, CNOR

Aime Yohou, RN, CRNI

Charles Zenzick, III, RN, BSN, CCTC

The Hospital of Central Connecticut Bioscrip

Hartford Hospital

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

Nurses: the heartbeat of healthcare

Nurses. You’re the people with whom we interact most often when we’re hospitalized or receiving care at home, the ones in whom we confide, the ones listening all the time— even when you may appear not to be, while going about necessary tasks. That watchful attention is the outer manifestation of the extensive education and experience you bring to each person’s situation. Nurses. We expect you to be there for us, and depend on you to meet our needs. You’re the steady heartbeat of the healthcare system.

Today’s professional, well-respected nurses are a far cry from the devoted, well-intentioned but limited and constrained women who took on caring for the ill, first from a sense of religious duty, then as secular workers. And we’re pleased to know this crucial, caring profession now includes many men.

Nurse’s Week brings you front and center for admiration as people and recognition for the vital role you play in making positive differences in the lives of others.

As we sing your praises, we hope you will consider joining our nurse-friendly organization.

provided

CNO Sonja Cooley Johnson

Sonja Cooley-Johnson has been named Chief Nursing Officer for Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital. Ms. CooleyJohnson previously served as a nurse manager at Fairlawn for 11 years. She is a certified registered rehabilitation nurse and an IV Midline/PICC nurse.

She also completed the Wound Certification Education Institute’s wound care program and is a member of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers enjoy a fine reputation in Central Massachusetts and are located in five communities: Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Westborough and Worcester.

Before you think of Beaumont first (and only) as a nursing home, please consider this: in addition to serving our longterm care residents, all Beaumont locations have beds certified for meeting the mixed health care needs of both short-term skilled nursing and rehabilitation clients.

Beaumont can boost your nursing career in the very best ways, through great benefits; offering loan forgiveness; granting tuition reimbursement; providing sign-on and referral bonuses; as a stable, local, family owned organization; with full-time, part-time and per diem openings; working with our dedicated, genuinely caring team; and by increasing your work life’s meaning and purpose.

We also offer staff members excellent, on-site child care on two of our campuses at discounted rates; indefinite vacation accrual; and a 401(k) plan with employer contribution and immediate vesting.

PAGE 5

Nurses are in great demand and can choose among different settings. But nurses are also people who place value on where and with whom they work—not just anyplace will do. That’s why we feel Beaumont is worthy of your consideration, whether you’re new to the profession, a few years into it or highly experienced.

Beaumont is part of SALMON Health and Retirement, serving Central Massachusetts since 1952. SALMON offers our customers and staff members solid reasons to choose working with us… From our long history and reputation for high quality, innovative services putting others first, to the dedicated and talented staff and management team—many of whom remain with us for years—we are a place you can feel proud to work. The calls and letters received from grateful families demonstrate our positive effect, while keeping us both humble and gratified.

Sound worthwhile? Please email us at jobs@salmonhealth.com and we’ll respond promptly. We look forward to hearing from you! Visit www.SalmonHealth.com to learn about our continuum of care.

May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

ADVERTISER INDEX American Heart Association

23

Boston College

21

Brookdale Chatfield

9

Fairfield County Medical Association

13, 22

Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital

5

HallKeen Assisted Living

3

Heroes Mortgage

24

Hospital for Special Care

7

Marquis Health Services

11

Nexera

15

Resource Directory

20

Sacred Heart University

19

Salmon Health and Retirement

17

H

May is a busy month at Hospital Newspaper. During National Nurse’s Week (May 6-12) we honor these often-unsung heroes of healthcare. Every interaction with these dedicated professionals leaves us feeling better, more confident and reassured. As healthcare has changed, nurses have been the constant; filling even more valuable roles in hospitals, urgent care facilities, retirement communities, physician’s offices, schools and satellite well-care locations. So, this month please take a moment to thank all of the nurses you encounter and let them know that they are appreciated!!

May is also National Women’s Health Week! Beginning on Mother’s Day, May 14th, this initiative led by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health is the time to choose to live a healthy lifestyle at any age. It is never too late and we share some simple steps to improving your mental and physical health and well-being.

May 31st is National Senior Health & Fitness Day. This 24th annual event is celebrated around the country with the goal of engaging older Americans in age and ability- appropriate activities to promote longevity, health and fitness. Visit your local senior office/office for the aging for information on events in your area.

In every issue we cover professional recruitment and development in the hospital sector.

We encourage our readers to reach out and share opportunities and programming that we can support and promote via our print and digital editions.

As always, please send us your photos and stories to news@hospitalnewspaper.com—we love to include them whenever we can!

Nancy can be reached at 845-494-2784 and at nancy@hospitalnewspaper.com

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Nightingal e to homebo Nurse a “Ray of Sun und patient shine” s p7

Stethoscop es One Nightin and Sneakers: gale’s Too ls for Hea ling

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Nightingale Nurse a “Ray of Sunshine” to homebound patients I’m their only outlet. So when I take five minutes to listen to their stories or their concerns, they feel loved and they feel like they matter.”

Beata described one patient who thought that the nurse had come to make her bed. “She wouldn’t talk to me when she realized that’s not why I was there. So I made her bed. That’s what you’d do for your own grandparent. We are here to comfort the problems we have today.”

Tonight Beata will be among 95 exceptional nurses throughout Greater Hartford who will be recognized with one of nursing’s greatest honors: the Nightingale Award. It’s an achievement that she first heard about as a home care aide more than a decade ago.

“I knew it was something very special that was way beyond my reach at that time. It’s kind of like looking at the stars in the sky but you cannot touch them. But I had great mentors who pushed me and now I am beyond the stars!”

provided

by Joy Savulak

Beata Gottner pulled into her patient’s driveway and turned off the engine. She sat in her car for a few moments, reflecting on the day ahead before gathering her gear and heading out.

She knew this wouldn’t be an easy visit. Although the home care aide had many years’ experience caring for the homebound, this particular patient – a terminally ill mother of three young children – would be her very first hospice case.

As she approached the house, the front door opened revealing a shy, wide-eyed little girl clinging tightly to her father’s leg. Beata’s heart sank, knowing all too well the heartache the child would inevitably endure in the not-so-distant future.

Beata visited the home three days a week to provide hands-on personal care and housekeeping. As the mother’s remaining days grew fewer, Beata’s attachment to the family grew deeper. The aide fought back tears when the little girl she first met at the door approached her with a simple request.

“Will you hug me, Beata?” the girl asked. “Because my mom can’t hug me anymore.”

After the patient passed away, Beata’s supervisors commended her compassionate support for the young family. “If you could handle this,” they said, “you can handle anything.” Perhaps it was time, they encouraged her, to realize her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.

Beata was born and raised in Poland and immigrated to the U.S. in her late teens. She had hoped to become a teacher or a nurse but the language barrier prevented her from immediately pursuing either career. The young woman immersed herself in English courses and joined the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Connecticut (now Hartford HealthCare at Home) as a home care aide.

Beata quickly stood out among her peers for her strong work ethic, impeccable skills and love for her patients. Her determination to help others led her to pursue special training to work with the terminally ill

as a hospice home care aide. It’s an experience she described as both “a privilege and an honor.”

“These families let you in at the last stage of their lives. It shaped me into the nurse I am today.”

Beata’s supervisors and peers urged her to go to nursing school. “Every day they’d say, ‘Beata, you can do it. Beata, we believe in you!’” she laughed.

Adding nursing courses to her already full plate wasn’t easy, she admitted. “I had my job, my twin boys and I was caring for my mother. But I set my goals and pushed myself to the max.” Beata graduated in 2011 and the newly minted clinician accepted a job as a visiting nurse at her agency, Hartford HealthCare at Home.

Her supervisor, Nancy Saraceno, RN, says that the Nightingale honoree is the consummate visiting nurse. “We taught her the home care skills but she already had the compassion and the passion. When you put that all together you get Beata.”

Kelly Johnson, RN, Nurse Care Coordinator for Hartford HealthCare at Home agrees that Beata’s love for her job and commitment to patients is unparalleled.

“I remember shadowing Beata on my second day at the agency. As I rode in her car, I listened to her rave about home care. She said seeing her patients felt more like visiting family instead of actual work.”

Johnson recalled a recent case involving a patient known to Beata for years. He had recently come home from the hospital, she explained, and was a good candidate for hospice care. “Beata worked diligently over the weekend to find a doctor who could make a house call and sign the hospice orders.

Through her efforts the patient was able to spend his final moments at home with his family.”

Upon learning that one of her peers called her an “Earth angel” and a “ray of sunshine”, the ever-humble Beata laughed and insisted, “I just do what I do. I just treat people the way I would want to be treated.”

She explained, “Sometimes I’m the only person they talk to all day. Some say I’m the only one who cares about them. You can’t just concentrate on the tasks … you have to look at the whole person.

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

2017 New Haven Nightingales Donna Angelo, AND

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Alexandra Barakos, RN-BC

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Wonder Barratt, MPH, RN

VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Rebecca Bartomeli, RN, BSN

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Anna Bednarczyk, RN

Masonicare Health Center

Jennifer Bencivenga, RN BSN

VNS of CT

Lisa Bradley, LPN

Fair Haven Community Health Center

Shonda Brown, LPN

Almost Family/Patient Care

Joan Buckley, RN

Gaylord Hospital

Angela Carbone, RN, MS

Waterbury Hospital

Jennifer Charbonneau, LPN

VNS of CT

Thierry Coriolan-Beauregard, RN

VNS of CT

Tania Cote, RN

Mary-Ann Cyr, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC

Pamela D'Amico, BSN, RN-BC, CMSRN Consolacion Dayao, RN, BSN Michael Dekpor, RN

Griffin Hospital

Yale School of Nursing

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Hamden Rehabilitation & Health Care Center

VNA South Central CT

Nancy Dennert, MS, MSN, FNP-BC, CDE, BC-ADM, CNE Melissa DeSandre, RN

Donna Diaz, MS, RN

Sacred Heart University

Elizabeth Doyle, DNP, APRN, PPCNP-BC, BC-ADM, CDE Anselem Emenyonu, RN

Ellen Ferraro, BSN, CMSRN Veronica Filardi, RN, BSN

Debra Fisher, MA, RN, CCRN Gail Gagnon, RN, BSN Lude Georges, LPN

Linda Gibbons, ASN

Susan Griggs, BSN, MSN

Susan Hanrahan, RN, BSN, OCN, CHPN

Gaylord Hospital

Quinnipiac University School of Nursing Yale School of Nursing

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Almost Family/Patient Care

Quinnipiac University School of Nursing

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Jewish Senior Services Milford Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Barbara Kolibal, RN

Diana Konecny, RN

Rebecca LeBlanc, BSN, RN

Orange Health Care Center

Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care

Susan Masciangioli, RN

VNS of CT

Cathy Mazzola, ASN

Milford Hospital

Jennifer Mordino, RN

Gaylord Hospital

Nicole Morrill, RN

Jane Murphy, RN, BSN

Keiko Muto Thompson, MSN, MBA, RN

Anna Nebrat, BSN, MSN

Patricia Neeson, RN, BSN Melissa Nichols, RN

Gaylord Hospital

Antonio Onofrio, RN, BSN

Ellen Ormond, RN, BSN

Lise Panadis, LPN

Donna Parente, BSN, RN, CPON Nancy Pratt, RN

Sherri Rodriguez, ASN

Camila Rubino, RN, MSN

Jane Schexnayder, RN BSN

Pennie Sessler Branden, PhD, CNM, RN, CNE

Allison Shortell, RN

Jennifer Simeoli, RN

Mandeep Smith, RN, BSN

Karyn Spaulding, RN

Sheila Stepeck, RN

VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Hamden Rehabilitation & Health Care Center

Jessica Nieves-Diaz, RN

Rebecca Ruzzo, RN

Utopia Home Care, Inc.

Masonicare at Newtown Affiliate Almost Family/Patient Care

Jewish Senior Services

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital Waterbury Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Utopia Home Care, Inc. Milford Hospital

Fair Haven Community Health Center VNA Community Healthcare

VNA Community Healthcare

Sacred Heart University Jewish Senior Services

VNA Community Healthcare Yale-New Haven Hospital Griffin Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Pina Violano, RN, Ph.D

Yale-New Haven Hosptal

Cecelia Wanjiru, RN, BSN

Yale-New Haven Hosptal

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Shannon Knaggs, APRN

Denise Mancuso, RN

Mildred Martey-Moore, RN BSN

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Rebecca Kadel, RN, CCRN Theresa Kirk, RN

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Suzanne Teixeira, MSN, RN

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Jennifer Johnson, APRN

Fair Haven Community Health Center

Linda Levesque, RN, BSN

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Taieesha Hill, BSN, CMSRN

Indira Jackson, RN

Mary Lemley, APRN

Jewish Senior Services Waterbury Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital Griffin Hospital

VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Shilpa Tekriwala, BSN

Tammy Testut, PhD, MSN, RN

Lori Vogt, AND, RN

Tracy Volpe, RN, BSN

Linda H. Warren, EdD RN MSN CCRN

Janet Webb, MSN, APRN, ANP-BC

Colleen Lynn White, RN

VA Connecticut Healthcare System Milford Hospital

Utopia Home Care, Inc.

Yale-New Haven Hosptal Griffin Hospital

Waterbury Hospital Waterbury Hospital

VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Congratulations 2017 Nightingales from the staff at Hospital Newspaper!

PAGE 9

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

Stethoscopes and Sneakers: One Nightingale’s Tools for Healing Inspired by Mom, Gaylord Hospital Nurse believes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact for traumatic brain injury patients “When he realized I was only two years older than he was, he said, ‘Oh my gosh … Then why do you act like such a mom?’ I laughed because I do feel like a mom to my patients. You have to be compassionate and caring and keep them positive.”

Ufferfilge recounted how Melissa often goes beyond the call of duty for patients with little support, including one older gentleman who arrived at the hospital with little clothing and no local family to visit him. “She asked what kinds of things he liked to

Pictured from left to right is Melissa DeSandre, RN and Nikki Nepton, CNA.

For months, Melissa DeSandre, RN, toted a pair of brightly colored running shoes with her to work.

The sneakers were more than just a comfortable choice of footwear for the 27-year-old Gaylord Hospital nurse. Rather, they were a means of caring for one young man that proved to be just as therapeutic as any medicine to heal his mind – and soothe his spirit.

The traumatic brain injury patient had spent more than a year recovering at the Wallingford, CT acute-care specialty hospital. One day, the restless man asked his nurse if she would go for a jog with him around Gaylord’s bucolic campus.

Though the request was unusual, Melissa understood his motivation. “He needed to vent all of the energy and anxiety bottled up inside,” she explained. “It was a quick jog but when we returned, I could see the relief on his face.”

Their jogs soon became a daily ritual that continued for months until the patient’s discharge.

Melissa acknowledges that although running isn’t a conventional form of nursing, the outcome was unmistakable: The once short-fused young man had become much calmer and content.

“Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest impact,” she said. “Yesterday one of my patients said she really

wanted a shower. Some people would say it’s an aide’s job; but it’s not. I’m part of a team and I had the time. That shower was simple to do, but it made her feel 100% better.”

Although she was described by one peer as a “natural-born” clinician, Melissa readily admits that nursing was not her first passion.

Her original plans to be a gym teacher were derailed by a souring economy that brought widespread cuts to school P.E. and sports programs throughout the country. “I wanted to find a career that was both fulfilling and in-demand,” she said.

Melissa’s thoughts began to turn towards her mother, a certified nursing assistant at Gaylord Hospital who loved her job and was happy to help her patients. “I started thinking, ‘Maybe healthcare is for me too!’”

While still enrolled in nursing school, Melissa followed her mother’s footsteps becoming a CNA at Gaylord. Not only did the first-hand experience of caring for the hospital’s critically ill and injured patients cement her determination to become a nurse, but it was at Gaylord that she found her calling within her calling: caring for patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

She explained, “When TBI patients are admitted, a lot of them cannot walk or talk. It may take weeks or months, but when you

stick with them, you see them gradually grow beyond the injury and come back to the person they were before the accident.”

Tina Ufferfilge, RN, BSN, CRRN, Team Leader on Gaylord’s Traumatic Brain Injury floor, said that Melissa’s innate talent impressed her as she oriented the new nurse graduate. “She’s excellent at what she does. Working with TBI patients isn’t for everyone, but I knew it was the right path for her.”

Tina explained that by nature of their injury, TBI patients can be prone to emotional and behavioral outbursts. “Melissa knows their different moods and isn’t thrown when they change five minutes later. She’s flexible … she reads how they are in the moment and changes her approach.”

“It’s hard for our patients,” Melissa agreed. “Sometimes they’re not sure where they are or who you are, so when you come at them with needles and medications they can be skeptical and aggressive. But you gradually form a bond. And then comes the day when they finally start to remember your name and it’s like, oh wow! Such a huge reward!”

Although the Nightingale honoree is still in her twenties, her colleagues and those under her care agree that her nursing intuition goes well beyond her years.

She smiled as she recalled one young patient who recently asked her age.

wear and then went out and got him shirts and pants … he was just overjoyed!”

Melissa was one of 78 nurses who were nominated by their peers for the 2017 Greater New Haven Nightingale Awards. It’s an honor that made her mother, Lisa, cry.

“I am so honored and happy,” Lisa said. “People often tell me, ‘Your daughter is so sweet; she’s so good with her patients.’ She has a true heart for nursing … she loves her job just as much as I love mine.”

“She makes a mother proud, for sure!”

PAGE 10

May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

2017 New London Nightingales Kim Abell, RN

Nikki Allen, RN

Terasa Antoch, BSN, RN

Cynthia Arpin, MSN, RN

Marcia Beebe, RN

Ann Marie Casaol, RN BSN Debra Duncan, LPN

Joan Kane Graham, DNP, RN, CNE MaryAnn Hanrahan, RN

Gina Hoffman, BSN, RN, CNOR

Matt Hughes, BS, RN, EMT-B

Audra Hull, BSN, RN-BC, Clin IV

Debra Hutchinson, LPN Michael Irons, RN

Kimberly Kelly, BSN, RN

Lynn Killoy, BSN, RN, CNOR, CNML

Anne Krafft, MS, RN

Tashara Leaky, RN

Michelle Liss, BSN, RN

Scott Lyons, RN

Rosemary Natale, RN, WCC

Maria Nichols, BSN, RN-BC

Cindy Nutt, RN

Stephene Odom-Bordelon, RN

Jessica Pappas, RN

MaryAnn Perez-Brescia, MSN, RN Mary Jane Pharmer, RN

Denise Piersa, RN

Krista Prendergast, MSN, RN, CNE

Deborah Quaratella, BSN, RN

Kathryn Roccon, RN

Ellyn Schlageter, RN WCC

Tiffany Skinner, BSN, RNC-OB, RNC-EFM

Sonia Stavens, LPN

Jennifer Telford, PhD, APRN, ACHPN Sandra Tobin, RN

Allison Trombly, MSN, APRN, RN, BC-ADM Jessica Varrone, BSN, RN, CCRN Karen Veselka, RN

Amanda Watkins, RN

Northeast Medical Group

Ledyard VNA

Westerly Hospital

Three Rivers Comm. College Greentree

Center for Hospice Care SE Beechwood

Three Rivers Comm. College Natchaug

Westerly Hospital Backus Hospital L+M Healthcare

Masonicare Home Health & Hospice Backus Hospital

Windham Hospital

L+M Healthcare

UConn School of Nursing

Academy Point at Mystic Rushford

Backus Hospital

Ledyard VNA

L+M Healthcare

Backus Hospital

Center for Hospice Care SE Backus Hospital

Three Rivers Comm. College Windham Hospital

VNASC

Three Rivers Comm. College Westerly Hospital

Northeast Medical Group

VNASC

L+M Healthcare

Northeast Medical Group

Backus Hospital (Palliative Care) Windham Hospital

Northeast Medical Group

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Interim Healthcare of Eastern CT Natchaug

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Honoring Meg and Her Legacy

“A good nurse is always on the side of the patient. A great nurse must have the knowledge and understanding of the numerous health needs of the patient. An extraordinary nurse carries this into battle while fighting her own war. Such a nurse was Meg Anastasio.

Through many months of fighting illness, Meg persevered in helping others achieve optimum health.”

These are just some of the words used by Melanie Mordasky, RN, when nominating colleague Margaret “Meg” Anastasio of ECHN’s Manchester Memorial Hospital for the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing.

Meg dedicated more than thirty years to caregiving. Described by her peers as a talented, compassionate and extraordinary nurse, she left a void within the ECHN community when she passed away on January 21, 2017 from cancer.

After graduating from Western Connecticut State University in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Meg began her career in her hometown at Manchester Memorial Hospital working the night shift in the ICU. “Meg was a meticulous nurse with remarkable attention to detail,” explains Gail Stacey, RN, a fellow nurse and close friend for more than 30 years. “And while she was talented, she was also adaptable to any nursing floor, whether it be the ICU, the OR, or wherever she was needed. She was always able to fall right into any role with ease.”

Over the years Meg worked to become a certified wound, ostomy and continence nurse.

“Meg really found her true passion in wound care. She connected with

wound patients in a remarkable way and dedicated much of herself to this discipline,” adds Stacey. “Meg shaped the wound care program at ECHN into what it is today. She defined it. It’s one of the most extraordinary things she did in her career and it's her legacy.”

According to friend and colleague Helen Clements, RN, Meg’s expertise not only benefitted her patients but the nursing staff often looked to her for guidance in managing their own patients’ wounds.

“Meg was there for so many nurses, helping them with a simple or complicated wound, showing them techniques and giving them suggestions to provide the best care for patients,” says Clements. “Meg did all this without fanfare, quietly going about her daily work without complaint even towards the end of her life when she was quietly suffering. “ As a nurse, Meg was always teaching. Later, as a patient, she took time with one young clinician caring for her, passing along words of wisdom and encouragement.

“Even as a patient she was still a nurse, a caregiver, a teacher,” adds Clements. “When you’re a nurse, you’re a nurse forever. That was Meg.” Reflecting back, Mordasky regrets waiting so long to nominate Meg for the Nightingale Award but she knows that Meg would have been honored to have been chosen.

“Meg was an inspiration. You know how people talk about their calling?

Nursing wasn’t just her job, it was her calling. It was what she was meant to do. She was a caregiver and dedicated her whole life to this. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

PAGE 11

Putting the Heart in Kidney Transplants

Getting a new kidney can take years but with Nightingale honoree CJ Zenzick by their sides, patients are often filled with hope and comfort during the duration of their time on what can feel like a seemingly unmovable waiting list.

As an Enfield resident and Connecticut native, Zenzick has spent the past 16 years of his life ensuring that long-term kidney patients at Hartford Hospital are ready for their new organs when the day arrives.

“It’s not like you break your ankle and the nurse takes care of you once and never sees you again,” Zenzick said. “We see patients multiple times through the year and develop relationships with them. It’s satisfying because you know their families, their kids and you know them.”

While waiting is the name of the game with more than 360 people on the transplant list and only 63 kidneys transplanted last year, Zenzick said those successful outcomes make his job worth it, even through all the extra hours.

With only three coordinators, Zenzick and his colleagues pull some long hours regularly, with a cell phone strapped to their hips 24/7, on the off-chance a kidney becomes available. Because when an organ is ready to be transplanted, Zenzick has only hours to make it happen.

Tracking patients down is an artful race against the clock because not everyone has a cell phone or answers it regularly.

Zenzick has been known to call neighbors, grocery stores and even the police on occasion so his patients don’t miss their shot at a new organ.

“I had just seen one of my patients; he’d been on the list for four years by that point so I knew his family and I knew where he worked. We went over everything, none of his contact numbers had changed. Ten days later, I got a call at midnight.

Two kidneys came in and he was up,” Zenzick recalled. “I called him; voice mail. I called his wife; voice mail, his son; voice mail. Thinking back on our conversation, I figured he worked all day, shut his phone off and gone to bed. So I called the police and explained the situation. They dropped by and woke him up and got him to the hospital. And sure enough, he got his kidney.”

Zenzick is also involved in the Living Donor Champion program at Hartford HealthCare. Finding a living donor can be difficult as the donation requires someone to give not only their kidney, but the time and hardship of surgery and recovery. This program coordinates relatives and friends with transplant hopefuls. The loved ones go out into their commu-

nities, their local churches and neighborhoods or social media networks and work to find a volunteer to donate a kidney for the patient. They can set up online monetary donation sites, spread awareness or work more directly to ask others to donate their organs. Since the patients often can’t or won’t ask themselves, the loved ones often become the patients’ champions.

Zenzick’s job includes getting new patients on the transplant list and making sure he can reach any patient at a moment’s notice when a

The Gawlicki Family Foundation Awards Hospital for Special Care $250,000 grant for COPD Program

The Gawlicki Family Foundation is awarding Hospital for Special Care (HSC) a $250,000 grant to expand its Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) program the hospital recently announced.

These funds will be used to increase program capabilities and obtain national certification. Additional services will be added including psychology, social work and nutritional counseling. HSC plans to increase the number of patients seen by 25 percent.

COPD is a progressive disease characterized by frequent worsening of respiratory symptoms leading to further reduced lung function and increased shortness of breath. There are 15 million Americans with the diagnosis and it is the third leading cause of death.

The COPD program is a multidisciplinary system employing unique exercises and education to enable patients affected by COPD to reach a maximum level of independence and function in the community. This grant will enable HSC’s COPD program staff to better help patients increase functional abilities, decrease shortness of breath, improve understanding of respiratory processes and learn relapse prevention techniques.

In addition to expanding the program, HSC will seek designation as a Patient Centered Specialty Program (PCSP) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. All COPD staff will work to establish and implement a Chronic Care Management (CCM) program to increase CCM access for all its COPD patients.

“We are grateful for these funds and fully appreciate the magnitude of this commitment from the Gawlicki Family Foundation,” said Lynn Ricci, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Care. “We are proud to announce that we will be using these funds to expand the Gawlicki Family COPD Disease Management Program to help the community and those affected by COPD.” “Hospital for Special Care has consistently adapted to the ever-changing medical landscape to deliver advanced quality care for patients,” said Ted Gawlicki, of the Gawlicki Family Foundation. “These funds will allow the hospital to continue to help those affected

by COPD and become a nationally recognized COPD program with a Patient Centered Specialty Program designation.”

For more information about Hospital for Special Care, please call 860.223.2761, or visit www.hfsc.org.

kidney becomes available, but a less flashy part of his responsibility is as a patient advocate before they ever reach the top of the list - or even get on the list at all.

“Anyone with a chronic history can experience depression or anxiety as they face it over time,” Zenzick said. “My role is to help the patients weed through that, help them navigate the system and be their advocate. I make sure they’re aware of what’s happening and what could happen and how that could affect them and their families.”

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It is for these reasons that Zenzick is being honored with the Nightingale Award this year. His tireless efforts to help long-term patients through everyday strife and challenges has resulted in good experiences and outcomes for everyone involved since he started in the coordinator position in 2007. In transplant nursing, he said, no one shines alone.

“The big thing with transplants is it’s all about teamwork. Without the team we have, nothing would work.”

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May/June 2017

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

Lates

Nurse’s Viewpoint

By Alison Lazzaro, RN

nursteinfo for stude s and nts Hospital Newspaper Correspondent

Rise of Retail Health

Focusing efforts on keeping patients out of the hospital can lower healthcare costs and decrease rates of infection.

The answer to keeping patients safely cared for in the outpatient setting may be right around the corner. The retail health delivery system is a unique way to make routine primary care services convenient and accessible to the public.

With the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans gained coverage, but the shortage of primary care providers remains. In response, retail clinics opened their doors to Medicaid/Medicare patients and accept all forms of insurance.

The hours of operation of retail health add to its popularity. Without needing an appointment, patients are free to walk-in after work or school.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 adults receive a vaccination in a retail clinic.

This is a quick and cost-effective method to halt vaccine-preventable diseases. Furthermore, over half of uninsured patients sought treatment at retail clinics because they did not have a usual source of care, thus avoiding the Emergency Department.

Services that retail health centers provide range from minor illnesses to women's services. Frequently visits focus on strep throat, flu-like symptoms, earaches and ear wax removal. Suture removal and treatment of skin conditions is also available. Patients can receive diabetes and hypertension monitoring. Women's services are offered through contraceptive care, and treatment of urinary tract infections and yeast infections. Additionally, well-exam physicals are provided for employment, sports and camps.

The quality of health care practice in retail health has been measured in peer reviewed journals. In treating acute pharyngitis, nurse practitioners adhered to guidelines to withhold unnecessary antibiotics in 99.05% of cases. Furthermore, in a study 13,471 patients with a positive rapid strep test, 99.75% of patients received an appropriate antibiotic prescription.

Busy lifestyles and moving to a new location makes it easy to lose tract of regular health visits until something comes up. Retail health bridges that gap of needing to see a provider, and then gaining a referral to a well-known primary care provider in the area. Rather than inundating Emergency Departments with non-life threatening issues, retail health allows patients to obtain contraceptive refills, ensure their cold is not progressively getting worse, or seek treatment for a stye that will not subside.

Nurse practitioners in retail health are making remarkable strides to keep patients out of the hospital and safely cared for in their homes and communities. As retail health clinics continue to grow their services, it is clear that patients will have a new form of wellness protection closer to home- no appointment needed!

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

A Champion for children of all ages

From the moment she completed her year working on a hospital medical / surgical floor as part of her LPN requirements more than 30 years ago, Carolyn Reading has wholeheartedly devoted her career to pediatric nursing.

“I enjoy children of all ages,” says Reading, who has provided care in a variety of pediatric settings –including a cardiac step-down unit and hospital for children with complex medical needs – along the East Coast. Then, nearly 20 years ago, she found a long-term home at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center primary care practice, which last year became part of Community Health Center, Inc. Carolyn served for many years as the “resource nurse” in the practice’s urban clinic for the underserved, quickly meeting needs from providing formula for babies to breast pumps for mothers. Her ability to easily connect and comfortably chat with the patient or parent while reconciling the medication list, reviewing problems, completing paperwork, checking and rechecking measurements and vital signs was an invaluable asset to make sure the provider had the information needed to make the most of the patient’s visit.

Over the years, Reading has dedicated herself to improving her skills working with adolescents, embracing the opportunity to work with a population that is often viewed as challenging.

“Adolescents are great,” says Reading. “Many people watch them getting older and stop seeing them as children but they need the same amount of care and nurturing … just a different kind.”

When the practice decided to open an Adolescent Medicine Clinic to care for children from birth to age 24, Reading stepped up to staff it becoming the “go-to person for her colleagues for all questions and challenges with teens,” says physician Catherine Wiley. “Her non-judgmental approach and ability to connect with adolescents helps them trust her and rely on her for solutions.

Her understanding of their issues, such as teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, or depression allows her and our whole team to learn about important and sensitive issues that might otherwise go unaddressed during a routine medical visit.”

Carolyn is quick to credit her colleagues for any of her success. “I work with a tremendous group of people who focus their attention on working well together for patients. Many of us have been together for many years and we are truly a team working to identify and address challenges together. It’s never just one person …

I couldn’t do my work without them.”

Wiley remembers last Christmas Eve when a teen walked in for an unscheduled visit. Reading stayed beyond the scheduled hours and provided her usual respectful, thoughtful, and kind nursing care. The patient, who had some difficult psychosocial issues, felt listened to and reassured and left with an armful of holiday presents.

“There is no other nurse like Carolyn,” explained Wiley. “She has touched the lives of thousands of children and she makes it possible for us providers to have peace of mind when we go home.”

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Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

Middlesex launches new partnership with Rwanda Hospital

Middlesex Hospital has a new partnership, and it’s with the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, the main teaching hospital in Rwanda.

Each year, Middlesex Hospital will send a physician and a resident to Rwanda for one month to work with pediatric doctors there.

This year, Dr. Cliff O’Callahan, a member of the pediatric faculty and director of nurseries at the Hospital, and Dr. April Diep, a family medicine resident, made the trip.

The partnership mutually benefits both parties. Middlesex Hospital is able to help medical staff and patients in Rwanda. In turn, Middlesex residents are able to learn about health care in a resource-limited country that deals with diseases and conditions that are rarely seen in the United States.

The partnership is the result of a long-standing relationship between Dr. O’Callahan and the hospital in Rwanda. A few years ago, Dr. O‘Callahan worked with Human Resources for Health to establish a functional pediatrics residency program in Rwanda, and he’s visited the country several times since. Funding for the Human Resources for Health Project is now at risk. Although the program’s future is in jeopardy, there is still a great need for doctors and residents from resource rich settings to work alongside teams in Rwanda, and Middlesex Hospital will do just that.

Middlesex’s approach to this new partnership is unique and a model for others. While many residents and students from

other hospitals do visit Rwanda, attending or supervising senior physicians don’t usually go with them. Middlesex’s arrangement allows for daily discussion, mentoring and reflection. It also means not burdening local Rwandan faculty, who are already incredibly busy, with overseeing American residents.

“I’m hoping more and more training programs will adopt this model,” Dr. O’Callahan says.

Dr. Diep described her month in Rwanda as a powerful experience. She was able to take on a teaching role and help Rwandan residents learn about quality improvement. She also provided guidance and served as a teaching resident for medical students in Rwanda. They have so much talent, but need that extra guidance because there are so many learners to every teaching doctor, Dr. Diep says.

While in Rwanda, Dr. Diep saw many conditions that are not common in the United States, such as malaria, and other conditions that were more advanced due to poor access to medical care. She learned how to deal with these conditions and other difficult issues, such as lack of medicine and lab tests.

“I really feel I learned so much, and it was an experience I will never forget,” Dr. Diep says.

Now back in Connecticut, Dr. O’Callahan and Dr. Diep have returned to work at Middlesex Hospital. However, they continue to reflect on their trip. There are difficult stories and happy memories, and it takes a long time to process, Dr. Diep says.

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education & careers

May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

UConn Nurse’s Advocacy leads to new state law

Staff nurse Jennifer Boucher says, “Jane goes above and beyond in her position to be supportive to nursing and aides to make our day run as smoothly as possible.”

Humennyj, Grabowski and Boucher each submitted nominations of Presnick-Lyon for a 2017 Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing.

“I’m really incredibly honored and humbled,” Presnick-Lyon says. “Next year will be 40 years since I’ve been a nurse and it’s really almost like a culmination of my career. It really means the world to me.”

“We need to let her know we see the good she does around here,” Grabowski says.

who lost her newborn that Christmas morning.

The bill advanced and on May 4, in the closing moments of the session, won final legislative approval.

A month later, Gov. Dannel Malloy signed what became known as “William’s Law.” It took effect January 1.

“Now anytime a mom gives birth in the state of Connecticut and her baby or babies have to transfer to a NICU, it’s an automatic; the insurance company has to allow the mom to go, too, no questions asked,” Presnick-Lyon says.

Her commitment to improve patient care may go beyond the walls of UConn John Dempsey Hospital but colleagues, subordinates, and bosses alike recognize her for all does within those walls, too.

“She is quick, nimble and able to flex the ever-changing staffing needs of the hospital,” Humennyj says.

“When Jane is working you know things will get done and there is no confusion. She knows who she has and where,” says nurse aide Marzena Grabowski.

“There is this calmness that you know things will run without any issues.”

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Four new managers join Waveny since the new year

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Jane Presnick-Lyon is a relentless advocate for the people she serves.

In her line of work, that alone doesn’t make her stand out. It just makes her a nurse.

What does make her stand out is she’s a nurse who led a charge to change Connecticut law to help mothers of critically ill newborns.

Presnick-Lyon has been a nursing supervisor at UConn Health since 2007. Those who work with her will tell you of her unwavering dedication to patient care and to her job—she’s never used a minute of sick time in those 10 years.

“Jane lives and leads by example and is always accountable for her actions,” says nurse manager Anna Humennyj. “She has an incredible work ethic and her flexibility is remarkable.”

On Christmas Eve 2015, Presnick-Lyon was the supervisor on duty when she found herself in the middle of an administrative nightmare. An infant in the neonatal intensive care unit had taken a turn for the worse and his mother was 40 miles away, still at the hospital where she’d given birth. The mother was unable to obtain preauthorization from her insurance company for the transfer to UConn John Dempsey Hospital.

Although Presnick-Lyon was able to facilitate the transfer, it was too late by the time the woman arrived.

“She never held her baby alive,” Presnick-Lyon says. “I said, ‘I can’t let this happen to another mom, it’s not right.’”

On Christmas morning, she started writing to state legislators—18 letters in all. She heard back from five lawmakers and subsequent discussions led to a proposed bill, “An Act Concerning Prior Authorization for the Interhospital Transfer of Certain Newborn Infants and Their Mothers.”

The following March, Presnick-Lyon was at the State Capitol testifying before the Committee on Insurance and Real Estate, along with several other nurses and the woman

Waveny LifeCare Network has welcomed four key staff members to its management team since the New Year. From left to right, Jean Gleeson, CTRS, Director of Therapeutic Recreation; Mary A. Kolodziej, MSN, RN, RAC-CT, Clinical Reimbursement Specialist; Rachel Brunetti, LMSW, Director of Social Services; and Stephanie Kazmierczak, General Ledger Accounting Manager. Waveny LifeCare Network provides a comprehensive continuum of healthcare to serve the needs of older adults from all areas. For more information about the non-profit eldercare organization, call 1-855-WAVENY-1 or visit www.waveny.org.

education & careers

Hospital Newspaper - NE May/June 2017

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Bridgeport Hospital celebrates Nurses Week with awards, activities Bridgeport Hospital celebrated Nurses Week May 6 - 12 with a full slate of activities and events, including a group outing with colleagues from Yale New Haven Health to the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, home of the Bridgeport Bluefish, awards ceremonies, complimentary massages and yoga, stress reduction exercises, blessing of the hands, healthy food sampling and distribution of gifts.

For the first time in its 15-year history, two nursing leaders, Jennifer O’Neil of Middlebury and Frances Skeeter of Milford, shared the Nurse Manager of the Year Award, presented by the hospital’s medical staff. O’Neil leads the Progressive Care Unit and Medical ICU, while Skeeter manages the Urology Suite. Both were recognized for outstanding leadership while expanding their units and the scope of their duties during the past year.

“Jennifer has taken her team and turned it into a high performing, high reliability unit to ensure the best patient-centered care is provided,” said Chairman of Medicine Gregory Buller, MD. “They double and triple check to make sure errors have zero chance of causing patients harm.

Jen is respectful and thoughtful, and sets a positive example for all staff members, who believe they are valued and their contributions will lead to a better team.”

About Skeeter, Chairman of Surgery Nabil Atweh, MD, said, “Frances and her staff make things happen regardless of the time of day, sickness of the patients or complexity of the situation. Her let’s-do-it attitude ensures that patients receive excellent care in a timely fashion.

Because of her dedication, intelligence and ability, she has gained the respect of her staff, which motivates them to work to the best of their abilities.”

More than a dozen other nurses were recognized for outstanding performance during the hospital’s Professional Practice Nursing Awards ceremony. The Nursing Excellence Award, the top award, went to Maribeth Oleynick of Bridgeport, assistant nurse manager of the Pre-Op/Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a 383-bed acute care hospital (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital) serving parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties.

(l-r) Bridgeport Hospital Co-Nurses Managers of the Year Frances Skeeter and Jennifer O’Neil

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Bridgeport Hospital Nurses Week award winners, including Maribeth Oleynick, recipient of the Nursing Excellence Award (lower right).

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May/June 2017

Hospital Newspaper - NE

The Inn’s “Songs of the 50s” Musical Revue

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ARCHITECTURE

The “Inn-Notes” singing group recently brought their audience of more than 100 guests back to “The Hop” at The Inn’s “Songs of the 50s” Musical Revue. With an assortment of musical acts, dance numbers and a Doo-Wop band, The Inn’s Revue showcased the era of poodle skirts and greaser jackets for residents, families, friends and members of the community alike. Part of Waveny LifeCare Network in New Canaan, The Inn provides carefree, independent senior living and welcomes older adults from all areas. For more information about The Inn, call 203.594.5450 or visit waveny.org.

Center for Hospice Care wins Platinum AVA Digital Award for “Sooner is Better” commercial

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Pictured (L to R): Alec Arsten, Firesite Films, LLC owner and producer, Carol Mahier, President/CEO Center for Hospice Care, Karen Neilan, Board Member (Vice President), Center for Hospice Care, MaryAnn Fitzsimmons, Board Member (Secretary), Center for Hospice Care, Lenny Winkler, Board Member (President), Center for Hospice Care and Edwin Lorah, Board Member (Treasurer), Center for Hospice Care.

Center for Hospice Care Southeast Connecticut is pleased to announce that it has been selected the winner of the Healthcare (Non-Hospital) Platinum Category of the AVA Digital Awards for its “Sooner is Better” commercial featuring a Mother, Son and his family utilizing services provided by Center for Hospice Care.

The AVA Digital Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design and production of digital communication. Work ranges from digital engagement campaigns – to audio and video production – to website development – to social media interaction – to mobile marketing. This year, there were 2,500 entries from the United States, Canada and sixteen other countries.

“The team at Firesite Films and I are very proud that “Sooner is Better - MOM” has received this award. We enjoyed working with their staff on this project and feel everyone involved with Center for Hospice Care should be recognized for the light and warmth they provide in dark times. Thank you for doing what you do! We are honored

to have the opportunity to cinematically share your story across the region,” said Alec Arsten, owner and producer of Firesite Films, LLC. who produced the commercial.

“We could not be more thrilled with this recognition,” said Carol Mahier, President/CEO of Center for Hospice Care. “We were really pleased with how both of our commercials portrayed what we do to help those in need of end of life care and assist their loved ones and caregivers along the hospice process. You don’t need to be in the last days or weeks of life to qualify for hospice and palliative care. Our care is about living – living well in the time you have left and we feel these commercials really reflected that message” said Mahier.

Center for Hospice Care would like to express its sincere appreciation to Arsten and his entire crew at Firesite Films for their professionalism, and quality of work in producing two quality commercials that represent why when it comes to hospice care, “Sooner, really is Better!”

For more information on this recognition, or to view this commercial, visit our website at www.hospicesect.org.

Bernstein & Associates, Architects Founded in 1990, Bernstein & Associates, Architects, specializes in the design and construction of hospital and healthcare facilities. Our focus: high-quality design, excellent service, and client satisfaction.

We have worked for over 100 hospitals and another 200 private healthcare facilities, across the United States. Our project types have included all hospital and healthcare service groups, including: Adult Day Care, Alcoholism Treatment Facilities, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Assisted Living, Cancer Centers, Cardiac Cath, Cardiology, CCU/ICU, Clinics, Coronary Care, Dental, Dermatology, Dialysis Clinics, Doctors Offices, Drug Treatment Facilities, Elder Care, Employee and Student Health Support Services, Emergency Departments, Emergency Preparedness, Endoscopy, ENT, Expert Witness, Group Practices, Hospices, Hospitals, Infectious Disease, Information Systems, Intensive Care, JCAHO Survey, Joint Commission Survey, Laboratories, Master Plans, Medical Offices, Medical Equipment, Medical Libraries, Medical Records, Neurology, Nursing Homes, Ophthalmology/Eye Center, OB/Gyn, Orthopedic, Pain Care Facilities, Pathology, Patient Safety Consulting Services, Pediatric, Pharmacy, Physical Fitness and Sports, PT/OT, Primary Care Programs, Psychiatric, Radiology, Rehabilitation, Senior Citizen Facilities, Sleep Centers, Social Services, Statement of Conditions, Surgical Suites and Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Urgent Care Centers, and USP 797 Consulting Services.

The firm's projects have won design awards from Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, and the Architectural Woodworking Institute, and have been published in Advance, Health Facilities Management, Medical Technology Today, Bio/Technology, Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, Design Solutions, Hospitality Design, Sound and Communication, Contract Design and Hospital Newspaper.

Architectural Services include: programming, planning, design, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration.

The firm also offers sustainable or “green” healthcare design.

The firm has a number of LEED-accredited professionals, has successfully completed numerous green healthcare projects, and has published articles on “Greening the Healthcare Environment”.

Project Management (or Owner’s Representative Services) is offered as a stand-alone service through our affiliated project management company, Empire Projects, Inc. (www.empireprojects.com).

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Five Connecticut Nursing Students receive Scholarships Nightingale Nursing Awards 2017

All 2017 scholarship recipients were honored at a special reception hosted by the VNA South Central on April 12, 2017. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Platinum sponsor Yale-New Haven Hospital, they were recognized at the Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing, on Wednesday May 10, at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.

For more information about the Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing, visit the Nightingale website at http://www.nightingalenursingawards.org/index.php/h ome-newhaven or call the Nightingale hotline at 203-859-6765.

To make a contribution to VNA South Central in support of this important event, please contact the

provided

Lisa Dupuis, President & CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut, has announced that five local nursing students each received a $1,200 scholarship through the Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing program.

The Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing program was originally developed by the VNA South Central to be a collaborative effort to celebrate outstanding nurses and elevate the nursing profession.

The goals of the program are to encourage retention, focus public attention, recognize the breadth and scope of nursing practice at the local level, and inspire future nurses. To help achieve these goals, for the past fourteen years, the Nightingale program has provided scholarships to outstanding students from five local nursing schools: Yale School of Nursing, Southern Connecticut State University Department of Nursing, Quinnipiac University School of Nursing, Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, and Gateway Community College Department of Nursing.

Fanta Bayoh, the recipient from Yale University, is a first year Master's student in the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Program. During her undergraduate years at UCLA, Fanta worked in the Translational Oncology Research Labs and Haworth Surgical Institute.

Fanta currently founded Yale School of Nursing's Black Minority Nurses Organization and she is a volunteer at the HAVEN free clinic. She was described as, "both an exceptional student in the classroom and in her clinical settings. Fanta is committed to patient care, patient advocacy, issues of social injustice and addressing health disparities across local and global communities. Her faculty describe her as a strong, affirming presence to the classroom, conversations and our overall community."

Nguyen Nguyen, the recipient from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), is a native of Vietnam. During her upbringing, she witness many people, especially children, who suffered from insufficient access to health care. This experience led her to pursue her own career in the health care field.

Nguyen is currently a student in the SCSU Accelerated Career Entry program. She previously received a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of

Connecticut. Her career goals include practicing as a pediatric APRN in order to give back to those less fortunate. Her faculty describe her to have a unique perspective on healthcare in the United States.

Charles E. Crocco, the recipient from Quinnipiac University School of Nursing, is a junior in Quinnipiac's undergraduate program. Charles is described by Rhea Sanford, PhD, RN and Co-Chair of the Undergraduate Nursing Program as, "one of the strongest students in his class. He achieves this while also holding two part-time jobs, one as an EMT and one as a patient care technician at a local hospital." Charles is described as a spokesperson for his class, representing them when there are questions about curriculum, course schedules or engagement in philanthropic work.

Kathleen Shea, the recipient from Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, is described as "a humble and unassuming senior undergraduate nursing student who is well respected by faculty and peers." Kathleen has expressed academic excellence, personal integrity and dedication to others as a Freshman Nursing Peer Mentor. At the time of her nomination, Kathleen maintained a 4.0 Nursing GPA. Her scholarship, leadership and service were recognized last spring when she was inducted into two national honor societies, Sigma Theta Tau International for nursing excellence and Delta Epsilon Sigma. Her faculty adds that those who will be lucky to come across her path will truly be blessed.

Molly Louis, the recipient from Gateway Community College, is a senior in the Associate Degree nursing program. Molly demonstrates leadership skills as President of the Student Nurses Association.

Throughout her time in the program, she has demonstrated dedication to the community by raising funds for local organizations and volunteering at a local nursing home in East Haven. In addition, Molly works Personal Care Assistant at Yale-New Haven Hospital and a Lifeguard at Soundview Family YMCA. Gateway nursing faculty state, "Molly is an excellent student academically... and demonstrates compassionate and competent behaviors in the delivery of care in the clinical setting."

Development Office, at 203-8596054, or visit www.vnascc.org and see our support page.

The Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing program was developed in 2001 out of a desire to celebrate and elevate the nursing profession. As a nursing organization with more than a century of service, the Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut took the lead in creating the award ceremony. The Nightingale vision was quickly embraced by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Yale-New Haven Hospital and The Hospital of Saint Raphael, whose financial support brought the idea to fruition.

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