January 2023 PULSE

IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE...

About a month ago, I was invited to tour the Quinnipiac University North Haven Campus. This impressive campus houses the Law School and The Center for Medicine, Nursing, and Heath Sciences.

I’m somewhat familiar with the facilities, as I have served on the Quinnipiac University (QU) Physical Therapy Professional Advisory Board for the last few years. I recently agreed to continue to serve for an additional three years.

The tour was in advance of an Advisory Board meeting and was followed by a “meet and greet” with many of the full-time clinical faculty in the DPT program. It was a nice opportunity to reconnect with some people I have known for years as well as be introduced to others I didn’t know.

On this visit, a few things hit home for me.

First, I graduated from Quinnipiac when it was a small college at the edge of Sleeping Giant State Park. The North Haven Campus didn’t even exist yet.

Second, the experience of attending QU as a DPT student is completely and totally di erent than anything I was exposed to. The campus and curriculum are worlds away from “back in the day.”

Third, this visit reinforced how critical it is for PTSMC and our people to establish and grow relationships with universities educating our profession. The e ort is intentional and getting better year after year.

One of the bright spots is our Student Program currently led by Juliann Chacko, PT, DPT, OCS, CMT, Assistant Director in Orange.

In 2022, PTSMC hosted 32 DPT students from 14 di erent schools. We also provided Initial Clinical Experiences (ICE) to 60 QU candidates, 16 Sacred Heart University (SHU) candidates and 2 University of Hartford (UHART) candidates.

I am very grateful to our clinicians who step up as Clinical Instructors. Your willingness to give back to our profession is outstanding and demonstrates your personal and professional growth.

The breadth and depth of PTSMC’s relationships is further enhanced by our clinicians who have taught in the past, currently teach or volunteer at our local universities. These teaching roles forge relationships with students who may one day join our PTSMC family. Our current and most recent instructors and volunteers include:

UHART

Channing Harwood (Plainville)

QU

Michelle Kijewski (Wallingford)

Russell Woodman (New Haven) Zack Currie (Guilford)

Spring eld College

Mike McGowan (Windsor)

SHU

Lucas Ferreira (Fair eld)

Andrew Kalach (Fair eld) Mario Paredes (Orange) Rebecca Petrosino (Fair eld)

EQUIPT (QU’s Student-Run

Pro-Bono Clinic)

Meghan Blanusa (Naugatuck) Mike Stofko (Shelton)

I apologize for missing anyone! Please reach out to me if I did.

Recently, PTSMC sponsored and attended QU’s Katherine Harris White Coat Ceremony. We also had booths at the CTAPTA conference and career fairs at UHART and QU. Thanks to UHart alum Matt Baronowski and our HR Team members Sandra Boccialetti and Karen Havlicek for attending these events.

As I consider the people involved and the relationships forged, I think about how many ways these e orts speak to our mission: Improving the quality of people’s lives by providing:

• Unmatched Experiences

• Clinical Excellence

• Lifelong Relationships

Thanks, Alan

IN THIS ISSUE

Clinician’s

Student Program Year in Review

Congrats to Recent DOCS Graduates!

HR Buzz

2022 W2s

Update Your Information

2023 PTSMC Holidays & Holiday Time O Policy

2023 Three Payroll Months

2023 Mileage Rate

Open Enrollment

Clinical Continued Education Policy Reminders

Employee Spotlight

Laura Nicklis, Avon Physical Therapist

Techy Tips: Protect Your Privacy

By Dave Lawrence

DEI: DEI and Employee Engagement Calendar - Coming Soon!

By Marilex Santiago

Ugly Sweaters & Food Drive Recap

StriveHub Fab 5

“The front desk sta are always helpful and kind. The PT's are knowledgeable and caring and have your body goals in mind when treating you. I have the utmost con dence in their ability to get my knee back in gear!” - New London

“Amazing results due to good communication with the therapist and her knowledge. She always asked how I felt and how I was doing (functionally), then proceeded to review or modify existing exercises and/or add new exercises. I was extremely pleased and impressed with her ability to modify (break down/task analyze) exercises to reach my end goal which was ROM without strain or pain!” - Windsor

“My therapist has me doing exercises that provide immediate results and improvements to my restricted range of motion, post-surgery. I highly recommend Michael Stofko.” - Shelton

“Sta is amazing and very professional. My hand was in a lot of pain for more than 5 months and after my third visit I felt signi cantly better. Thank you Je (Hoerst) for all the improvement you’ve helped me make” - Glastonbury

“It's a team atmosphere with the patient's success as the ultimate goal. I found them all helpful, making sure your positioning was correct to help ensure we got the most out our time. I had Dan (Pagliuca) who was exceptional, non judgemental, encouraging and knowledgeable.” - New Milford

Corner by Mike Stofko, Shelton Physical Therapist Oncology Patients

CLINICIAN’S CORNER

Oncology Patients

By: Mike Stofko, PT, DPT Physical Therapist at PTSMC Shelton

According to Choose PT from APTA, up to 38.4% of the US population will have cancer at one point in their lives. Fortunately, cancer death rates are declining as treatment and medical management improves, making many cancers survivable. With an incidence that’s only increasing, treating a patient with active cancer or previous history of cancer is becoming harder to avoid. Seeing oncologic patients with complex medical treatments, metastatic risk, and evolving symptoms can be overwhelming at times. However, recent research has proven that endurance and resistive exercise is safe and recommended for oncologic patients. A well rounded exercise program can have drastic positive e ects on functional outcomes, quality of life, and even survivability.

Oncologic patients routinely undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, endocrine therapy, etc which all come with a long list of unattractive side e ects. One of the most common side e ects of cancer treatment is cancer-related fatigue. Oncologic patients experience systemic fatigue from their bodies working very hard metabolically to control the collateral damage of surgery, chemo, and radiation. Patients will be extremely tired and struggle with just getting out of bed some days. Although it may sound counterintuitive, adding regular moderate intensity endurance and resistive exercise to their plan of care has shown to improve overall fatigue levels during and after cancer treatments. Exercise sparks the body’s natural hormone, immune, and core temperature responses to help normalize the body’s metabolism and energy usage. This leaves patients with a more manageable level of fatigue for their required cancer treatments and daily routines.

Wang and Zhou et al. published a literature review entitled ‘Roles and Molecular Mechanisms of Physical Exercise in Cancer Prevention and Treatment’ that highlights the powerful e ects of a moderate intensity exercise program for cancer survivors. Wang and Zhou use over 95 RCT’s, case reviews, and research papers to prove that exercise has a therapeutic e ect for oncologic patients before, after, and during cancer treatments. This literature review found that exercise can reduce the risk of common cancers by 15-24% depending on the type.

Exercise stimulates a tumor ghting response through complex molecular pathways that can help reduce tumor size and its metabolic impact on surrounding tissues, sometimes called a tumor microenvironment. A tumor microenvironment is how a tumor uses a hypoxic and acidic metabolism to shield itself from the body’s immune system and continue to proliferate. Healthy exercise can help correct this tumor microenvironment through angiogenesis followed by the release and transport of crucial immune cells (and chemotherapy drugs) to directly impact the tumor microenvironment protection.

Wang and Zhou also highlight the numerous ways regular exercise can improve the overall health and function of oncology patients. Exercise can help reverse many cancer related side e ects, such as cognitive decline, cardiac toxicity, immunosuppression, lymphedema, bone loss, deconditioning and muscle atrophy. These mechanisms are the bene cial e ects of exercise that we already understand and accept, but they should not be ignored with oncology patients.

Overall, you don’t have to know which speci c molecules and mechanisms in Figure 1 are in play, but know that exercise does directly impact cancer, mostly by increasing blood ow and immune response to direct tumor sites. Prescription and compliance with moderate intensity endurance and resistance exercise can help prevent cancer risk, directly shrink tumors, and counteract novel treatment side e ects. This is all on top of normally addressing potential ROM, strength, and functional mobility impairments. In the end, know that appropriately designed PT treatments can make all the di erence in the care and rehabilitation of any patient with cancer.

Upcoming Courses CLINICAL EXCELLENCE

INTERNAL COURSES

Upper Extremity

February 25, 2023

Location: PTSMC Wallingford

8:30am - 12:30pm

Instructor: Russ Woodman

DOCS Requirement

SPONSORED COURSES

Myopain Dry Needling 2 & 3

DN-2 Foundations II: February 3-5, 2023

Location: PTSMC Glastonbury

DN-3 Advanced: May 19-21, 2023

Location: TBD

Email Mallory Mason at ConEd@ptsmc.com for all sign ups or questions. All course attendance must be approved by Partner/Director.

Congratulations to DOCS Grads!

The Clinical Excellence team would like to recognize and give sincere congratulations to the most recent graduates of the Development of Clinical Success (DOCS) Program:

STUDENT PROGRAM UPDATE

The PTSMC Student Program is o to a strong start in 2023! Twenty-two placements from 13 DPT programs are already con rmed for the year! This month, we welcome six of them:

STUDENT SCHOOL CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR CLINIC

Matthew Canapetti AIC Jen Powers Fair eld

Adrian Colombani Spring eld Mike McGowan Windsor Juliana Lusk St Francis Craig Katko & Alyson Whelan Essex Nick Rajotte Spring eld Colin Ketchel Branford Taylor She eld Wash U Stephanie Weyrauch Orange Avery Warner Drexel Nic Sauerbrunn Windsor

Here’s a recap of 2022 along with student feedback:

A total of 33 students successfully completed clinical a liations with PTSMC in 2022

• All 32 DPT students, 1 PTA student • 54% of students were in nal clinical experience

• 6 students hosted in 2022 joined PTSMC following graduation

Read what some of our 2022 SPTs had to say: “PTSMC, my CI, and the other PT's in the clinic exceeded my expectations of this clinical rotation…”

“…The sta at the clinic were phenomenal in making patients feel welcomed…and it really had such a close-knit atmosphere with the coworkers and patients alike…”

“PTSMC was a great rst clinical. The sta and CI were very supportive and helpful throughout my time. I have learned so many skills and have gained knowledge about the eld that I did not know going into the clinical.”

“I felt properly supported by ALL members of the sta , regardless of job position”

“This clinic did a great job at emphasizing evidence-based practice via CPGs and other resources…”

“I felt the most welcomed during this clinical experience. I enjoyed how my CI took the time to teach me manual skills and provide me with chances to practice these skills…I enjoyed listening to sta meetings that centered around creating programs for each therapist to work with di erent populations and felt excited about the work the clinic was doing.”

Cait Ayotte, PT, DPT, New London

Jen Ashman, PT, DPT, Simsbury

Pat Kinsella, PT, DPT, Guilford

The graduates were asked to share the most in uential part of the DOCS Program and what they are hoping to pursue next in their continuing education:

Cait: The most in uential part was getting to work with a mentor which was bene cial for "in the moment" type of feedback/advice and having a reliable resource to ask questions. Next for my continuing education I want to focus my learning on the most up-to-date research regarding post operative rehab, as this is a population I see a lot of.

Jen: Going to the in-person classes to brush up on things that were taught in PT school, however, to also learn some new pearls of wisdom to bring back to the clinic. I plan to further my knowledge in vestibular therapy, with hopes of one day becoming certi ed in vestibular therapy, as well as continue my education and skill in TDN.

Pat: The most in uential part of the DOCS Program for me was the ability to be able to take all of the information learned from either the courses, mentoring sessions, case discussions and/or journal clubs and implement that information into clinical practice right away. Especially helpful as a new graduate who is still gaining experience and has so much to learn, I really feel it helped me to develop my skills at a much quicker pace than I would have been able to on my own. I am next hoping to pursue more information about exercise prescription and endurance/strength training for people of all ages as that is an aspect of physical therapy that I am currently very interested in.

Congratulations to Sam McMullen!

Congratulations to Sam McMullen, PT, DPT, OCS, MS, ATC, in Southington! We welcome Sam in his new role as PTSMC’s Mentorship Coordinator. This position manages the monthly mentorship schedule and mentors our DOCS clinicians to help our clinicians be their best clinically. Sam brings excellent credentials and experience to the role. He is a graduate of the 2021 PTSMC Orthopaedic Residency program, and achieved his board certi cation in Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. Since achieving his OCS, Sam has been mentoring PTSMC’s DOCS Program clinicians. Clinical excellence is also felt by Sam’s patient base, his NPS for all time is 96!

HUMAN RESOURCES

2022 W2S

All employees will receive a paper copy of their W2 mailed to their home address by January 31, 2023.

Be on the lookout in your ADP account for your 2022 W2 around January 15, 2023

Click on: Myself Pay Pay & Tax Statements

2023 PTSMC HOLIDAYS

New Year’s Day (observed) Monday January 2nd Memorial Day Monday May 29th Independence Day (July 4th) Tuesday July 4th Labor Day Monday September 4th Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 23rd Christmas Day Monday December 25th

The holiday schedule is located in the forms library under Company Documents and Links in ADP.

2023 THREE PAYROLL MONTHS

There will be three payrolls in the months of May and November. These payrolls will not have medical, dental or Colonial deductions.

2023 MILEAGE RATE

The current mileage rate of 62.5 cents will remain the same for the start of 2023.

IS AROUND THE CORNER MARCH 1, 2023

All eligible employees, mandatory meetings for Open Enrollment are scheduled . Attendance to one meeting is required:

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Thursday, January 26, 2023 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Friday, January 27, 2023 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Monday, January 30, 2023 9:00 am – 10:00 am Monday, January 30, 2023 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Be on the lookout, your home ADP home screen will have information regarding Open Enrollment soon.

CLINICAL CONTINUED EDUCATION POLICY REMINDERS

Continued education dollars are budgeted. All courses must be pre-approved by the partner/director. Employees are allowed a maximum of two paid business days of continuing education per calendar year for courses attended during the employee’s regular workweek. Weekend courses are excluded. Paid time is prorated based upon employment status. Unused continued education hours are not carried over to the following year.

Full Time 16 hours per calendar year Part Time (30-39) 12 hours per calendar year Part Time (20-29) 8 hours per calendar year

REMINDER:

HOLIDAY TIME OFF POLICY IS CALENDAR YEAR, JANUARY – DECEMBER

Full Time (FT) 56 hours (48 holiday and 8 personal)

Part Time 30 (PT 30) 42 hours (36 holiday and 6 personal)

Part Time 20 (PT 20) 28 hours (24 holiday and 4 personal)

Holiday hours will continue to only be used on the actual holiday. Personal hours are included in holiday time and must be used during the calendar year.

For eligible employees, holiday hour balance is located under: Myself Time O My Time O

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to the following PT Aides who have completed the SIPTA (Skills Introduction for PT Aides) Program:

Aarohi Patel, Avon Karen Cordaway, Branford Emma Topper, Southington Meghan Burke, Orange

Megan

Liz Miller, New London

Jasmine Pagan, New Haven PSC

Ethan Pearson, Plainville

Jackie Skirkanich, Westbrook Physical Therapist Bianca Tate, Newington

McKenna Roberts, Westbrook

Spot light

Laura Nicklis, Avon Physial Therapist

How Laura Joined PTSMC

Laura Nicklis, Physical Therapist in Avon since the fall of 2014. Prior to that, when she was a student, she did a clinical rotation at PTSMC Avon with Emily Hansen (now Simsbury Partner) in January of 2009. She completed her undergraduate, Master’s and Doctorate degrees at Ithaca College. Yes, she does in fact have all three degrees, and was part of the last class to have that opportunity because the program changed the next year.

Her rst PT job was with Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation network in their outpatient facilities in Wethers eld and West Hartford. PTSMC did not have any openings other than on the shoreline at the time, and Laura really wanted to stay in the northern part of CT. A few years later, she decided she was done with hospital-owned practices. Making the move to PTSMC was more than that, though. Laura has a true “PT for Life” story that o cially brought her to the Avon o ce.

Laura’s father had been treated at PTSMC Avon after Laura was a student at Avon but still in school. Once Laura was out of school and working, he again needed treatment. Laura was working for Hartford Hospital at this time, and her dad said, “You know I loved PTSMC the rst time. I want to go back there.” So, he did. While being treated in Avon, her dad got word that there was about to be an opening for a PT... and that is how Laura got her resume in!

Fun Facts About Laura

Now that you know Laura’s PTSMC story, let’s get to know some fun facts about her. Laura grew up in Hartland, CT. Her family currently lives in Southington, and they are looking to move to Burlington. Laura and her husband Eric have two children – Harper, who is two years old, and Hudson, who is four months old. She explained that it’s de nitely crazy having two little ones! It’s extra motivation for her to be productive at work, so that she can be really focused on her family at home. The kids’ latest updates also make for great conversation with patients. Recently, they met Santa, and they were both comfortable around the big man. De nitely no coal in their stockings �� Laura says they also do Elf on The Shelf, but their elf is cute - not creepy - and is much more chill compared to the mischief you see these days. Laura and Eric love playing and hanging out with the kids, and they are at such cute ages right now - the “pick me up” and “let’s do a puzzle together” ages! They try to get outside as much as possible and often go for walks. Harper always says “Hi!” and “I love you” to all the dogs. Just the other day she was even wishing happy birthday to “dogs in general.”

Spending time with extended family is also at the top of their list. Their favorite activity is their family trip to the Outer Banks. They try to head down there year every, where they rent homes with her extended family and spend time vacationing on the beach! Other than quality family time, Laura likes to bake and do all sorts of crafts. She especially likes baking and decorating cakes. Learning to do more with the decorations is super fun for her, and of course, she made Harper a dog cake for her birthday. Laura recently got a Cricut and is starting to learn all the craft she can do with it. So far, she has made a handful of t-shirts for the kids!

In the o ce Laura shows o her creative side by overseeing the “Who Are We” board. It is a big bulletin board, displayed right in the entrance of the clinic so patients can get to know each sta member who works there. Usually there’s a theme to go along with it. For example, when PTSMC celebrated 20 years in business in 2020, Laura had 2 photos of each sta memberonecurrent one in 2020 and one from 20 years before in 2000 (see pictured)! It’s always a hit.

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

Melani Hayes 1 Danielson

Carole Pimenta 1 Guilford

Ken Kosior 2 Wallingford

Sal Sinsigalli 4 West Hartford

Collin Casey 5 Wallingford

Nic Sauerbrunn 6 Windsor

Chaylea Finn 8 Branford

Tatiana Papuashvili 8 Fair eld

Aaliyah Rodriguez 10 New Haven

Nicholas Parker 11 Wethers eld

Dylan Murray 13 Avon

Kat Fotou 13 Groton

Brianne Dwyer 13 Southington

Katelyn Mogelnicki 14 Newington

Sue Ginsburg 15 Guilford

Christina Mogelnicki 15 Newington

Anya Zielinski 17 Naugatuck

Anita George 19 Admin

Matteo Cavaliere 19 Middletown

Ashley James 19 New London

Danielle Dunn 19 Wallingford

Shae Eucalitto 20 Simsbury

Jacky Severance 21 Middletown

Annalise Kieley 21 Simsbury

Mike Popolizio 22 Glastonbury

Nicole Brissette 22 Lock Street

Joseph Antonazzo 22 Southbury

Miranda Wachter 23 Putnam

Kelly Cozzolino 24 Plainville

Kasey Bascetta 25 Windsor

Jane Rosadini 26 Guilford

Tatyana Vega 26 Waterbury

Kristina Lipeika 26 Watertown

Megan Boswell 26 Windsor

Kristen Forster 28 Admin

Natalie Peterson 28 Plainville

Samantha Schlottman 29 Branford

Shelby Pocius 30 Admin

Megan Ca erty 31 Essex

JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES

Jacob Hurlbert PT Aide Westbrook

Aalyiah Henry PT Aide Naugatuck

Roslin DellaVecchia Physical Therapist Naugatuck/ Assistant Watertown

Victoria Fainstein Physical Therapist New Haven

Lisa Guilbault Physical Therapist Danielson

Melani Hayes Patient Service Danielson Coordinator

Paul Dinwoodie Physical Therapist Danielson Tom Harney Director Putnam/ Danielson

Kyleen Sidwell Physical Therapist Putnam

Ashlee Peloquin Physical Therapist Putnam Assistant

Kelli Kaliszewski Physical Therapist Putnam Assistant

Samantha Schlottman PT Aide Branford

Michelle Madorran Patient Service New Milford Coordinator

Skyler Marini PT Aide New Haven

Jeremy Mercier PT Aide Southington

Courtney Nissel PT Aide Wallingford

Kaley Langlois PT Aide Watertown

Lauren Testa

Patient Service Watertown Administrator

CONGRATULATIONS TO KAREN HAVLICEK:

Promoted to Senior Human Resources Coordinator

In September of 2015, PTSMC acquired our current New Haven Prince Street and Branford locations, bringing PTSMC locations to 15. Part of that acquisition included Karen Havlicek joining the PTSMC Human Resources department.

Director of Human Resources, Sandra Boccialetti says, “Karen was one of the best things about the New Haven and Branford acquisition. As the organization has grown, it has been invaluable to have a sta member who has a Human Resources degree and experience as a practice manager for a 2 clinic PT company. Karen continues to add value to our department, guiding new HR professionals, leading the department in attracting, recruiting and onboarding PTSMC employees and functioning as the department leader in my absence.”

Karen loves working with her HR teammates and is excited for the opportunity to continue to support PTSMC employees and company growth by nding great people to join our organization. Besides being happy at work, Karen is happiest when spending time with family. She also enjoys being outdoors and boating in the summertime.

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTINE RASILE:

Promoted to Senior Accountant

In August of 2017, Christine had recently graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Unsure of her direction, she joined PTSMC as an Administrative Assistant primarily supporting Cash Operations and Human Resources. A year later, PTSMC needs in the accounting department matched Christine’s Accounting background. Over the past four years Christine has been growing and developing in her role, at PTSMC and externally. She is currently just a few courses away from completing her MSA; Master of Science degree in Accounting. Post-graduation, Christine plans to sit for her CPA (Certi ed Public Accountant) exams.

In her very little spare time outside of work and school Christine can be found spending time with family; something she values very much. She is very passionate about cooking, so is always looking for a new recipe to try in the kitchen! In addition to work, school, family and cooking, Christine is also planning her June wedding!

Jim Hungerford, Director of Accounting and Finance, commented, “As PTSMC has grown, so have the needs in the Accounting department. Christine has stepped up every time we need a higher skill set. I am proud of her development and enthusiasm for her career. And I look forward to her continued growth.”

When asked what excites her most about this promotion, Christine articulated, “I am most excited about the growth my new role will o er and the opportunity to complete more high-level tasks in the department and for the organization.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO Marilex Santiago:

Promoted to DEI Leader & Administrative Coordinator

PTSMC now has a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Leader in Marilex Santiago. Marilex joined PTSMC in October 2021 as an Administrative Coordinator. Her main focus in her role was to support Administrative projects, gain exposure to Administrative o ce operations and oversee the administrative o ce building responsibilities. It was clear as PTSMC began the dialogue about a more intentional and formal DEI program that Marilex has great skills and a nity for the role as DEI Leader.

When asked what Marilex is most excited about in her new role, she stated, “I am excited for this opportunity because if you are working in a diverse and inclusive environment, you will be exposed to a wider range of di erent opinions, ideas, and skills, and you will be encouraged to share your own. We spend so much time at our jobs and we should show up as our best selves. And when we show up as our best selves, we can provide the best care to our patients. My goal is to create an environment where everyone (including our patients) feels like their voice is heard and di erences are valued.”

Sandy Wickman Mason, Vice President of Operations commented, “We are extremely excited to have Marilex lead our diversity, equity and inclusion program. Her approach to this important topic is one of openness, knowledge and experience. She allows people to feel safe while educating and expanding mindsets”.

In her time away from work, Marilex loves growing a vegetable garden every year, and even more she especially loves cooking what she grows. She also enjoys learning archery, reading fantasy novels, learning astrology, and going to the gym.

UPCOMING END OF MONTH DEADLINES

DECEMBER END OF MONTH

Timeframe Documentation FD Balancing

12/1 - 12/31 1/6 at 6:00am 1/9 at 7:00pm

JANUARY MID MONTH Timeframe Documentation FD Balancing

1/3 - 1/14 1/23 at 6:00am 1/24 at 3:00pm

JANUARY END OF MONTH Timeframe Documentation FD Balancing

1/1 - 1/31 2/6 at 6:00am 2/7 at 7:00pm

TECHY TIPS

PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY

By Dave Lawrence, Director of Information Technology

Privacy is one of the most important things and keeping our lives private is important. With the digital age, we have cell phones and with that comes risk of privacy breach.

One common privacy breach is through AirTags, inadvertently for those that use Apple products. AirTags are tracking devices. Be aware that when AirTag mode is on, it can lead to unexpected stalking/harassment by those that you don’t want or expect. Always turn o this mode. If you use an AirTag device, turn on only for the moment you need it.

Additionally, turn o “Location” services for each app on your phone. Apps can track your every move, which can remotely submit your data around the world. Some apps you need “Location” services to use them, so in that instance, only allow it while using the app.

Let’s get Physicals, Physicals!

A key factor to health is taking the time each year to get your routine annual physical. Also called an annual wellness visit. Preventive exams and other routine health screenings provide early detection of more serious health issues and gives you a chance to ask questions about your overall health and wellness. With health insurance, preventative care is covered and at no cost to you.

If you took this step for your health this year or are planning to get a physical before February 18th, 2023, let us know!

What you earn: $20 gift card & entry into a ra e for $250 gift card. There will be TWO winners!

What counts: Annual routine physical/annual wellness visit

Who is eligible: All Employees

How to get credit: Schedule & attend your appointment. Send in the date of your appointment to Mallory at Wellness@ptsmc.com

Timeline: Appointment attended between March 1, 2022 and February 18, 2023

Employees who are United Health Care (UHC) members through PTSMC and would like speci c information on the preventative services that are available, log in to your account on https://member.uhc.com/myuhc and go to the Health & Wellness menu Health Recommendations. Find the “Get an Annual Wellness Visit” resource to get started!

January

Flu Shots Ra e Now - Feb. 10

Annual Physical Ra e Now - Feb. 18

DEI

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Diversity & Employee Engagement Calendar Rolling Out Soon

By Marilex Santiago, DEI Lead & Administrative Coordinator

This year we are working to roll out a resource calendar that will feature a DEI calendar and a PTSMC employee engagement calendar. This resource will make it easy to nd information and provide guidance on how to support each other throughout the year.

Diversity calendars provide an opportunity to educate and bring light to important issues, events, and cultures that likely impact employees and patients. Traditional holiday calendars are primarily United States and Christian-centric. Just because we are based in the US doesn’t mean everyone celebrates the same occasions. By acknowledging not everyone ts the same mold, we help to create an environment rich with a variety of cultural observances, holidays, celebrations, and awareness days.

The calendar will include observances from di erent cultures and religions, awareness days, PTSMC community events, important employee dates, and PTSMC employee engagement initiatives. For the cultural, religious, and awareness days, there will be resources connected to the calendar that will o er education and ways to celebrate or observe. The PTSMC events and engagement initiatives will have links that o er more information on how to participate or get involved.

Access to this calendar will be on the ADP dashboard and on the Employee Engagement page of the PULSE. Once it is available, we will let all employees know via email.

Look out for the calendar later this month! If you have a holiday or observance that means a lot to you feel free to reach out to me at Marilex.Santiago@ptsmc.com.

PTSMC Happenings!

Orange hosted a sta holiday party at Rose Vineyards and Winery.

New London sta went axe throwing to celebrate the holidays.

Congratulations to PTSMC’s Orthopaedic Residency Graduates: Liza Peressini, Danbury PT (left) and Conner Gavin, Orange PT. They’re pictured with Program Director Danielle Dunn.

West Hartford sta ran the Blue Back Mitten Run 5k. Pictured from left to right: Liz Veilleux, PT Spencer Lebel, PT Katie Redman, PT Tom Kassan, Partner

Watertown

New Haven stretched runners out at the Christopher Martin’s Christmas Run for Children. Andrew Perazella (left) PT, and Fred Havlicek, Partner, are pictured with Albertus Magnus College’s mascot, Frankie the Falcon.

sta enjoyed a holiday party that included an escape room and dinner at the Avenue Restaurant.

Matt Baronowski, Avon Director, and his wife Becca welcomed a son, Simon Joshua, on November 23rd.

Kasey Bascetta, Windsor PSA, welcomed fraternal twins Liam and Zoey on October 20th.

Colleen Menard, New Milford PT, got married on September 2nd.

Lauren Testa, Watertown PSA, welcomed baby girl Grace Victoria on October 20th.

Emily Tucker, Authorization Representative, married Ben Skiba July 30th.

Thank you to all who helped collect and who donated to the PTSMC Holiday Food Drives across our clinics! More than just food was donated! There were also toy drives toy drives, coat collections, and money donations made to local communities in need. The generosity of the PTSMC extended community continues to go above and beyond! Here is a list of all the local collections our clinics were able to support:

• Amazing Grace Food Pantry

• Branford Food Pantry

• Bread For Life

• City of Hartford Holiday Toy Giveaway

• Clinton Social Services Toy Drive

• Coat Drive for Veterans

• Daily Bread Food Pantry x3

• Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen New Haven

• East Hampton Food Bank

• East Hartford Combined Churches' Emergency Food Pantry

• Ecumenical Food Bank, Naugatuck

• Gemma E. Moran United Way/ Labor Food Center

• Gifts of Love

• Groton Food Locker at Groton Human Services

• Guilford Food Bank

• Hands on Hartford

• Master's Manna

• Newington Food Bank

• North Haven Food Pantry

• Operation Hope

• Orange Food Bank

• Shoreline Soup Kitchen

• Simsbury Food Bank

• Spooner House

• Stanley Memorial Fountain of Life

• Waterbury Baptist Ministries

• Watertown Food Bank

• Weekend Wheels (Windsor Food and Fuel Bank)

• Wethers eld Food Bank

• Yale Children's Hospital Toy Drive

2,700

We are currently at 1,564 out of our 2,700 goal with more to be counted!