RxTraRxTraA publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital February 2011 Vol. 67 No. 3

THE CENTRAL CONNECTICUTHEALTH ALLIANCE

AND THE HOSPITAL OF

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

The recent affiliation of Hartford HealthCare with the Central Connecticut Health Alliance, parent company of The Hospital of Central Connecticut, will benefit patients and staff at both institutions. But many of us here at Hartford Hospital are not familiar with the CCHA institutions located to our south. So we’d like you to meet our newest affiliates –

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The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC)

The Hospital of Central Connecticut, a 414-bed, 32-bassinet acute care teaching hospital, was formed by the Oct. 1, 2006 merger between New Britain General Hospital and Bradley Memorial Hospital in Southington, both of which had long and proud histories of caring for their communities.

HCC has nearly 3,000 employees and 500 physicians, and is affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and other universities.

It provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient medical care services, and has eight specialty centers: clinical areas of excellence offering exceptional staff expertise, superior care and the most advanced procedures and technology.

Specialty Centers at The Hospital of Central Connecticut

• Cancer Services – HCC provides advanced, comprehensive cancer care in the hospital’s George Bray Cancer Center and American Savings Foundation Radiation Oncology Treatment Center, including ste-reotactic radiosurgery. The hospital is also a leader in gynecologic

oncology, heading a nationally des-ignated research center that includes Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut Health Center.

• Stroke Center and Center for Cardiovascular Medicine. The hos-pital has been designated a primary stroke center, and also performs emergency angioplasty to treat heart attacks. Home of one of the only cardiac PET scanners in the state, the hospital uses the latest technology and techniques to diag-nose and treat heart attack and heart failure, arrhythmia, aneurysm, high blood pressure and other condi-tions. Rehabilitation and wellness programs help patients get better and maintain good health.

• Clinical Research - HCC is com-mitted to developing new and better treatments for patients through vari-ous clinical trials in diabetes, cancer and mental health. They are involved in national, multi-site clinical research trials sponsored by lead-ing pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies such as the National Cancer Institute.

• The Ferdinand Sauer, M.D. Family BirthPlace provides access to neo-natal and maternal-fetal medicine specialists round the clock, and offers a neonatal ICU as well as top-notch medical care and amenities in a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility.

• The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at The Hospital of Central Connecticut provides individualized care for people 18 and older with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, as well as preg-nant women with diabetes. The Affiliate has three offices: at the New Britain General campus, the Bradley Memorial campus, and in on South Road in Farmington.

• The Joint and Spine Center offers treatment of knee, hip, shoulder and other joint problems, joint replace-ment, spinal and podiatric surgeries, and rehabilitation.

• The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient services for a wide range of psychiatric ill-nesses and conditions, including specialty services in Spanish and Polish, and a comprehensive pro-gram for substance abuse.

• Weight loss services are another area of specialty. The hospital has been named a Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and offers gastric bypass, gastric banding and other surgical weight loss techniques. Medical weight loss programs are also offered.

• The Endocrine and Bone Health Center provides diagnosis, treat-ment and monitoring of osteoporosis and other bone conditions, including hyperthyroidism, vitamin D defi-ciency and Paget’s disease.

The Hospital of Central Connecticut

Text continues on page 3

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The Central Connecticut Health Alliance (CCHA)

The Hospital of Central Connecticut is one member of the Central Connecticut Health Alliance, a system of affiliates that provides a wide array of services throughout the region.

The CCHA was formed in 1995 by Bradley Memorial and New Britain General Hospitals to develop an inte-grated health care system that would create a continuum of care and pathways for patients.

Since its formation, the Alliance has expanded to include all aspects of health care, including Alliance Occupational Health, Central Connecticut Senior Health Services, Central Connecticut Physical Medicine and Centra l Connecticut VNA.

The CCHA has a par ticular strength in caring for the elderly, with many long-term care, senior living and assisted-living facilities.

Central Connecticut Health Alliance Member Assisted Living and Nursing Home Facilities

• Arbor Rose Assisted Living An independent, service-rich assisted

living community on the grounds of the Jerome Home in New Britain.

• Jerome Home Jerome Home provides residential as

well as skilled nursing care for those who are able to pursue the normal activities of daily living without the chores of housekeeping and meal preparation, yet 24-hour assisted liv-ing services are available at all times.

• Southington Care Center A 130-bed facility specializing in

short-term inpatient rehabilitation and rehab nursing care, long-term care and outpatient rehab services.

• Mulberry Gardens Located in Southington, Mulberry

Gardens offers an assisted living facility, an adult day program and a supportive living environment spe-cializing in memory care.

• The Orchards at Southington A senior living community with

independent living apartments and an assisted living facility.

• Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging A resource and assessment center

designed to enhance access to ser-vices and information related to attaining optimal quality of life for seniors and their caregivers.

The Affiliation With Hartford HealthCareThe affiliation of Hartford HealthCare with the Central Connecticut Health Alliance was recently approved by the Federal Trade Commission.

“This affiliation is a profound win-win situation for everyone,” said Elliot Joseph, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare. “Patients will benefit from the wider continuum of care and better coordination of care that a health care system offers, communities will benefit from a broader range of services, and staff will benefit from greater professional oppor-tunities. “

“This is the culmination of a successful 20-year relationship between Hartford Hospital and The Hospital of Central Connecticut,” said Clarence J. Silvia, president and CEO of The Hospital of Central Connecticut and CCHA. “We have a long-standing relationship between our hospitals and health care systems. Together, we know we are making a positive differ-ence for the people of our state.”

“Combining the resources of CCHA and HHC is really one plus one equals three; the two organizations together are greater than the sum of our parts,” Joseph added. “Our affiliation will improve the quality of care as we increase the sharing of best practices and new technology; increase local access to care by providing more primary and specialty care in our communities; increase efficiencies and reduce health care costs by the sharing of information technology (IT) platforms and by taking advantage of larger-volume, lower-cost purchases of supplies and services; and play a vital role in the economic development of our local communities. The affiliation also will strengthen the long-term viability of local health care.”

“Shared IT platforms will enable us to more efficiently develop elec-tronic medial records across the system,” Silvia said. “This not only lowers costs but improves the quality of care as all care providers have a single patient view.”

Since the 1990s, Hartford Hospital and The Hospital of Central Connecticut have worked together on a number of clinical and educational initiatives. By combining resources, Hartford HealthCare and the Central Connecticut Health Alliance will be able to serve more communities to pro-vide coordinated, seamless high-quality care to patients and more services and programs for communities throughout Connecticut. The affiliation also helps ensure that the HHC network and each of its members can succeed in today’s rapidly changing health care environment. The health care system will have more opportunities to purchase supplies and services at lower prices to provide top-quality care more efficiently.

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Cardiac Rehab Patients Win Over Holiday Weight Gain

Fitness Boot Camp for Staff Kicks Off at Barney Gym

The average American gains five to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. To help their patients avoid this, the staff at all four HH cardiac rehab sites challenged them to maintain their weight throughout the holidays, and supported them with suggestions from clinical dietician Charlotte Meucci.

“Maintain, Don’t Gain” pro-gram participants weighed in before Thanksgiving, and again during the first week in January. More than half of them actually lost weight during the seven weeks.

Everyone who didn’t gain was eligible for heart-healthy prizes, and one winner was picked at each site: Avon Wellness Center-Giuseppe Fretto from Torrington; New York Sports Club at Blue Back Square-Naseer Sarwar from West Hartford; Healthtrax

at Glastonbury-John Entwhistle from Manchester; and Hartford Hospital-Robert Bagioni from Tolland.

For more information about the cardiac rehabilitation program, call 860-545-2133.

The Fitness Center in Barney Gym is conducting a fitness boot camp class Feb. 7-March 17 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:15-6:10 p.m. The class is open to all Hartford HealthCare employees, and walk-ins are welcome. Fee for the six-week, 18-class program is $180, or $10 per class. Call the Fitness Center at 860-545-3077 for more details.

Ethics or Compliance Concerns?If you have any business ethics or compliance concerns,

please contact your supervisor or call the

Compliance Helpline, a confidential service, at 1-800-431-5572.Si usted habla espanol, favor llamar 1-800-297-8592

Robert Bagioni, winner of the “Maintain, Don’t Gain” from the Hartford Hospital cardiac rehabilitation program, is congratulated by staff members Heidi Edelman and exercise specialist Marie LaGasse.

Cardiac Rehab Patients Win Over Holiday Weight Gain

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Hartford Hospital Presents Service Awards - January 2011

30 Years Flanked by COO Jeff Flaks (far left) and President Elliot Joseph (far right), Sandra Solsky, Mariano Perez and Lela Murphy were recognized for 30 years of service.

25 YearsBeing congratulated for 25 years of service were Patricia Graham and Barbara Rzepski.

20 YearsTwenty-year pin recipients were (left to right): Beth Lawlor, Janina Kmiec and Valrie Samuels.

6 See full listing of January 2011 service pin recipients on page 7

10 Years Receiving pins for 10 years of

service were (front row, left to right): Evelyn Tineo, Luz Quiles,

Esmeralda Bonilla, and Steve Bilbie; (back row, left to right): Charmaine

Boothe-Todd, Angelina Gonzalez-Roman, Stephen Upham, Ana Gallardo, Dan Small and Jessica Franco.

5 YearsFive year recipients (left to right): Theresa Brown, Virginia Kristie, Elizabeth Brinkley, Jane Querido, Cristin Chambers, Lori Doucette, Catherine Henzy, Avis Vincensi, and Suzanne Ramos.

VolunteerBeing recognized for 1,000 hours of

volunteer service was Jane Massa (second from right), who was

congratulated by (left to right): Elliot Joseph, Laura Longley, Marie Corora and Jeff Flaks.

15 YearsLeticia Cruz-Rivera and Craig Flanagan were recognized for 15 years of service.

January Service Awards, Continued from page 5

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40 Years of ServiceKathleen Dusel, Obstetrics/Bliss 6 Peter Piwarzyk, Pharmacy/General

35 Years of ServiceClaudia D’Onofrio, H I M/ROI Joaquim Ferreira, Rehabilitation/General

30 Years of ServiceLela Murphy, PHP/Adult Day Treatment Mariano Perez, Materials Management/

Purchasing Sandra Solsky, OR Rooms/Ambulatory

25 Years of ServicePatricia Graham, Radiology/Administration Linford Miller, Security Barbara Rzepski, Professional Practice/IOL

20 Years of ServiceJanina Kmiec, Laundry/General Elizabeth Lawlor, Case Coordination Valrie Samuels, Assessment Center Fred Sorbo, Finance/Administration

15 Years of ServiceMarlene Baretta, Bed Management Leticia Cruz-Rivera, Women’s Ambulatory

Health ServicesCraig Flanagan, Telecommunications Lisa Hulton, ERN - VNA Hartford Mary Krechko, Revenue Cycle IT Maureen Lahickey, Social Services Helen Raymond, Psych/Pre-Admissions Alane Strong, Occupational Health/Safety Cynthia Thompson,

IS/Electronic Health Record

10 Years of ServiceStephen Bilbie, Business Development/

Community Relations/Administration Esmeralda Bonilla, Prenatal Testing Center Charmaine Boothe-Todd,

Cardiology Service North 10 Gabrielle Cassarino,

Emergency Room/General Devin Chambers, Respiratory Care Jessica Franco, Medicine Service CB5 Ana Gallardo,

Environmental Services/General Joseph Genovesi,

Cardiology SVC Bliss 10 ICU Angelina Gonzalez-Roman,

Surgical Service Short Stay UN C8 Therese Goodine, Pharmacy/General Catherine Henzy, Donnelly 3S Eric Kessler, Cardiac Laboratory/Adult Loreta Lici, Obstetrics/Bliss 6 Miguel Lopez,

Environmental Services/ General Laura McKiernan,

IS/Electronic Health Record Rodney Meade, Central Sterile Supply Rosaida Miranda, Community Care Center Kevin Norton, Medical Physics/Avon Francisco Plaza, Receiving Luz Quiles, Laundry/General Phyllis Salke,

Nursing Administration/Women’s Health Edward Shires, C A R E S Daniel Small, Business Development/

Community Relations/Administration Donna Smith, Cardiology Service North 10 Evelyn Tineo, Surgical Service C9I Stephen Upham, Administration/General Samantha VanVoorhis, ER Transport Center Gail Varjabedian, Pharmacy/General

5 Years of ServiceAmela Adanalic,

Cardiology Service Center 10 Elizabeth Brinkley, Obstetrics/Bliss 6 Theresa Brown, Department Of Surgery Misha Campbell, Surgical Service Bliss 7E Rita Cefaratti, PHP/Bloomfield Cristin Chambers, O.R. Core Debra Cokes-Goddard,

Medicine Service Center 12L Brian Dionne, Sleep Lab/Hartford Lori Doucette, Respiratory Care Shondel Edwards, Resident Care Karen Golnik, Donnelly 3S Regina Guevarra, OR Rooms/Orthopedic Audra Hopkins, Labor And Delivery Jasodra Hussain,

Cardiology Service Bliss 10E Adam Jaffe, Neurocognitive ChangesVirginia Kristie, Center for Emergency

Medical Preparedness Jodi LaTorre, Insurance Shashwath Meda,

Quantitative Neuroimaging In Psycho Andrew Merrill, Cardiology/Nuclear Tricia Moffat, Medicine S Service Bliss 11E Catherine Pinette, Emergency Room/GeneralJane Querido, Nutrition Service Suzanne Ramos, Surgical Service C9I Deborah Rinaldi, Nursing Service Office Damaris Rivera, Surgical Service Bliss 7E Jenpher Sherman-Panton, Resident Care Kortney Simard, ERN - Midstate Susan Curtis Tubbs,

Emergency Room/General Avis Vincensi, Prenatal Testing Center Fredericka Ware, Surgical Service Bliss 7E Sandra Wasta, Labor And Delivery

82 Employees Recognized at January Service Awards Ceremony

Kathy Hersey Named Finalist for United Way’s Coordinator of the YearNearly one in three Hartford Hospital employees participated in the 2010 United Way Community Campaign, and we exceeded our goal of $210,000. Campaign chair Kathy Hersey, OSHA coordi-nator in occupational health service, has been named a finalist in the United Way’s Coordinator of the Year award. Thanks go out to Kathy and her steering committee, co-chaired by Susan Klein, as well as everyone who participated in the campaign.

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Jefferson House Presents Service AwardsJefferson House in Newington, a depart-ment of Hartford Hospital, has been providing long-term care and rehabili-tation services to seniors in the greater Hartford area for more than 120 years. It was created in 1873 as the Old People’s Home, located on Jefferson Street, and it offered the elderly an alternative to the County Poorhouse.

In 1954, the Old People’s Home became Jefferson House, a facility devoted to the care of the elderly. Later, the building became Hartford Hospital’s Nursing School. In 1980, Jefferson House moved to its present location in Newington, providing professional and individualized care and meeting the medical, social, spiritual and personal needs of its elderly residents.

Jefferson House recently held its annual pinning ceremony and lun-cheon to honor all those employees who reached a service milestone in 2010.

Jefferson House in Newington, where seniors receive medical, social, spiritual and personal care.

The original Old People’s Home at 36 Jefferson Street in Hartford.

30 YearsJefferson House executive director Alan Laites congratulates Shelly White for 30 years of service to Jefferson House.

25 YearsWilliam Gurekovich received a 25-year pin.

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15 Years Mai Tang and Lorna Aljoe received pins for 15 years of service.

20 Years Myrtle Williams is congratulated for 20 years of service by Alan Laites.

10 YearsReceiving 10 year pins were (left to right): Donald Pagani, Susan Ryan, Polly Orn, Pam Brown and Cierie Cielo.

5 YearsFive-year pin recipients

(left to right): Giffti Asres, Vivian Ramos, Brendales Ramos,

Jaclyn Simmons, Olga Barclay and Mario Camalig.

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Denisa Ago, Allied Health

Sean Batcheder, PCA, ER

Hannah Beaulieu, Allied Health

Tiffany Brown, Operating Room Aide

Susan Bruzik, Manager, Radiology

Nancy Burton, Midwife, Women’s Health Services

Katarzyna Campbell, PAA, B8

Carlos Carrasquillo, Surgical Technologist, Neurosurgery

Ashley Caulfield, Surgical Technologist, OR

Murtza Chattha, RN, New Med Unit

Karen Chevalier, ERN, Physical Therapist

Amy Chin, RN, ER

Tatiana Coleman, PAA, N11

Alan Colon, Help Desk Analyst, IS

Brittany Conklin, PCA, ER

Erin Cyr, Allied Health

Scott Daniels, Allied Health

Salena Devoe, RN, C9I

Jerry Diakonikolas, Allied Health

Rosa Diana, Pharmacy Technician

Kelly Dripchak, RN, ER

Augustine Buono, Therapist, Donnelly 3N

Chad Embury, PCA, Bliss 9E

Linda Farrell, Psychiatric Technician, IOL

Joshua Freeman, PCA, ER

Idelisa Freytes, Medical Assistant, Women’s Ambulatory Health

Laura Gallant, Physical Therapist, ERN

Veronica Gilmore, Care Coordinator, Case Coordination

Marc Ginnett, GEC Administrator, Research Office

Kevin Hall, RN, Cardiac Laboratory

Yasser Hassanein, Allied Health

Judy Hernandez, Patient Administrative, ER

Lisa Hayes, Allied Health

Jenni Hirschberg-Wise, Occupational Therapist, ERN

Vivian Huynh, RN, North 12

Kevin Kelley, Associate Privacy Officer, Corporate Compliance

Anna Kirejczyk, Pharmacist

Taya Kleis, RN, CB5

Scott Kopp, Student Intern, Nursing

Helena Kula, Patient Support Aide

Christina Langevin, PA, Department Of Medicine

Lauren Lamberti, Allied Health

Shira Lewis, Rehabilitation Aide, ERN

Dorian Madrid, Physician Assistant, Department Of Emergency Medicine

Ninita Marzetta Witzke, RN, Bliss 11E

Jessica Mckinney, Occupational Therapist, ERN-Duncaster

Anna Mirolais, Nursing

Shelly-Ann Monteeth, RN, Bliss 11 ICU

Julie Nguyen, Allied Health

Truc Linh Nguyen, Allied Health

Vananh Nguyen, RN, Bliss 7E

Heather Paquin, RN, ER

Lisa Perrin, Allied Health

Megan Phillips, Physician Assistant, Department Of Surgery

Maria Plourd, Business Systems Analyst, IS

Camilla Powell, Pharmacy Technician

Claire Price, Allied Health

Melissa Reynolds, RN, Star Team

Kimberly Rix, RN, ER

Cindy Roberts, Allied Health

Dallas Robertson, Food And Nutrition

Gualberto Ruano, Senior Scientist, Research Office

Tim Rubino, Rehabilitation Aide, ERN

Rachel Scott, Psychiatric Technician, Donnelly IN

Kathleen Tavault, RN, North 11

Iris Te, RN, OR

Patrice Teixeira, PAA, North 12

Laurie Tolliver, RN, North 11

Caridad Torres, PCA, ER

Enrique Torres, PCA, ER

Erica Tuley, PCA, North 11

Maria Turturici, RN, CB5

Mike Vardhami, Allied Health

Angela Virella, RN, Donnelly 3S

Florence Watson, RN, Star Team

Andreas Windemuth, Senior Scientist, Research Office

Katherine Winiarski, Assessment Clinician, Psychiatric Clinic

Tracy Yost, RN, Star Team

Stephanie Zack, RN, B11E

Allan Zygart, RN, Bliss 10 ICU

Alka Zaveri, Pharmacy Technician

Hartford Hospital Welcomes New Employees in January

February 14-21, 2011National Cardiac Rehabilitation WeekThis week helps to highlight the role of prevention and education in the treatment of heart disease.

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Hartford Hospital is committed to the success of its staff, and offers several staff development opportunities to improve an individual’s skills and work environment.

These programs can build confidence, lead to higher staff morale and better work performance, and help prepare staff for promotions and leadership opportunities.

Our staff development programs have been nominated for awards for the last three years, and we have received two: one for support of adult education, and the other for our commitment to workforce development.

Staff at Hartford Hospital can take advantage of several free classes, including English as a Second Language, math, grammar, computer training, college preparation, onsite college classes, and staff development workshops targeted at developing leadership skills. We also offer a program called YES (Your Educational Success), a 22-week course that develops academic and work sills and prepares participants for continuing on to college.

Staff Development at Hartford Hospital: Building Skills, Building Confidence

The staff members shown here are participating in the YES program, and were excited to begin a college class on Jan 25. They are on a journey that began at Hartford Hospital and is targeted to end in a college degree.

DATE COURSE LOCATION TIME INSTRUCTOR

2/14 Advanced Word (open to all) ERC library 9 a.m.-12 noon CCC

2/14 Advanced Excel (open to all) ERC library 12-3 p.m. CCC

2/16 Minute Taking-Tips for Success ERC 216 9 a.m.-12 noon Maryann Pascone (open to administrative staff)

2/16 Minute Taking-Tips for Success ERC 216 1-4 p.m. Maryann Pascone (open to administrative staff)

2/17 Customer Service and Hospitality –H.H. Informal Lounge ERC 9 a.m.-12 noon Maryann Pascone

2/17 Phone Etiquette – H.H. Informal Lounge ERC 1- 4 p.m. Maryann Pascone (open to all)

2/24 Email etiquette for the workplace Newington Campus 9 a.m.- 12 noon Maryann Pascone (open to all)

2/24 Organization skills for success Newington Campus 1- 4 p.m. Maryann Pascone (open to all)

Upcoming Staff Development Opportunities - February 2011

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The following projects were supported through the generosity of the Hartford Hospital Medical Staff:

• ElizabethBrady,MD(Surgery): Outcomes of nipple-sparing mastectomy

• SarahCollins,MD(Urogynecology): Perioperative exercise tolerance and pain control in women undergoing robotic vs. traditional abdominal sacral colpopexy; Correlation of POPQ posterior compartment measures with defecatory dysfunction

• MichaelDrescher,MD(Trauma/EmergencyMedicine): Do emergency physicians and psychiatric clinicians agree on disposition of patients with psychiatric complaints in the Emergency Department?

• YuMingVictorFang,MD(Maternal-FetalMedicine): Neonatal outcomes associated with late preterm infants (34 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks) after documentation of fetal lung maturity: Are there differences when compared to infants delivered after 39 weeks?

• LouiseMcCullough,MD(Neurology): Presentation with acute ischemic stroke during shift change: Does it result in slower management and worse long-term outcome?

• MinitaPatel,MD(Urogynecology): Written survey of how vaginal pessaries affect body image in pelvic organ prolapse; The use of SennaS for prevention of post-operative constipation after urogynecologic surgery: A randomized double blinded placebo controlled trial

• AndrewSalner,MD(Oncology): Evaluation of community-based screening for prostate cancer

The following abstracts were supported through the generosity of the Medical Staff and have been accepted for presentation:

• PerezC,MahJ,StaffI,FichandlerD,ButlerK. Resource-Efficient Mobilization Programs in the ICU: Who Stands to Win? To be presented at the Society of Critical Care Medicine in January 2011.

• TrikudanathanG,AhmedI,DevuniD,NoelV,StaffI,IsraelJ. Prediction of In-Hospital Mortality in Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) using Integrated Model for End-stage Liver Disease (iMELD) Score. Accepted for presentation at AGA Clinical Congress of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Best Practices in 2011, Miami. Abstract to be published in the February issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatalogy.

An expanded version of the Research Rundown may be accessed electronically at: http://www.harthosp.org/research/NewsPublications/default.aspx.

HRPP News The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is introducing a new Request for Modification/Amendment Form. This form should be completed and submitted for changes to a study that are made after the initial Institutional Review Board approval, such as protocol amendments, revised consents and new/revised recruitment materials. The form can be found on the research program website under “Institutional Review Board (IRB) >>> Instructions and Forms.”

HRPP Announces Changes to Hartford Hospital’s IRB The structure and schedule of the hospital’s IRB has changed in order to allow the IRB to review more research studies in a shorter period of time. Further information will be posted to the research program website, or can be obtained by calling 860-545-2893.

Internal Funding Update SmallGrants: Requests for support through the Small Grants Program (for research projects requesting $10,000 or less) may be submitted at any time through the research program’s electronic routing system. These grants will provide seed money for pilot proj-ects with the potential to generate external research support. Medical staff funding is also available to support data analysis and database development through the research program. Contact Ilene Staff, PhD, at 860-545-0178 for more information.

“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” -AlbertSzent-Gyorgyi,1937NobelPrizeforMedicine

Research Rundown: www.hartfordhealth.org/search

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“Employee Self Service” for Direct Deposit Begins Feb. 10

The Pastoral Services Department is offering a number of events in celebration of Black History Month. All events start at noon in the Hartford Hospital Chapel, and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call 860-545-2251.

Tuesday, February 8: Miles HerbertMr. Herbert speaks to the contributions of Black Catholics within the Catholic Church and our nation.

Monday, February 14: Rev. Stephen Camp, pastor of Faith Congregational UCC in HartfordRev. Camp lifts up the little-known history of African Americans in the UCC.

Thursday, February 24: Rev. Shelley Best, president and CEO of the Conference of ChurchesRev. Best brings a message about the work of the Conference and its relevance to Black History month.

Monday, February 28: Rev. Dr. Shirle Moone Childs, owner of God’s Bridge Over the Atlantic, Inc.Rev. Dr. Childs offers a powerful witness to the history and relevancy of the AME Zion tradition in African Americans’ lives.

Staff members who have their paychecks direct deposited now have instant 24/7 online access to direct deposit infor-mation, pay history, tax withholding, and benefits information through “Employee Self Service” (ESS).

Beginning Feb. 10, staff will no longer receive the paper stubs that are sent with payroll information. This step, sug-gested by a staff H3W work group, will eliminate the expense of producing and distributing nearly a million pieces of paper annually, and will improve accessibility to the information for staff. If you have your check direct deposited but would like to continue to receive the paper statement, you must fill out a request form and submit it to HR.

Employees who have their checks direct deposited cre-ate an ESS account online, and all information is secure and password protected.

If you do not have your check direct deposited but would like access to the ESS, you must first sign up for direct deposit. Forms are available on the intranet under human resources, publications, HR forms.

Formoreinformation,callthePayrollDepartmentat860-696-6350.

Events Scheduled for Black History Month

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Employee of the Year Finalists Named

Susan CabralAccounting

Pamela Holbrook Human Resources

Matthew Piscatelli Cancer Center

Phyllis Demaine Case Coordination-Center 10

Dan LynchTransplant

Christine WernerIS/Electronic Health Record Team

Kareem Gadson Central Sterile

Amy MuellerCystic Fibrosis Program

Heather WilcoxRadiology

Anne Marie Gorman IOL/Assessment Center

Louis OyolaEnvironmental Services

Eleven Hartford Hospital staff members have been nominated for Employee of the Year honors. These individuals were all nominated by their peers and selected among all nominees by their supervisors and senior management to represent their departments.

The Nominees Are:

The selection will be made through secret ballot during a special meeting of the executive board of the Employees’ Council, and the winner will be announced February 10 at noon in a special ceremony in the cafeteria.

TheEmployeeoftheYearwinnerwillreceivea$2,000check,recognitionintheHartfordCourant, andareservedparkingspaceforoneyear.Allfinalistswillreceiveareservedparkingspace.

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Black & Red Gala Raises $600,000 for Cancer CenterHartford Hospital celebrated its most successful Black & Red gala ever on January 29 at The Bushnell. Net pro-ceeds of more than $600,000 will be used to enhance multidisciplinary care for our cancer patients at the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center.

The event started with an after-noon performance by Broadway star Michael Cavanagh that drew an audi-ence of more than 300. Before the concert, Dr. Andrew Salner, director of the Cancer Center and the Department of Radiation Oncology, gave opening remarks and showed a special video on the Cancer Center that had been prepared for the Black & Red.

Michael Cavanaugh then thrilled the audience with songs by Billy Joel, Elton John, The Who and many more. He gave two encore performances and left guests wanting more.

At the evening gala, more than 900 guests representing Hartford’s civic leaders, business executives, medical professionals and generous patrons enjoyed the first-ever sold-out event in the evening.

Among the more than 100 sponsors providing support were leadership spon-sors Travelers and United Technologies Corporation. The medical staff at Hartford Hospital was among the pre-senting sponsors, and Dr. Salner served as chair of the medical staff advisory committee.

Support of the Black & Red from the Hartford Hospital family sends a positive message to our community about the importance of this signa-ture fund-raising event in helping us to deliver remarkable care, each and every day.

Hartford Hospital celebrated its most successful Black & Red gala ever on January 29 at The Bushnell.

Broadway star Michael Cavanagh wowed the crowd.

Dr. Andrew Salner, director of the Cancer Center.

Enjoying the Black & Red gala last Saturday night are (left to right): Donna Handley, vice president of the cancer program; Jeff Flaks, executive vice president and COO; Dr. Andrew Salner, director of the Cancer Center; President and CEO Elliot Joseph; Dr. Stuart Markowitz, vice president of the medical staff; Carol Garlick, vice president of philanthropy; and Dr. Jeffrey Nestler, president of the medical staff.

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAID

Hartford, CTPermit No. 4361

is published by the Planning & Marketing Dept. each week—with a special monthly

issue on the last week of the month. Submissions should be sent to announcements@harthosp.org at least two weeks before the publication date using the submission form found on the hospital Intranet under the Planning & Marketing Dept. (The web link for the form is: http://intranet.harthosp.org/hh/docs/2484). For questions or comments, please contact Garret Condon at 860-545-4180. This publication is printed by Hartford Hospital’s Digital Print Center (DPC).

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Patient Safety Full Circle Awards Presented

Staff from Palliative Medicine Service, IT Clinical Systems and B11E IT received a Full Circle Award for their collaborative efforts to set up a Skype link to allow a patient on B11 StepDown to view the funeral of his wife of 50 years from his room after she died during his hospitalization.

Left to right: Jeff Flaks, Stephan O’Neill, Colleen Mulkerin, Pat Frasier, Mike Davis, Celia Viana, Patty Kaehrle, Frank Rivira, Bill Morin, Maria Coccamo, and Elliot Joseph.