News Releases

DERBY, CT (April 18, 2012) – The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

In awarding the status of a “Breast Imaging Center of Excellence,” the ACR recognizes that The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness demonstrates excellence in breast imaging by successfully earning accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy). Accreditation in breast MRI imaging was also achieved by Griffin Hospital and The Griffin Imaging & Diagnostics Center...

DERBY, CT (March 19, 2012) - Griffin Hospital was recently recognized as one of the area’s most dedicated sponsors of the American Red Cross in 2011.

Griffin Hospital achieved Silver Level in the Red Cross’ Life Share Program, a healthcare initiative that aims to increase blood donations at hospital-sponsored blood drives. Last year, blood drives at Griffin Hospital collected 296 units of blood from staff and community donors. Because each pint has the potential to help up to three people, 888 patients may have benefitted from the hospital’s efforts.

“Successful blood drives are a true partnership among the sponsoring organizations, the donors and the Red Cross. Families and communities depend upon the Red Cross in times of need and that is why we sincerely thank Griffin Hospital for its loyal support,” said Paul Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Connecticut Blood Services Region. “We couldn’t continue to help those in need with Griffin Hospital’s dedication.”

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DERBY, CT (February 21, 2012) - Griffin Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).  The accreditation, which applies to both the hospital-based MRI and the Hitachi Oasis open MRI at the Griffin Imaging & Diagnostics Center at Ivy Brook in Shelton, comes as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). 

MRI of the breast offers valuable information about many breast conditions that may not be obtained by other imaging modalities, such as mammography or ultrasound.

"We are proud to receive ACR accreditation for Breast MRI, which represents our most recent diagnostic imaging modality...

DERBY, CT (January 12, 2012) - The Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club and Father Leonard Kvedas, pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Beacon Falls, will share honors as recipients of the 4th Annual “Caring Heart” Award.  The award is presented each year to an individual and a community organization in recognition of initiatives that support, promote, and improve the general health and well-being of the community. 

Sponsored by the Woman and Heart Disease Committee at Griffin Hospital, in conjunction with American Heart Month, the award presentations will take place on February 2nd at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby. Registration and a silent auction will begin at 5:00 pm, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm and the program and awards. The guest speaker...

DERBY, CT (January 12, 2012) - In late December, Marketing Disease Prevention & Awareness (MDPA) began announcing its inductees into the MDPA Hall of Fame Class of 2012. The first inductee to be chosen is David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

The MDPA Hall of Fame is designed to honor those who have made substantial strides in helping to improve efforts in health through better efforts in marketing, communication, and improving awareness of important health issues. The focus of those inducted this year will be based on their contributions to fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity. 

Marketing Disease Prevention & Awareness is an offshoot of the established healthcare marketing conference company, DTC Perspectives Inc. The goal of this venture is to discuss how preventable diseases plaguing the U.S. can be treated and prevented and how to best communicate these options.

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DERBY, CT (January 3, 2012) - In conjunction with American Heart Month, the Women and Heart Disease Committee will host its 7th Annual Women and Heart Disease program on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby. Reservations for the event, which is open to the public, can be made by calling 203-732-7584 or 203-732-1137. The cost is $35.

Event registration and a silent auction will start at 5:00 pm, followed promptly at 6:00 pm by dinner and the program, which features guest speaker Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN, Nutrition Coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital.

In addition to her duties at Griffin Hospital, Ms. Heller is a nationally known health and media expert, consultant, and author of Get Smart:...

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DERBY, CT (November 21, 2011) - Dan Tuccio, Physician Support Specialist, and Marya Chaisson, MD, co-chair of Griffin Hospital's Patient Centered Care Council, were named recipients of 2011 Spirit of Planetree Awards at the 2011 Planetree Annual Conference held October 30 - November 3, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tuccio and Chaisson received the "Caregiver Award" and "Physician Champion Award, respectively, recognizing their personal embodiment of Griffin Hospital's patient-centered approach to providing care.  The awards were presented by Planetree President Susan B. Frampton in conjunction with the Planetree Annual Conference.

“The Spirit of Planetree Award Ceremony is always a highlight of our Annual Conference,” said Planetree President Susan B. Frampton. “At the heart of the Planetree model are the human interactions between patients and caregivers. With the Spirit of Planetree Awards, we celebrate individuals like Dan Tuccio and Dr. Marya Chaisson...

DERBY, CT (October 21, 2011) - Griffin Hospital is joining Planetree, as well as hospitals and healthcare organizations around the world this October in commemorating the fifth annual Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month. This year’s theme, “Transforming the Health Care Experience through Patient and Family Engagement,” represents the significant organizational culture change and transformation to patient-centered care.

Recognizing statewide efforts to foster a patient-centered healthcare system, Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed a proclamation for Connecticut acknowledging Griffin Hospital and several other Connecticut Planetree members for their commitment to the Planetree values and approach to care.

The month-long celebration is sponsored and coordinated by Planetree, a not-for-profit organization based in Derby, Connecticut, partnering with health care organizations across the globe...

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DERBY, CT (September 15, 2011) - Griffin Hospital was named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America.

Griffin Hospital was one of 405 U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals earning the distinction for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance and the only Connecticut hospital named.

This is the first time that The Joint Commission, the healthcare industry’s standard setter, is recognizing top performers and including them in its “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report.

Griffin Hospital was recognized by The Joint Commission based on data reported about evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve the effectiveness of care for certain conditions including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. Inclusion on the list is based on an aggregation of public accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the previous calendar year, in this case 2010.

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The Women Making a Difference Tribute and Luncheon is sponsored by the Women’s Health Initiative, a group comprised of members of the community working toward a common goal of addressing and improving breast cancer awareness.

DERBY, CT - The Valley Women's Health Initiative is seeking nominations for "outstanding women" who have made positive contributions to the community. Award winners will be recognized on October 6, 2011 at the 11th annual "Women Making a Difference in the Valley" luncheon and fundraiser. The event is slated to take place at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby.

Over the past 10 years, 70 women from various walks of life who live or work in the Valley have been honored. Individuals, business leaders, and organizations alike are invited to submit nominations. Nominees should exemplify the multi-dimensional role women play in today's society as demonstrated by the contributions they have made to positively affect their community. Nominees must live or work in one of the Valley towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, and Naugatuck.

Nominations should be submitted by July 30, 2011. To request...

DERBY, CT - Kim Hall, senior applications coordinator, Information Services, and Wes Valentine, RN, Evening Supervisor, Emergency Department, will share honors as the 2011-12 "Employees of the Year." The staff of the Center for Cancer Care/Radiation Oncology, was named "Department of the Year" at Griffin Hospital's annual Employee Recognition ceremony, held May 11 at the Crowne Plaza in Southbury.

Griffin Hospital CEO and President Patrick Charmel and Medical Staff President Paul Nussbaum, M.D. made the award announcements at the event, held each year during National Hospital Week, which recognizes employees and physicians for years of service and for outstanding performance.

In announcing the...

Griffin Hospital has earned The Joint Commission's "Gold Seal of Approval" for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals. The accreditation award recognizes Griffin Hospital's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards.

Griffin Hospital underwent a rigorous unannounced on-site survey in September 2010. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated Griffin Hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

"In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, Griffin Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients," says Mark Pelletier, R.N., M.S.,...

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital is one of three hospitals nationwide to be honored by the Planetree organization with its "2010 Distinction for Leadership and Innovation in Patient-Centered Care Award." The award recognizes Griffin for its work to continually advance the practice of patient-centered care through outreach, research, scholarship and innovation.

As one of only ten Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospitals in the United States, Griffin Hospital has already distinguished itself as among those hospitals across the country doing the most advanced work in patient-centered care, defined as an approach to care delivery in which providers partner with patients and their family members to identify and satisfy the full range of patient needs and preferences. Designated hospitals' performance on the nationally standardized HCAHPS patient experience survey suggest that their efforts to respond to the full range of patient needs...

Recognition for role in creating NuVal Nutritional Scoring System

DERBY, CT (June 9, 2010) - Griffin Hospital today announced it has been recognized by the Premier healthcare alliance as a winner of the Premier Award for Quality (AFQ). Griffin Hospital is one of 23 hospital winners and three healthcare systems nationwide putting it in the top 1% of the nation's hospitals and the only Connecticut hospital to receive the award.

There were 3,788 hospitals and 346 healthcare systems that were eligible to receive the AFQ. The award recognizes leading healthcare organizations that efficiently provide outstanding patient care and consistently set the standard in clinical excellence.

The AFQ's performance-based criteria including clinical quality outcomes, resource utilization, and clinical process indicators measures top performers at the overall hospital level.

"Griffin Hospital not only strives to exceed patient expectations by providing an exceptional patient experience, but also superior clinical outcomes and a strong emphasis on patient safety and privacy,"...

DERBY, CT - The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) will formally designate Griffin Hospital as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC) at a special ceremony scheduled for 10:00 am Friday, May 14 in the Griffin Hospital cafeteria. DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, MD, MPH, MBA will present a plaque commemorating Griffin Hospital?s PSC status to Griffin Hospital President and CEO Patrick Charmel and members of Griffin Hospital's stroke team who participated in the PSC application process.

Griffin Hospital's designation as a Primary Stroke Center follows a successful DPH site visit of the hospital?s stroke program, during which Griffin Hospital demonstrated compliance with criteria established by DPH to assure that facilities have the necessary infrastructure, staffing, and services to stabilize and treat most acute stroke patients. DPH created...

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DERBY, CT (February 10, 2010) - The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the cancer program at Griffin Hospital.

The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital received the Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, during which the Center demonstrated a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of its cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).

"We are very pleased to receive this CoC Accreditation with Commendation, which recognizes the comprehensive model of care we have put in place at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital," said Marge Deegan, Vice President for Ambulatory Services. "The Center recently celebrated its first year of service to the community,...

DERBY, CT - The Caring Heart Award, in recognition of initiatives that promote and improve the general health and well-being of all, will be presented to three recipients - Griffin Hospital, Clarence Canfield of Ansonia and Jeanette Connelly of Derby. The presentations will take place during the 5th Annual Women and Heart Disease Dinner Program on Thursday, February 11, at Griffin Hospital in Derby. Dr. John A. Elefteriades, author of The Woman's Heart - An Owner's Guide is guest speaker.

Registration, silent auction and social begin at 5 PM with Dinner at 6 PM. Tickets are $30 per person and may be obtained by calling 203-732-7584 or 203-732-1137. The event is open to all persons interested in learning more about heart disease and the best choices for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

DERBY, CT - In conjunction with American Heart Month, the Women and Heart Disease Committee of Griffin Hospital will host its 5th Annual Women and Heart Disease Program, on Thursday, February 11, 2010, in the dining room of Griffin Hospital. Registration, silent auction and social begin at 5 pm with dinner at 6 pm. John A. Elefteriades, MD, author of the book The Woman's Heart: An Owner's Guide is guest speaker. Presentation of the 2nd Annual "Caring Heart" Awards to Griffin Hospital volunteers, Clarence Canfield of Ansonia, and Jeannette Connelly of Derby, will highlight the evening. Tickets are $30 per person and may be obtained by calling 203-732-7584 or 203-732-1137. The event is open to all persons interested in learning more about heart disease and the best choices for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Dr. Elefteriades directs the Yale Center of Thoracic Aortic Disease, one of the nation's largest facilities for treatment of the dilated thoracic aorta. In addition to TThe...

Griffin Hospital has received the American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Griffin Hospital's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

"With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG-Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time," said Dr. Dorothea Wild, MPH, Chief Hospitalist and Co-Director, Griffin Stroke Program. Griffin Hospital has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

To receive the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Performance Achievement...

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital was recent recipient of an award by the NAACP, Ansonia Branch #2000. Valley NAACP President Greg Johnson presented the award to Griffin Hospital CEO and President Patrick Charmel during the organization's 22nd Annual Freedom Fund Dinner in October. The event was hosted by Desiree Fontaine, traffic reporter for WTNH - Channel 8 News and My TV 9.

In presenting the award to Griffin Hospital, Johnson noted that both Griffin Hospital and the national NAACP were celebrating 100-year anniversaries and cited Griffin Hospital for its "commitment to provide health care services to the Valley community." Through its Community Outreach and Parish Nurse Program, Griffin Hospital has partnered with the Ansonia NAACP for the past three years to co-sponsor an annual community health fair, and reaches out to...

DERBY, CT - The Valley Women's Health Initiative is seeking nominations for "outstanding women" who have made positive contributions to the community. Award winners will be recognized on October 1, 2009 at the ninth annual "Women Making a Difference in the Valley" luncheon and fundraiser. The event is slated to take place at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby. Over the past eight years, 59 women from various walks of life who live or work in the Valley have been honored.

Individuals, business leaders, and organizations alike are invited to submit nominations. Nominees should exemplify the multi-dimensional role women play in today's society as demonstrated by the contributions they have made to positively affect their community. Nominees must live or work in one of the six Valley towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour,...

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital has been honored with a 10th year on the FORTUNE 2009 "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Griffin Hospital ranked 62 on the 2009 list released today. Griffin Hospital is the only hospital in the nation to make the list for ten years.

Griffin Hospital was first invited to apply for selection to the FORTUNE list in 2000 and has made the list every year since. FORTUNE has issued the list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" since 1998. Only 13 of the original companies named to the list remain on the list in 2009 and only 37 have been on the list for ten years.

Griffin Hospital's tenth year on the list is very timely as the hospital is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding. Griffin Hospital was founded in 1909 with the support of community leaders who were convinced that the Valley should have its own hospital. What Griffin...

DERBY, CT - The Griffin Hospital management team has been selected as the 2008 Top Leadership Team in Healthcare in the nation for community and mid-size hospitals by HealthLeaders Media. HealthLeaders Media announced the selection today in their publications and on national wire services.

Announcing the award HealthLeaders said: "The leadership team at Griffin Hospital recognized years ago that to reach their goals of being a national model would require empowering the entire organization. That combination of an ambitious mission and an inclusive leadership culture has earned Griffin Hospital the honor as the 2008 Top Leadership Team in Healthcare for community...

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DERBY, CT (June 16, 2008) - The month of May was an award-filled one for Griffin Hospital. On May 7, the hospital held it's annual Nurses' Day celebration to honor all nurses and to present awards to those nurses receiving specific honors.

Kelly Egan, RN, of Oxford, was named "Outstanding Nurse of the Year," and rounding out the award recipient list were:

Mary Ellen Salemme, RN, of Shelton, who won the Marie Santini Perioperative Nursing Excellence Award Becky Dellinger, RN, of Derby, who won the Richard Stivala, MD Obstetric Nursing Excellence Award Tara Donovan, RN, of Naugatuck, who won the Donald Torok Memorial Scholarship Kristin Norko, RN, of West Haven, who won the Mary Nelligan Award for Continuing Education Betty Yankowski, RN, of Orange, who won the Mary Schumacher Leadership Award. Each year, in addition to the nursing awards, the nursing staff chooses a physician to be given the honor of Griffin Hospital's Physician of the Year....

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital has received two national awards related to its Planetree patient-centered care model, for providing an exceptional patient experience and for its employee centric culture. The Journal of Sacred Work of the Baptist Healing Trust selected Griffin Hospital as one of America's top ten Healing Hospitals for the second year in a row. Erie Chapman, J.D., President of the Baptist Healing Trust said: "The Healing Hospital designation reflects our belief that Griffin Hospital is making a meaningful effort to advance the work of Radical Loving Care. This work calls each of us to recognize that Love lives at the center of care giving in all fine...

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital's Digestive Disorders Center nurses have been recognized as New England's Best Nursing Team by ADVANCE for Nurses, the biweekly magazine of the nursing profession.

Griffin Hospital's Digestive Disorders Center nurses were pictured on the cover of the ADVANCE for Nurses New England Region's May 5 edition, and featured in an article titled "Easy to Stomach", which details why Griffin Hospital's 15-person staff was recognized as the magazine's "Best Nursing Team for 2008."

"This is a unique group of nurses," said Barbara Stumpo, MPA, BSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at Griffin Hospital, "and typically it's included senior staff members who come from the Emergency Department, critical care and other...

DERBY, CT - The HealthCare Chaplaincy recently honored Mary Lou Golebieski, R.R.T., R.P.F.T., Griffin Hospital's Director of Outpatient Scheduling and Physician Liaison, at The Chaplaincy's annual "Wholeness of Life" benefit and awards dinner in New York City. Founded in 1961, the Manhattan-based HealthCare Chaplaincy is a leading international center for multifaith pastoral care, education, research, and consulting. Griffin Hospital has been a partner with The Chaplaincy since 1996.

Over 550 people attended the November 8 black tie "Wholeness of Life" event to recognize and celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of those in healthcare and business who represent The Chaplaincy's core mission, to care for the whole person - spirit, mind, and body. Golebieski, who was nominated by her Griffin Hospital colleagues to receive this honor, was one of 13 patient care honorees, two lifetime achievement honorees, and one community honoree given gold medallions by the Chaplaincy as symbols of recognition...

Derby, CT - Griffin Hospital has received two national awards related to its Planetree patient-centered care model, for providing an exceptional patient experience and for its employee centric culture. The Journal of Sacred Work of the Baptist Healing Trust selected Griffin Hospital as one of America's Top Ten Healing Hospitals for 2006. Erie Chapman, J.D., President of the Baptist Healing Trust said: "A Healing Hospital plants a culture of Radical Loving Care which pervades every aspect of the organization."

In selecting Griffin Hospital the Journal said: "Griffin Hospital  is a beautiful example of the power of the Planetree model of care. The culture in this organization offers lessons for all Healing Hospitals. CEO Patrick Charmel is clearly leading one of the most employee friendly organizations in America".

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DERBY, CT: Griffin Hospital recently named its 2007 Employee of the Year and Department of the Year at its 37th Annual Service Awards Dinner, with Griffin Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Charmel handing out the accolades to Diane Wood, a Respiratory Supervisor in the hospital's Pulmonary Department, and hospital's Digestive Disorders Center.

Wood, a Naugatuck resident, was recognized as Employee of the Year for being a conscientious caregiver dedicated to Griffin Hospital's Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care throughout her 26-year career with Griffin Hospital, as well as for holding herself to high personal standards and always working diligently to be better. "I have been lucky enough to spend my entire career at a facility I've come to think of as a second home, doing a job I love, with amazing people...

DERBY, CT - Training Magazine has named Griffin Hospital as one of the nation's Top 125 employers for staff training and development. It is Griffin's first appearance on the list. Griffin Hospital ranked 114th on the 2007 list joining such companies as Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Verizon Wireless, General Mills, IKEA and American Express. The award was presented to Griffin Hospital Director of Human Resources Stephen Mordecai at an annual awards banquet in Orlando Sunday night.

Training Magazine, the training industry's premier publication, selects 125 organizations that excel at human capital development. The companies are chosen based on criteria such as best training practices, evaluation methods and outstanding training initiatives.

As part of its commitment to its Planetree patient-centered philosophy of care and for "Putting the Patient First"...

DERBY, CT - eHealthcare Strategy & Trends has recognized Griffin Hospital's web site  with two Gold Awards for Best Site Design and Best Employee Recruitment in its sixth annual eHealthcare Leadership Awards. Web sites were judged based on a standard of Internet excellence and how they compared with others in the organization's classification, hospitals under 200 beds. Nearly 1,200 web sites were reviewed.

Griffin Hospital redesigned its web site this year to make it more user friendly and to add content and a Performance Indicators Section. Griffin Hospital became one of only a few hospitals in the country to report CMS/Medicare Clinical Indicators, Infection Rates, Patient Satisfaction,...

Derby, CT - Griffin Hospital President, Patrick Charmel, is the 2006 recipient of the John D. Thompson Distinguished Visiting Fellow Award from Yale University. The fellowship honors Professor Thompson and his distinguished contribution as an educator and researcher in health administration, including his pioneering work in developing the Medicare payment system.

The purpose of the fellowship is to bring a leader in health administration to Yale?s public health school to share their career experiences with current students and to discuss emerging challenges in health administration.

Previous honorees include Joseph Zaccagnino, former President of Yale-New Haven Hospital, Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, Gail Wilensky, Ph.D Senior Scientist, Project Hope and Gail Warden, President of the Henry Ford Health System.

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Derby, CT - Total Benchmark Solutions has named Griffin Hospital as one of the recipients of its Top 100 Quality Award for 2004. The award is based on analysis of data related to Heart Attack Care, Heart Failure Care and Pneumonia Care provided to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by U.S. hospitals for the period January to December 2004. Griffin Hospital ranked 12th nationwide of the 2,053 hospitals reviewed.

"Based on our analysis of the CMS data, Griffin Hospital has clearly demonstrated its abilities as a top quality performing hospital for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia care" stated Bradley Petersen, Chairman of Total Benchmark Solutions. "We commend you on your exemplary performance on these quality measures and your position as one of the top performing quality hospitals in the Nation."

Total Benchmark Solutions is one of the leading providers of benchmarking and consulting services for healthcare...

DERBY, CT - A resident physician at Griffin Hospital won top honors at a recent oral presentation and poster competition. Dr. Padmini Ranasinghe's poster, "Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Six Months after the Tsunami in Sri Lanka," was selected as best research poster at the American College of Physicians Connecticut Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting held on Oct. 28. Dr. Ranasinghe has been selected to present her poster at the national meeting of the American College of Physicians that will be held in April. She was awarded an honorarium toward expenses to attend that meeting.

Dr. Ranasinghe is a fourth year resident in Griffin Hospital's Combined Internal Medicine / Preventive Medicine program and a candidate for the Master of Public Health degree at Yale University. Dr. Ranasinghe traveled to Sri Lanka in January to help with a relief effort sponsored by Griffin Hospital's Center for Health and Human Rights. Supported by a Stolwijk Fellowship from Yale and...

DERBY, CT - CNN Espanol Correspondent, Carolina Jaramillo-Johnson, representing the Manhattan based HealthCare Chaplaincy, presented Griffin Hospital employee, Grace Malasankas, with the Wholeness of Life Award last week at a ceremony at the hospital. Malasankas is a Multi-skilled Technician in the Emergency Department. The award is presented annually to recognize and honor caregivers for providing holistic care to patients and their families by attending to the whole person: mind, body and spirit.

In addition to the care she has provided to Griffin Hospital patients for the past seventeen years, Grace Malasankas has been involved with a number of humanitarian projects. The projects include donating Easter baskets for safe house children, helping with Christmas dinners for the homeless and , traveling to medically underserved countries to provide medical care to those in need....

DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital received the Gold Connecticut Innovation Award for Improving Clinical Quality from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership at its annual conference on Quality and Innovation held last week. The award recognized Griffin Hospital's efforts to achieve industry leading performance on the CMS/Medicare performance indicators covering the three most common medical diagnoses - heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia that have been shown to positively influence patient outcomes.

Comparative data shows Griffin Hospital's performance improving on the CMS/Medicare performance indicators since public reporting began. Total Benchmark Solution,...

DERBY, CT - Total Benchmark Solution LLC (TBS) is proud to announce that Griffin Hospital is one of recipients of the Total Benchmark Solution Top 100 Quality Award, based upon quality measure data provided by U.S. health care organizations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Griffin Hospital ranked 21st of the 4,203 hospitals reviewed.

TBS loaded data obtained from CMS into its proprietary statistical benchmarking application to provide the rankings of hospitals. TBS determined the Top 100 hospitals by benchmarking and ranking all hospitals nationwide on 15 of the 17 measures related to Heart Attack Care, Heart Failure Care and Pneumonia Care for data provided for the January 2004 to July 2004 timeframe.

"Based upon our analysis of the Quality Measures data, Griffin Hospital has clearly demonstrated its abilities as a top quality performing hospital for Heart Attack Care, Heart Failure Care and Pneumonia Care" stated Bradley...

DERBY, CT - The 32-member Critical Care staff at Griffin Hospital has been named the 2005 Department of the Year. The award is a highlight of Griffin Hospital's employee recognition program, "I Take It Personally," where departments are nominated by their peers quarterly to compete for the overall award.

"CCU nurses are continually asked to provide care to the most ill patients," said Dr. Kenneth Dobuler, Chairman of the Department of Medicine. "This is always done with compassion, empathy and good humor even in the most difficult of circumstances."

The Critical Care Unit was built in 1994 with a unique care philosophy in mind. The 14-bed, family centered unit supports the Planetree model of care...

DERBY, CT: The Valley Women's Health Initiative will present the 5th Annual "Women Making a Difference in the Valley" tribute luncheon and breast cancer awareness fundraiser on October 6, 2005 from 12:00-2:00 pm at the Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby.

The tribute recognizes "outstanding women" who have made positive contributions to the community and have demonstrated significant achievement in their fields of endeavor, both professional and volunteer. The honorees exemplify the multi-dimensional role women play in today's society as demonstrated by the contributions they have made to positively affect their communities in the six Valley towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton.

This year, eight women will be honored; Beth Colette, Rita Girdzis, Andrea Hyde and Robin Smith of Derby; Denese Deeds and Kathleen McNicols-Marks of Shelton; Pauline Lounsbury of Seymour and Grace Malasankas of Oxford.

Sponsorships and advertisement are still available to support this important...

DERBY, CT: Dr. Kenneth Dobuler was recently honored as Medical Director of the Year during the annual leadership meeting of Praxis Clinical Services held in Florida. Praxis, provider of Griffin Hospital's two hyperbaric chambers, holds partnerships with 50 clinical wound and hyperbaric centers throughout the country and is recognized as the industry leader in chronic wound management.

Dr. Dobuler, a pulmonary specialist and Chairperson of the Department of Medicine at Griffin Hospital, is the only Hyperbaric Medicine Board-Certified physician in Connecticut. He was chosen for the award based on Griffin Hospital's ranking regarding the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center's growth, patient satisfaction, and excellence with clinical outcomes.

Last year, Dr. Dobuler earned distinction as the only hospital-based physician in Connecticut to be board certified in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine and one of only 206 in the entire United States approximately one year ago. He is also board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine.

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DERBY, CT - Griffin Hospital will celebrate its designation by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" on Thursday, February 3rd in the hospital cafeteria. President Patrick Charmel and Vice President Bill Powanda will present gifts of appreciation and say thank you to Griffin Hospital employees, volunteers and physicians at six sessions covering all three shifts. The sessions begin at 11:00 a.m. The theme for this year's celebration is "Viva Las Fortune".

2005 marks the sixth year in a row that Griffin Hospital appears on the FORTUNE list, and this year's ranking at number eight is Griffin Hospital's highest ever and the...

DERBY, CT: Representatives from The Healthcare Chaplaincy in New York will visit Griffin Hospital tomorrow to join Griffin Hospital staff as they honor retired hospital Chaplain Fredrick Erson, recipient of the 2004 Wholeness of Life Award. Erson, who served as Griffin Hospital's first chaplain for 10 years, established the Valley Parish Nurse Program at Griffin Hospital in 1989 and has been instrumental in the start of most Parish Nurse programs in New England since that time. He also successfully developed the "Neighborhood" Parish Nurse program which focuses on ministering to the community at large by utilizing a Mobile Health Resource Center...

DERBY, CT: The Griffin Hospital Inpatient Psychiatric Unit recently received the 2004 Honorable Mention Award from the Connecticut Real Estate Exchange, a statewide organization that recognizes Connecticut projects that have had a "positive impact on the State and their communities, overcoming significant economic, geographic, bureaucratic or environmental obstacles."

The presentation was made to the S/L/A/M Collaborative of Glastonbury and Albis Turlington Architects of New Haven. The S/L/A/M Collaborative was responsible for the interior design of the renovation; Albis Turlington was architect of record for the project. Opened last June, the new inpatient psychiatric unit completes the integration of the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care...

DERBY, CT - Community residents rate Griffin Hospital the most improved hospital in the region with the highest quality of care. The ratings are the results of a community telephone survey of 360 residents in Valley towns conducted by an independent market research company. The hospital uses the market research company to assess perception of programs, services and care, and to assist in determining community health service needs. The survey compares hospitals in Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury as well as Milford and Griffin Hospital.

The survey results confirm a study released recently by Solucient, a nationally recognized health industry research company that named Griffin Hospital as one of the nation's "Top 100" performance improvement leader hospitals. Solucient analyzed the performance of more than 3,500 U.S. hospitals over a five year period to identify the hospitals that demonstrated the most dramatic...

October 16 Reception Planned for Griffin Hospital Employee

DERBY, CT - Daun Barrett, R.N., Coordinator of the Valley Parish Nurse Program (VPNP) has been selected as Griffin Hospital's first Planetree "Spirit of Caring" award winner. Planetree started the "Spirit of Caring" award to publicly recognize health caregivers who personalize and humanize the health care experience for patients and their families and programs or services supporting extraordinary achievement in patient-centered care. The Valley Parish Nurse Program was selected as Griffin Hospital's "Spirit of Caring" award program.

Planetree established the "Spirit of Caring" award for the 76 hospitals across the country that are members of the Planetree Alliance. "Spirit of Caring" award winners from the hospitals will be recognized at a special award ceremony at the annual Planetree conference in Seattle in October.

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DERBY, CT - Modern Maturity, the official publication of AARP has named Griffin Hospital one of 15 "Hospitals With Heart" in the country. Modern Maturity, at 20 million, has the largest circulation of any magazine in the country.

The designation was made based on Griffin Hospital's patient-centered, Planetree care model. The four principles used for the designation are: treat everyone with dignity, share unbiased information with patients and their families, strengthen patient's sense of control and collaborate with patients, families and the broader community in deciding how the hospital looks and functions. It is the first time the magazine named "Hospitals With Heart."

To find the leaders in the hospital industry, Modern Maturity consulted organizations devoted to fostering patient-centered care and interviewed dozens of care givers, hospital administrators...