RxTraA publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital December 12, 2012 Vol. 68 No. 46

Holiday Parties: Sharing Season’s Greetings

We all know it’s important to take care of our health, but how long as it been since you’ve had a check-up? We un-derstand, with the stress of juggling work and family it can be difficult to find time.

What if you could go to the doctor for routine and urgent care right here on the Hartford Hospital campus? No parking hassles, no time wasted in traf-fic, no need to miss work. That’s the promise of the new Hartford Health-Care Employee Health & Wellness Cen-ter, located in the Medical Office Build-ing, just across the street from Hartford Hospital.

Staffed by primary care doctors, an ad-vanced-practice nurse and other skilled clinicians, the center is a private prac-tice run by Hartford HealthCare Medi-cal Group that is dedicated to caring for Hartford HealthCare employees.

Insurance under a Hartford Health-Care plan is not required for employ-ees seeking care; however the center is open to adult family members only if they have a Hartford HealthCare insur-ance plan.

As with any Hartford HealthCare doc-tor’s office, patient privacy is a top pri-ority and medical information is kept strictly confidential.

The Wellness Center offers a wide range of health care services, including timely follow-up after a hospital stay or

emergency room visit. Same-day visits are available for a full range of acute illnesses from back pain to headaches and sore throats.

Employees who do not have a prima-ry care doctor are encouraged to make an appointment to establish a primary care provider relationship at the Well-ness Center and arrange for routine physical examinations.

The center’s doctors specialize in con-ducting age-specific health screen-ings that can detect risks before they

become chronic conditions.

Staggered hours are designed so em-ployees may conveniently schedule visits during breaks or before or after their regular shifts.

The Wellness Center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For appointments, please call 860-696-0090.

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Staff from the Hartford HealthCare Employee Health & Wellness Center: Dr. Allyson Bagenholm, medical director Dr. Cheryl Walters, and Sara Thompson, APRN.

For the third consecutive year, Hart-ford Hospital joined the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, the City of Hartford, the Hartford Police and the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office in a Community Gun Buyback program.

Individuals could turn in firearms Dec. 3 in Hartford and receive a gift card.

A record number of guns-118 total-were collected at

the Community Resource Center.

Of the 118 guns collected, 89 are hand guns and 29 are long guns. At the 2010 gun buyback, 92 guns were collected.

All guns received were to be destroyed.

Dr. Lenworth Jacobs, > vice president of Academics and

Research and director of our trauma center, participated in a

news conference to announce the program.

Quality Personalized Health Care When You Need It…Right Here

Hartford Hospital Participates in Community Gun Buyback

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Compliance Questions

or Concerns?

If you need to obtain information about compliance issues or raise

concerns regarding internal and regula-

tory practices or policies, please contact your supervisor or call the

ComplianceLine, a confidential and toll-free ser-

vice, at

1-855-HHC-OCAP

or online at

HHC.OCAPComplianceLine.com

Employees Tour “Myths, Minds and Medicine” at IOLAs a thank you to employees who sup-port the Employees Giving Campaign, a tour of the “Myths, Minds and Med-icine: Two Centuries of Mental Health Care” exhibit at the Institute of Living was offered on Nov. 29.

Thirteen employees attended and heard Lee Monroe talk about the im-pressive history of the IOL and the in-credible advancements in psychiatric medicine.

The Institute of Living was founded in 1822 and was the first hospital of any kind in Connecticut, and only the third mental health center in the United States.

“Myths, Minds and Medicine” takes you from a time when the mentally ill – thought to be possessed by evil spir-its – were kept in chains and cages, through the principles of “Moral Treat-ment” on which the Institute of Living was founded, to more modern-day ap-proaches that included such desper-ate measures as insulin shock therapy, crude electroconvulsive therapy, and lobotomy.

The exhibit contains documents, arti-facts, letters, old photographs, record-ed stories, a reconstructed bedroom from the early 1900s - even a human brain - that all culminate to tell the full

story of medicine’s well intentioned, but sometimes erroneous attempts at finding ways to alleviate suffering.

“Myths, Minds, and Medicine” is the re-sult of several years of research con-ducted by historians hired through a grant the IOL received from the Con-necticut Humanities Council.

The “Myths, Minds, and Medicine” ex-hibit is located on the second floor of the Commons Building and is open to the public weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It is designed to be educational and to appeal to students.

A curriculum is available to aid teach-ers in helping to dispel some of the myths as well as the stigma attached to mental illness.

For more information on the exhibit, please call 860-545-4501.

For more information on employee tours, please visit http://giving.hartho-sp.org/employeetours.

Lee Monroe (far right), retired director of Marketing, leads an employee tour of the “Myths, Minds and Medicine” exhibit at the Institute of Living.

The Apple Lady’s BackThe Apple Lady returns to the Auxiliary Store, Thursday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. (or until she runs out!) Decadent gourmet apples are available in many fla-vors. Samples will be available for tast-ing while they last. For more information, contact Dave Johnson at 2-2446.

N-95 Respirator Fit TestingBelow is the N-95 Respirator Fit Testing Schedule for December.

Thurs., Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., ERD 4th

Friday, Dec. 14, 1-5 p.m., ERD 4th Floor

Thurs., Dec. 20, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., ERD 4th

Thurs., Dec. 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., ERD 4th

Friday, Dec. 28, 1-5 p.m., ERD 4th Floor

This is an annual requirement and should be completed near the anniversa-ry of your previous Fit Test.

Complete your HealthStream module prior to getting the Fit Test portion. If there are any changes to your cardiac or pulmonary health, or if you are a new employee, you must be medically cleared by Occupational Health prior to being Fit Tested.

Also, Federal Law prohibits testing of anyone with facial hair that interferes with the mask seal. Please ensure you meet all of these requirements before getting Fit Tested.

Alex Veronneau Concert Friday in the LobbyAlex Veronneau will give a concert in the main lobby this Friday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m.

One More Town Hall With President Flaks Dec. 17President/CEO Jeff Flaks will be holding one more Town Hall Meeting, open to all staff mem-bers, on Monday, Dec. 17, 5-6 p.m., at the New-ington Eye Center, Wait-ing Room Lobby. This is a time to ask questions or discuss any ideas or concerns you have about Hart-ford Hospital.

Donate Choice Time To Staff Disaster Relief by Next WednesdayWhen a fellow staff member is experi-encing an unforeseen crisis or extreme hardship beyond their control (like many are experiencing with Superstorm San-dy), assisting them is both the kind thing and the right thing to do.

We have a Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) in place that provides a way for staff mem-bers to provide assistance to their col-leagues in times of crisis. The DRF pro-vides grants to staff who qualify for basic necessities and temporary relief. Employ-ees can donate both money or Choice Time to the DRF bank. The deadline for donating Choice Time to the Disaster Re-lief Fund is Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Bake Sale Next Week for Make-a-Wish 12/20

The Radiogra-phy and Radiation Therapy Programs are sponsoring a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A bake sale will be held on Thursday, Dec. 20

in the ERC Lobby.

Donate Toys for Three Kings Day by Dec. 23The National Association of Hispan-ic Nurses-Hartford Chapter is team-ing up with the Spanish American Mer-chant Association (SAMA) to collect toys to be distributed January 6, 2013 dur-ing SAMA’s Three Kings Day celebration. Toys can be dropped off at the Brown-stone Building, first floor, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., by Sunday, Dec. 23. For more info, go to www.nahnhartford.org.

Centering Pregnancy Reunion Jan. 3 Women’s Ambulatory Health Services will host a holiday reunion for Center-ing Pregnancy patients and their families, and WAHS staff on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013 from 4-6 p.m. in Heu-blein Hall. Registration is required by Dec. 21. WAHS began this pro-gram in April 2011. Since then, 179 pa-tients have received prenatal care through Centering Pregnancy vs. traditional prena-tal care. For more information, please con-tact Idelisa Freytes at 860-972-1347 or if-reytes@harthosp.org.

Dementia Support Group To Meet Jan. 8There will be a meeting of the Dementia Support/Educational Group on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Center Building Extension (note new location. Walk towards the Center Build-ing, and follow the signs). Guest speaker will be Patty O’Brian, director of the North Central Region Alzheimer’s Association. We will discuss programs and services for those with dementia and their families/caregivers. A light lunch will be provided. Space is limited. Please RSVP by Saturday, Dec. 29 to Mary Cameron at 860-545-7665. In the event of inclement weather, please call 860-545-7665. (Make up date: Jan. 15.)

Happening at Hartford Hospital

Questions or comments about RxTra? Contact editor Annie Emanuelli at aemanuelli@harthosp.org or 860-545-2199