Community in Shelton hosts party, visit from Santa, Mrs. Claus

Ho, ho, ho! Crosby resident Mario Poliferno smiles with the iconic holiday duo 

SHELTON - Residents, family members, and staff of Crosby Commons Assisted Living Community at Wesley Village gathered together Dec. 6 to celebrate the season with an annual holiday party.

The party, hosted by the Dining Services team at the community, featured an elegant display of festive hors d’oeuvres, desserts, drinks, and more, along with an ice sculpture (prepared by a staff member) and an extravagant buffet.

Entertainment was provided by Anthony Cafeiro on keyboard and vocals. A special appearance was made by Santa and Mrs. Merry Claus, to the delight of all the guests.

Crosby Commons is an award-winning assisted and independent living community located on the Wesley Village campus on Long Hill Avenue.

To learn more about the community or to schedule a tour, call 203-225-5000 or visit www.crosbycommons.org. 
The community is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local, mission-based, not-for-profit organization based in Shelton.

For more information about UMH, visit www.umh.org. 


This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Agencies recognize Griffin Hospital in Derby

Named Top Performer, leader in safety

DERBY - Griffin Hospital was recently recognized as a leader in quality care and safety by two national patient safety organizations.
Griffin Hospital was named a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® in November by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, and was honored with an “A” grade in the Fall 2014 update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections.

Griffin is the only Connecticut hospital to be named a Top Performer by The Joint Commission three times, and it is the second year in a row that the hospital earned top Hospital Safety Score, which is administered by The Leapfrog Group, an independent healthcare industry watchdog.

“Being the only Connecticut hospital to be named to the Joint Commission’s “Top Quality Performer on Key Quality Measures” list three times is a tribute to the outstanding performance and dedication of the entire Griffin Hospital family to delivering high quality, patient-centered care while providing an exceptional patient experience,” said Griffin Hospital President Patrick Charmel. "I am grateful to The Joint Commission and Leapfrog and for once again recognizing Griffin Hospital’s superior performance and for recognizing high performance hospitals across the country.”

Providing patients with the best care

The Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions.

Griffin was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.

Griffin is one of 1,224 hospitals in the United States to achieve the 2013 Top Performer distinction this year.


“Delivering the right treatment in the right way at the right time is a cornerstone of high-quality health care. I commend the efforts of Griffin Hospital for their excellent performance on the use of evidence-based interventions,” said Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission.

For more information about the Top Performer program, visit jointcommission.org.

Putting patient safety first
The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety.

The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.

More than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in fall 2014, with about 31 percent receiving an “A” grade.

“Patient safety needs to be a 24-7 priority for hospitals, as errors and infections are all too common and often deadly,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “We commend the ‘A’ hospitals, including Griffin Hospital, for helping us to raise the standards of health care nationwide, and demonstrating that they’ve made the well-being of patients a top priority.”

To see how Griffin’s score compares locally and nationally, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and 

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Derby Library changes local history session format

DERBY -  The Derby Public Library has changed the format of its weekly Local History Information Sessions from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and from 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays.

Now, along with offering research assistance, the Library’s Local History Coordinator will also have information available on 

monthly highlighted local history topics. 

January’s topic will cover notable winter weather and blizzards of the Valley.

Visitors will also be invited to browse through PastPerfect, a software program that enables users to search the Library's 

progressively updated local history database.

Assistance will also be available for research on topics such as genealogy, prominent local figures, major area events, and more.

For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.  

This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library. 

Naugatuck choir slates 2 Christmas concerts