Council seeks to enhance Griffin Hospital services

The 2015-17 Griffin Hospital’s Community Advisory Council includes Susan Baxter, Theresa DeCesare, and John Shatney, of Oxford, Bill Blewett, Nadine Civitelli, Corrine Gilbert, Alfred Pettit, Joseph Skrabl, Rita St. Jacques, and Margaret Sullivan, of Ansonia, Palma Calvert, of Derby, James Healy, Robert Newton, and Arlene O'Brien, of Seymour, Jamie Mastrony and Janet Onidi, of Shelton, Natasha Koonce, of Orange, Susan Wisneski, of Beacon Falls, and Donna Bak, of Woodbury. / Submitted photo


DERBY - The new Griffin Hospital’s Community Advisory Council held its first meeting last week.
As either former patients themselves or family members of patients, the 18-member Council is charged with providing real-time feedback/insight with the goal of enhancing hospital services and programs.

The Council will partner with hospital professionals at Griffin to help the hospital maintain its patient-center care.

At each meeting, the Council hears a presentation by one of the department directors to learn about the elements of their area, ask questions and provide feedback. Council members are also briefed on current hospital news and serve as a valuable resource, offering opinions and input on a number of new programs or projects that may be under consideration.

The Council meets once a month and commits to serving a two-year term.

The 2015-17 Council members are Susan Baxter, Theresa DeCesare, and John Shatney, of Oxford, Bill Blewett, Nadine Civitelli, Corrine Gilbert, Alfred Pettit, Joseph Skrabl, Rita St. Jacques, and Margaret Sullivan, of Ansonia, Palma Calvert, of Derby, James Healy, Robert Newton, and Arlene O'Brien, of Seymour, Jamie Mastrony and Janet Onidi, of Shelton, Natasha Koonce, of Orange, Susan Wisneski, of Beacon Falls, and Donna Bak, of Woodbury.

The Community Advisory Council is just one of many ways individuals in the community can play a critical role in providing this exceptional care at Griffin Hospital. Starting with a patient’s first step in the door at the hospital, Volunteer Ambassadors escort patients to appointments as well as assist visitors and caregivers find their loved one’s location in the hospital.

Room Service Volunteers visit patients to tell them about all the Planetree amenities, including complementary soft touch massage, therapeutic touch or Reiki treatments, therapy dog visits, guided imagery meditation, aroma therapy, portable DVD players, or a fresh-baked cookie or muffin.

In addition to being the messengers about these services, Griffin Hospital offers opportunities to become the volunteer provider of these services, providing training in each of the therapies and baking.

For more information about these and other volunteer opportunities at Griffin Hospital, call 203-732-7555 or visit griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital, a full-service, 160 bed, not-for-profit acute care community hospital committed to providing high quality, state-of-the-art medical care in a healing, nurturing environment.
Griffin has earned local, national, and international recognition and praise for its unique facility, innovative programs and services, and patient-centered Planetree model of care.