Griffin employee to receive Caring Heart Award at ceremony in Woodbridge

Honoree Betty Montefusco 

DERBY - The Women’s Heart Wellness Committee will honor Elizabeth “Betty” Montefusco of Beacon Falls with the Caring Heart Award at the 14th Annual Women's Heart Wellness Caring Heart Award ceremony April 24 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. 

The event will be held at the Birchwoods at Oak Lane Country Club, 1027 Racebrook Road, Woodbridge.

The Caring Heart Award recognizes individuals who promote and improve the general health and well-being of all.

This year’s recipient has been a valued member of Griffin Health for more than 45 years. Montefusco started her career as a nurse’s aide working in the Emergency Department and in Griffin Hospital’s Critical Care Unit, tending to many patients suffering from heart conditions and other life-threatening ailments. 

Today, Montefusco serves as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Patient Care Services and manages the Griffin Nursing Administration Office, which oversees more than 350 nurses and 130 Multi-Skilled Technicians.

In addition to her professional duties at Griffin, Montefusco is chairperson of the Griffin Recreation, Entertainment & Arts Team (G.R.E.A.T.), which organizes events for Griffin staff and their families to promote comraderie. 

She is an elected member of the Parish Council at Assumption Church in Ansonia where she serves as a Eucharistic Minister, and is called upon to administer the sacrament to Griffin patients when needed. She also helped to organize weekly celebrations of the Mass at the hospital.

Outside of work, Montefusco volunteers her time with several community organizations. She is a Spooner House Team Captain, organizing and cooking meals for the residents of the homeless shelter in Shelton. 

She volunteered as a religious education teacher, and is a volunteer member of the Connecticut ACTS chapter, an organization where she is responsible for organizing and leading religious retreats for women.

Montefusco has organized a food drive for St. Vincent DePaul in Derby and has donated Christmas gifts and Easter baskets to families and children through St. Vincent DePaul. 

She makes necessity bags for the homeless through the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project. 

In her most recent volunteer project, she teamed up with the Knights of Columbus to make baby blankets for cribs being donated to a community organization that supports mothers and babies.

The Caring Heart Award Ceremony is open to the public. 

The event will feature an interactive presentation by Griffin Faculty Physicians cardiologist Dr. Sayena Azarbar. There will also be a health fair with information on overall wellness and more.

Tickets for the dinner are $35 per person and includes plentiful hors d'oeuvres, dessert and a complimentary glass of wine. To reserve a seat, visit griffinhealth.org/whw. Deadline for reservations is April 17.

For more information, contact Eunice, 203-732-7107 or elisk@griffinhealth.org.

The Women’s Heart Wellness Committee consists of health care professionals, heart patients, and women from throughout the Valley communities. 

The primary focus of the group is to increase heart health awareness among women, empower them to love and save their hearts, and ensure they are provided the means to do so through education and rehabilitation. Membership is open to all interested persons.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Oxford resident to receive Caring Heart Award at Woodbridge event

Honoree Barbara Casagrande of Oxford

The Women’s Heart Wellness Committee will honor Barbara Casagrande of Oxford with the Caring Heart Award at the 13th Annual Women's Heart Wellness Caring Heart Award Ceremony  at 6 p.m. April 26 at the Birchwoods at Oak Lane Country Club, 1027 Racebrook Road, Woodbridge.

The Caring Heart Award recognizes an individual from the Lower Naugatuck Valley who made significant contributions to the wellness of an individual or the community at large by his or her actions and/or volunteerism.

Known by the children in Ansonia as “Ms. C,” Casagrande dedicated most of her life to working in the Valley as a paraprofessional at the former Ripton School in Shelton, and as education coordinator at the Ansonia Housing Authority's Tinney Community Center. 
At the Center she managed the after-school program, taught GED classes, ran a summer camps and secured grant funding for programs.

Throughout her career, Casagrande regularly involved herself with back-to-school rallies, clothing drives, and other community outreach, and was especially influential in the lives of Ansonia teenagers, many of whom she continues to keep in touch with.

“Her overall mission is to be a bridge to the community,” Diane Stroman, vice president of TEAM Inc., wrote in Casagrande’s nomination. “Barbara is an individual who gives of herself unselfishly, works tirelessly, and gives 150 percent of herself in whatever she does. She has volunteered in many capacities in the Valley community and does so with a smile that can light up a room.”

Following her retirement, Casagrande partnered with Restoring Hope Ministries, which focuses on feeding the homeless and providing school supplies, clothing and a school success incentive program to Valley children. 

She helped open the Hope Center in Ansonia, a volunteer-based adult education and job training center. 

Casagrande is a volunteer for the Greater Valley Salvation Army, and serves as a deaconess at Living Springs Christian Fellowship in Seymour. She was the coordinator for the TEAM, Inc. 2017 Toys 4 Kids drive, donating 200 hours to the program. 

She is currently assisting at TEAM's Elizabeth Street location and is volunteering with the VITA tax program.

Casagrande received the 2012 Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Gold Seal Award. 

The Caring Heart Award Ceremony is open to the public. 

The theme of the event is “Who’s That Woman in the Mirror?” 
The evening will feature a panel of health experts discussing women’s health and answering questions related to healthy aging. 

There will also be a health fair with information on overall wellness and more. 

WTNH Health Reporter Jocelyn Maminta will be the emcee for the evening.

Tickets are $35 per person and include plentiful hors d'oeuvres and a complimentary glass of wine. 

To reserve a seat, become a sponsor, or for more information, call Eunice at 203-732-7107 or whw@griffinhealth.org.

The Women’s Heart Wellness Committee consists of healthcare professionals, heart patients and women from throughout the Valley communities. 

The primary focus of the group is to increase heart health awareness among women, empower them to love and save their hearts, and ensure they are provided the means to do so through education and rehabilitation. 

Membership is open to all interested persons.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.