Ansonia Library posts schedule for week

TEAM Toys 4 Kids breakfast in Seymour rescheduled to Dec. 1

*My apologies for any confusion. I meant to post this Friday! The 15th annual breakfast will be held this coming Sunday.

Recuperation journey: Beautiful sunrise

View from my driveway. Have a great Monday!

Griffin Hospital physician honored with Planetree Scholar Award

                    Shyla Muriel, M.D. 

DERBY - Shelton resident Shyla Muriel, M.D., of Griffin Faculty Physicians, was recently awarded the Planetree Scholar Award at the 2019 Planetree International Conference on Person-Centered Care held in Orlando.

The Shelton resident is an experienced Internal Medicine specialist with more than 25 years of diverse experience and is the longest-serving physician in her physician group.

Muriel is respected and appreciated by patients and her fellow caregivers for her dedication to providing exceptional care and for her focus on preventative health. 

In nominating her for the award, staff at Griffin Faculty Physicians stated that Muriel always makes time for patients – even if it means staying late at the office – and she is known for personally calling patients to discuss lifestyle changes to improve their well-being.

“She is knowledgeable, has a great bedside manner and is very proactive in improving my health,” a patient stated recently in a customer satisfaction survey.

About Planetree

Founded in 1978 by Angelica Thieriot, a San Francisco patient who endured a traumatic health care experience, Planetree is an internationally-recognized not-for-profit organization that partners with health care providers around the globe to advance patient-/resident-centered approaches to care. Planetree has been at the forefront of the effort to personalize, humanize, and demystify the healthcare system for more than 30 years. With its model of patient-/resident-centered care being implemented in a diverse range of hospitals, continuing care facilities, outpatient clinics, and consumer health libraries across North America, Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands and Japan, Planetree is demonstrating that patient-centered care is not only an empowering philosophy, but a viable, vital, and cost-effective model of care.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Wanted: Arts, photography for exhibit at Main Street Gallery in Ansonia

Rochelle lauds legislation to create government efficiencies

State Rep. Kara Rochelle

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle (D-Ansonia, Derby) is praising legislation that focused on saving money and making government more efficient. 
The two-year, $43 billion budget passed in July came in under the spending cap by $200,000 in Year One and $5 million under in Year Two, along with additional spending cuts in executive branch expenditures and with 1,000 current vacant positions to remain unfilled.

Also of note:

• The state's Rainy Day fund will be at an all-time high of $2.9 billion, to protect against future recessions. 
• More than $450 million in state employee healthcare cost savings was created along with more than $5 million in contract savings.
• The budget addressed Teachers' Pension liabilities by establishing a $380 million trust fund and re-amortizing.
• The legislature also rejected the Governor's proposed shift of teachers’ pension costs to municipalities which would have put an added burden on local budgets.

“Creating savings in our budget, putting funds towards past debts, shoring up our Rainy Day Fund and enacting legislation to further create efficiencies and save taxpayers money is just good policy,” Rochelle said. “I am proud to have supported these efforts this year.”

A closer look at bills passed earlier this year related to government efficiency:

SB945, AN ACT CONCERNING THE INNOVATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR NONPROFIT PROVIDERS OF HUMAN SERVICES - provides a financial incentive for nonprofit providers to offer cost-efficient and innovative state-funded human services.

HB7308, AN ACT REQUIRING A REVIEW OF AGENCY PROCEDURES, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNING BUSINESS REGISTRATION, LICENSING AND PERMITTING - creates a one-stop online business portal to help businesses efficiently access resources through state agencies, keep licenses and permits up to date and more while using a single online account.

HB7192 AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND EFFICIENCIES - takes steps towards streamlining local government to make towns operate more efficiently and cost-effectively to be able to provide high quality services to the public.

SB682 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REWARD PROGRAM FOR STATE EMPLOYEE REPORTING OF WASTEFUL PRACTICES - offers a financial incentive for state employees who report wasteful spending within the government agency.

This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Liberty Bank, Ansonia Rotary team to help Christ Church food pantry

*From Carol Pendagast on Facebook: 
Volunteers needed Dec. 7 to help with a large food delivery to the food pantry at the church.