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NursingHARTFORD HOSPITAL
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FOR HARTFORD HOSPITAL NURSES ANDALUMNAE OF HARTFORD HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING
Hartford Hospital
NursingEditorial Staff
Noreen S. Kirk, Editor/Writer
Alan Colavecchio, Designer
Joy Miller, Photographer
Steven Lytle, Archivist
Advisory Board
Laura Caramanica, RN, PhDVice President, Nursing, HartfordHospital, HHSN ’72
Maria Tackett, RN, MSN, CCRN, CENNurse Director, Hartford Hospital
Nancy Dempsey, RN, MSNDirector of NursingJefferson House
Karen Stinson Mazzarella, RN, BA, President,Alumnae Association of the HartfordHospital School of Nursing, HHSN ’69
Patricia Andreana Ciarcia, RN, MSN,Executive Secretary, Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing,HHSN ’62
Lee Monroe, Director of Public Relations,Hartford Hospital
Paul Deveau, Graphic Designer,Hartford Hospital
Hartford Hospital Nursing is a twice-yearly publication of the Hartford HospitalDepartment of Nursing and theAlumnae Association of the HartfordHospital School of Nursing.
Send correspondence to:
Hartford Hospital Nursing80 Seymour StreetHartford, CT 06102-5037Attention: Laura Caramanica, RN, PhDVice President, Nursinge-mail: [email protected]
Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing560 Hudson StreetHartford, CT 06106Attention: Pat Ciarcia, RN, MSNExecutive Secretarye-mail: [email protected]
Cover Photograph:LIFE STAR Chief Flight Nurse JimMarcelynas, RN, BSN, CCRN, CFRN, EMT-P(Photo by Joy Miller.)
Jeffrey Schaff, RN, BGS, CENEducation and Training CoordinatorHartford Hospital’s BioterrorismPreparedness Program
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2 To Our ReadersMessages from Hartford Hospital’s CEO and its Vice President of Nursing
3 Nursing News and NotesThis year’s Nightingale winners – and more.
4 LIFE STAR: Connecticut’s Airborne ICUStroke. Heart attack. Trauma. When every second counts, the region counts on LIFE STAR.
7 Ready and AbleA bioterrorist attack is just one of the disaster scenarios Hartford Hospital
is drilling, training and preparing for.
10 ResearchNew fellowship aims to put research into practice.
11 Focus on AlumnaeA message from the President, plus, check out the Bed Fund.
12 Alumnae SpotlightVolunteering is a way of life for a long-time Hartford Hospital nurse.
13 A Look BackYesterday a student nurse, today a centenarian.
14 The PILLBOX Alumnae NewsNews and notes from classmates.
16 In MemoriamHonoring those we knew and will remember.
CONTENTS
Hartford Hospital Nursing
For Hartford Hospital Nurses and Alumnaeof the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing
Volume III, Issue 1, Spring 2007
This issue of Harford Hospital Nursingcaptures what our great hospital doesso well—provide excellence in com-
plex tertiary care that extends beyond thehospital walls. Nurses in emergency medicineand emergency preparedness are at theforefront as first responders, teachers andexemplary caregivers when emergencies of allkinds occur. Not everyone can serve in suchcapacity, because these roles demand the abil-ity to take risks, to be in harm’s way whentrying to save another, and to accept the chal-lenges of always living on the edge and havingto perform quickly at all times. Nurses andother members of the health care team thatwillingly accept these challenges deserveto be commended for taking this “road lesstraveled.”
With professionals like these on staff, it is easy to understandwhy Hartford Hospital has been deemed Magnet status for threeyears. This year, we will begin to prepare for our re-designation,which is scheduled for review in mid-2008. Our preparationbegan with Magnet Forums on each patient care unit throughoutthe shifts, where nurse leaders and staff reviewed the 2006Nursing Annual Report, the progress report submitted to theMagnet office for this same time period and our nurse-sensitive
outcome indicators. Together we are chartinga year of performance improvement and cap-turing nurses’ work and achievements for ourupcoming magnet application. I hope allnurses will enter their contributions on thisimportant document that will keep visiblenursing’s contribution to the patients and com-munities we serve.
It is rewarding to hear from all of you thatHartford Hospital Nursing is being wellreceived. This publication is more than anoth-er magazine that fills our reading tables. Itserves as a vital link between nurses in practicetoday and our rich history of nursing contribu-tions. It also represents a collaborativepartnership between Nursing and alumnae ofthe Hartford Hospital School of Nursing.Together we are capturing the contributions of
the past, present and future. This is legacy work, and there ismore to do. But reaching our goals requires your active partici-pation in this process and your financial contributions as well.Please consider giving to our special nursing funds (see informa-tion on the inside back cover). In the meantime, reunite, rejoiceand read on!
This issue’s two feature articles—on LIFESTAR and our BioterrorismPreparedness Program—illustrate the
vital role Hartford Hospital and its nurses playin the region’s ability to plan for and respondto emergent events of all kinds.
An emergency may involve one individualwho has suffered a stroke, heart attack or trau-matic injury. Or it may be a sudden catastropheaffecting hundreds or even thousands of peo-ple. While the scale may be different, bothsituations demand an instantaneous, effective,well-rehearsed and well-coordinated responsein order to save lives and minimize injury. Thepeople of Hartford Hospital work with otherhospitals, the pre-hospital system, governmentagencies and many others to ensure that we areready and able to meet this challenge.
The programs you’ll read about provide diverse career opportunities for nurses. LIFE STAR flight nurses collaborate with
respiratory therapists, physicians, flight crews,EMS personnel and hospital departments tocreate a first-rate program and provide unsur-passed critical care in situations where everysecond counts. Nurses will find excitingcareer options in initiatives aimed at prepar-ing for and responding to events such as aterrorist attack, widespread disease outbreakor other sudden disaster. In both areas, nurs-es are active in education and outreachactivities designed to inform and involve othermedical and health professionals and thecommunity at large.
Hartford Hospital is proud to be a Centerof Excellence in EMS/trauma and in disasterpreparedness. And we are proud of the manynurses who make our leadership possible.
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To Our Readers
John Meehan. President and ChiefExecutive Officer, Hartford Hospital
Laura Caramanica, RN, PhDVice President, Nursing,
Hartford Hospital (HHSN ’72)
Emergencies Demand Nursing’s Unique Skills
Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Nursing
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Cystic Fibrosis Center AccreditedThe Central Connecticut Cystic Fibrosis Center (CCCFC), a collaborative effortof Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, has receivedaccreditation from the nationally recognized Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Only117 centers in the country have earned this prestigious recognition.
Hartford Hospital’s Pulmonary Unit on Bliss 11 East is the inpatient cysticfibrosis floor and an integral part of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center,Hartford Hospital’s CCCFC component. B11East nurses have demonstratedcommitment to CF patients. In addition to treating acute and chronic dis-ease, the nursing staff has worked to establish standards of care with regardto transition of patients from pediatric to adult care, chronic disease man-agement, infection control, evidence-based medicine, pain management andend-of-life-care. Nurses also participate in the monthly outpatient clinic.
Commitment is a must. “Cystic fibrosis patients require unique and spe-cialized care,” says B11East nurse Stephanie Majocha, RN. Nurses workwith patients, families, respiratory therapists, physicians, nutritionists andsocial services to develop individualized care plans for each patient. Ms.Majocha notes it is very rewarding to be able to help a patient with cysticfibrosis have more control over the disease.
Oncology Nursing Group Honors HospitalThe Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) has honored Hartford Hospital with its 2007 Employer Recognition Award. Theaward is designed to recognize organizations that have provided sustained support for and recognition of oncology nursing certification.The hospital formally received the award at the ONCC’s national meeting in Las Vegas in April. Pamela Vecchiarino, RN, MSN, CNAA-BC,noted that Camille Servodidio, RN, MPH, CRNO, OCN, and Kathy Burns, RN, MSN, OCN, were instrumental in submitting the applicationthat resulted in the award.
This winter, ONCC’s president visited Hartford Hospital to take part in a ceremony honoring three hospital areas, Hematology/Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Cancer Research, where 100 percent of nurses have achieved certification. Bliss 5 was also recognizedfor having roughly three-quarters of its nurses certified.
Members and patients of the Central Connecticut CysticFibrosis Center. Left to right: Stephen Ide; Faith Campbell,PCA; Stephanie Majocha, RN; Amy Mueller, MSW; TessaKarabin, RD; Frederic Knauft, MD; Danette Alexander, RN,MSN; Rolland Van Epps; and Jenifer Ferullo, APRN, CNS. Mr. Ide and Ms. Van Epps are members of CCCFC’s Patientand Family Advisory Board.
Nursing News and Notes
Congratulations to Hartford Hospital’s 2007Nightingale Award Winners!
Fourteen Hartford Hospital nurses have been namedwinners of the fifth annual Nightingale Awards forExcellence in Nursing program. Founded by theVisiting Nurse Association of South CentralConnecticut, the Nightingale Awards program aimsto encourage retention, attract young people tonursing, focus public attention on nurses’ contribu-tions and prompt licensed nurses to return topractice. Winners of the Nightingale Awards arenominated and chosen by their peers.
(l to r) Kim Beekman, RN, BSN, CB 4; Kathy Brandi, RN, BSN, North 8; Nicole Cronan, RN, CB 5; Mary DiPietro, RN, Bliss 7I
(l to r) Mary Kate Eanniello, RN MSN, OCN, CHPN, Oncology; Sue Gallagher, RN, BSN, Bliss 10I; Louise Honiss, RN, BSN, MSN, CCRN, CPN,PACU; Nancy Kelly, RN, Bliss 10E
(l to r) Jennifer Mazon, RN, BSN, C9I; Amanda Mugovero, RN, BSN, North 9; Mary Alice Smith, BS, RNC, CADC, Adult Day Treatment; Mary Ann Steed, RN, BSN, OCN, CHPN, Palliative Care; Michelle Walsh, RN, BSN, CLC, North 6Labor/Delivery; Diane Ward, RN, BSN, OCN, CHESS Program
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Twenty-year-old Marissa Arnold was in a friend’s dorm room atMount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., when suddenlyher head began to throb and she became unable to speak orstand. Rushed by ambulance to the closest hospital, HolyokeMedical Center, she was diagnosed with a stroke and given the“clot-busting” drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Thanksto a presentation by Hartford Hospital Stroke Center MedicalDirector Isaac Silverman, MD, a year earlier, Holyoke had aninter-hospital transfer contract with Hartford Hospital. So theMassachusetts facility called Hartford’s toll-free Acute StrokeHotline and reached Dr. Silverman, who, working with HartfordHospital nursing managers, activated LIFE STAR, the hospital’scritical care air medical transport service. Within seven minutes,the LIFE STAR helicopter and crew were in the air, traveling at155 miles per hour. Once back at Hartford Hospital, Marissa wastaken to the hospital’s neuro bi-plane interventional radiologysuite, where interventional radiologist Stephen Ohki, MD,removed the blockage from Marissa’s brain using a device calledthe MERCI Retriever. Three days later, Marissa went home. Twoweeks later, she was back at school. Today, according to herfather, “She is totally fine.”
Marissa was fortunate in many respects, including the fact thatLIFE STAR was able to transport her rapidly to Hartford Hospital,one of only 215 hospitals in the country where the MERCI proce-dure is performed.
“Marissa’s case reinforces the critical role of LIFE STAR intreating stroke,” says Dr. Silverman. “Its role in early triage, criti-cal care and rapid transit are simply essential. The therapies weoffer at Hartford Hospital are often unique in Southern NewEngland. Many patients could not access them within the firstcritical hours of a stroke without LIFE STAR transport.”
When Every Second CountsCoronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death inAmerica. Americans experience 1.2 million coronary attacks peryear. Thanks in large part to sophisticated new therapies such ascardiac catheterization, deaths from heart attack are declining.But these therapies can save lives and minimize heart damageonly if the heart attack victim can get to the right facility—andfast.
“The longer a coronary artery is blocked by a clot, the greaterthe damage to the heart,” says Paul Thompson, MD, chief of
LIFE STAR: Connecticut’s Airborne ICU
Long known for its role in trauma cases, Hartford Hospital’s LIFE STAR Air Medical Transport Program is increasingly vital in ensuring fast,
life-saving treatment for victims of stroke and heart attack.
➤
Stroke Center Medical Director Isaac Silverman, MD, and Stroke Center CoordinatorDawn Beland, RN, MSN, CCRN, CS, CNRN, review CT scan images of the brain of a possible stroke patient.
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Cardiology at Hartford Hospital. “The quicker we can get thepatient into the Catheterization Lab and open the artery with aballoon catheter, the less damage the heart will suffer.”
As in the case of stroke, LIFE STAR makes a critical differ-ence in heart attack victims’ ability to receive the righttreatment right away.
“The majority of heart attack victims first go to a communi-ty hospital that doesn’t have a cath lab,” notes HartfordHospital interventional cardiologist Raymond McKay, MD.“LIFE STAR is critical because it provides fast transport fromthe community directly to the cath lab and has nurses and res-piratory therapists on board with the skills to provide patientswith appropriate care on the way.”
“The nurses and respiratory therapists on LIFE STAR arevery adept at taking care of these very sick patients,” saysFrancis Kiernan, MD, director of Hartford Hospital’s cath lab.“They can often start therapy on the way so the patient landson the roof and within a minute or two is in the cath lab. Thisis important, because every minute counts. Studies show thatthe more time that elapses between onset and treatment, thehigher the mortality rate.”
Dr. McKay notes that the cath lab treats one heart attack vic-tim a day, on average, and about one-third of them arrive byLIFE STAR.
LIFE STAR crew members are keenly aware of the impor-tance of speed in their missions.
“Time is muscle, and time is brain,” says LIFE STAR ChiefFlight Nurse Jim Marcelynas, RN, BSN, CCRN, CFRN, EMT-P.“Whether the patient is having a myocardial infarction or astroke, the faster we get them to treatment, the better theiroutcome will be. Plus, we bring with us the entire critical carepackage—highly skilled nurses and respiratory therapists,
medications, equipment, and more. So care for the patient inthe air is the same level as in the hospital. That’s why the mot-to for LIFE STAR is ‘When Team and Time Are Critical.’”
Expertise in the AirLenworth Jacobs, MD, director of Hartford Hospital’s TraumaProgram, was the driving force in creating the LIFE STAR pro-gram more than 20 years ago.
“The idea was, in the event of a car crash or other event, tobring the hospital to the trauma patient,” Dr. Jacobs says. “Webasically turned a helicopter into a flying intensive care unit,with a highly trained crew and all the necessary equipment. Sowe can take the hospital, put it down beside the injured per-son, and have that person receive all the benefits of thehospital, when they’re 40 miles away in the middle of a ditch.”
LIFE STAR transports more than 1,200 patients a year. Itresponds to trauma events, ensuring that patients get to thebest facility quickly, transports critically ill patients from hospi-tal to hospital and more. Because of the nature of LIFE STAR’swork, the demands on the program’s 11 flight nurses areextraordinary.
“Our nurses must be trained in all categories of patientsand all aspects of nursing,” says Kenneth Robinson, MD, program director and medical director of LIFE STAR. “They doevery type of call—neonates, pediatric and adult traumapatients, cardiac patients, neurologic patients, burn victims,high-risk OB patients. They care for the whole spectrum, andthey never know when they come on duty what types ofrequests they’re going to receive. They have to be ready foreverything.”
LIFE STAR nurses must be degreed registered nurses, certi-fied emergency or critical care nurses and licensedparamedics. They must also have three years’ experience incritical care and be certified in advanced life support. ➤
Cardiac Catheterization Lab staff nurses Paul Beliveau, RN, BSN, left, and Dan Steele, RN, in the procedure room.
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Rigorous TrainingMaintaining competency across the entire spectrum is amajor focus of training for LIFE STAR nurses. Dr. Robinsonsays the program invests a great deal of time in training,especially in high-risk, low-volume situations. Flight nursesgo through the same nursing validations as nurses in otherareas, but also take part in annual skill labs to practiceprocedures they may not do often. Twice a month, the crewspends a four-hour session in the hospital’s SimulationCenter practicing various scenarios.
“Flight nurses are very well trained and very specialpeople,” says Dr. Jacobs. “They have to react to any emer-gency of any severity at any hour, and the expectation isthat they will be able to perform in an excellent fashion. Asa flight nurse, you’re always pushing yourself—pushingyour knowledge and skills right to the edge of your compe-tency.”
Flight nurses also have to have additional skills simplybecause their workplace is a helicopter. For example, allcrew members must go through underwater egress trainingin a special pool. By the end of “dunker training,” crewmembers must demonstrate the ability to get themselvesand their patient safely out of a helicopter that’s submergedupside-down in the dark.
Above all else, the LIFE STAR program values safety. Ifany crew member believes it would not be safe to fly a par-ticular mission, the aircraft doesn’t take off.
“We have a culture of safety and are ultra-safe in all wedo,” says Dr. Robinson. “We believe that if we cannot getout and back safely, we haven’t helped anyone.”
A Regional ResourceLIFE STAR is a program of Hartford Hospital, but trans-ports patients to a variety of facilities and over a widegeographical area.
“We fly anywhere in a 150-mile radius,” says JimMarcelynas. “We can—and do—fly in and out of everyhospital and medical center in Connecticut, as well astransport patients to specialty centers in New York andBoston.”
A second LIFE STAR helicopter, headquartered atBackus Hospital in Norwich, was put into service severalyears ago to shorten response times in southeasternConnecticut.
LIFE STAR’s service is likely to be used more and more,not only for trauma, but for heart attack and stroke.
“As the American College of Cardiology has morestrongly supported angioplasty for treatment of acute coro-nary syndrome, the number of cardiac patients we havetransported has increased, because the cath lab is here,”notes Dr. Robinson.
Dr. Silverman of Hartford Hospital’s Stroke Center, alongwith stroke center nurse coordinators Dawn Beland, RN,MSN, CCRN, CS, CNRN, and Donna Avanecean, RN, APRN,CNRN, are working with the Connecticut Department ofPublic Health to create a statewide network to provide acoordinated system of care for stroke patients. LIFE STARwill be an integral part of that plan.
It’s all in a day’s work for the LIFE STAR team.“We feel very fortunate to be able to do our jobs, and
we focus on doing them as well as we can,” says Dr.Robinson. “We are tremendously grateful for the supportthe program receives from the administration and everydepartment at Hartford Hospital. Without that support, wecould not be successful.” ■
Dawn Beland in the neuro bi-plane interventional radiology suite.
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Readyand Able
➤
Hartford Hospital had its roots in disaster. An industrialexplosion in Hartford’s Dutch Point area in 1854 injuredand killed workers in the factory. Ultimately, 19 people diedand 23 were seriously injured. The community, suddenlyawakened to how ill-prepared it was to care for people inthe event of a disaster, called for the creation of a hospital.And so Hartford Hospital was born.
It’s particularly fitting, in light of its history, that HartfordHospital today is designated by the state Department ofPublic Health as a Center of Excellence for Bioterrorismand Emergency Preparedness. The hospital is responsiblefor Regions 3 and 4, the north-central and eastern regionsof Connecticut. Through its Bioterrorism PreparednessProgram, the hospital provides planning, training and edu-cation related to emergency response and serves as aresource for the region’s 18 acute-care hospitals, as well aslong-term care facilities, community health centers, school-based programs and more. The program is charged withplanning hospital-based health responses to all types of
As a Center of Excellencefor Bioterrorism and
Emergency Preparedness,Hartford Hospital helps
ensure the region is ready to respond
if disaster strikes.
Emergency Department Nurse Director Maria Tackett, RN, MSN, CCRN, CEN, works closely with Lenworth Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS, director of Trauma and Emergency Medicine, on disaster preparedness.
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emergencies, including biological, nuclear, incendiary,chemical and explosive events, as well as natural disas-ters such as flu epidemics and hurricanes. Funds for theprogram come from a grant from the state Department ofPublic Health.
Hartford Hospital’s Bioterrorism PreparednessProgram is part of the hospital’s Department ofEmergency Medicine and Trauma, under the direction ofLenworth Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS, a nationally recog-nized expert in disaster preparedness. The programmanager is Sandra Brown, MPA, JD. But by its nature, theprogram involves every member of Connecticut’s healthcare community.
Preparing for the WorstBegun in 2002, the Bioterrorism Preparedness programhas helped Hartford Hospital and others in the regionbecome better positioned to deal with whatever emergen-cies might occur. To be prepared for a sudden surge ofpatients, the program has implemented the ConnecticutBioterrorism Preparedness Web Application. Twice a day,the system gathers information from all 32 acute carehospitals in the state about bed availability by bed type,so that the DPH has accurate knowledge about how manybeds are available.
“We are one of the few states with surge capacitycapability,” says Dr. Jacobs. “We always know how manybeds we have and on what units. It’s all on a computerthat we maintain in the LIFE STAR communications center.”
Hartford Hospital also has established a hospital com-mand center in the Jefferson Building. The commandcenter is activated if a disaster or other event occurs thatrequires a coordinated response. The center, equippedwith phones and computers, is linked to DPH, mediaoutlets and the Internet.
“In the event of a disaster, hospital leadership goes tothe command center, opens it and starts to operate incommand-and-control fashion,” says Dr. Jacobs.“Doctors, nurses, beds, pharmaceuticals, social services—everything is centrally controlled from there.”
From 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays and around the clockon weekends, when hospital administrators are not pres-ent, the person in charge of opening the commandcenter is the nursing coordinator on duty.
“If a problem occurs in the community or within thehospital that creates a crisis situation, we are the onescontacted,” says Nursing Coordinator Mary Babcock, RN,MSN, CNA-BC. “It could be a plane crash, a bioterrorismevent, an explosion—and we mobilize resources to dealwith it. What we do depends on the nature of the prob-lem. We may need to identify patients who can be movedout of the hospital if we need beds, identify staff availableto take care of patients, determine what supplies or med-ications we might need. We are the commander of theincident until an administrator arrives and relieves us ofthat role.”
Nursing Coordinator Kathy Tetreault, RN, MS, says shewas originally uncertain why nursing coordinators weretapped for this role, but she now sees it was the logicalchoice.
“The nursing coordinator is the person who, off-hours, routinely coordinates the activities of departmentsthroughout the hospital and manages any problems thatarise,” Ms. Tetreault says. “We have a global perspectiveon the entire institution. If a disaster occurs, we are basi-cally continuing to do our job, but on a much broaderlevel, handling a much bigger problem.” Plus, she notes,it all comes down to patient care and ensuring that thehospital can provide the care required.
New equipment and resources have been added to aidpreparedness. These include radiation detection equip-ment in the Emergency Department, poweredair-purifying respirators, protective suits and portabledecontamination units. The state has purchased a 100-bed mobile field hospital—the first of its kind in thecountry—that can be mobilized if needed. HartfordHospital is the first hospital in the state to implementVisual DX, a Web-based tool that helps clinicians diag-nose infectious diseases that present with visualsymptoms. ➤
Sandra Brown, MPA, JD, is program manager of the Bioterrorism Preparedness Program
Reducing risk for caregivers is a high priority. “Wefocus primarily on chemical, biological, radiological,nuclear and explosive events. If an event occurred, andthe nurses and doctors got sick, we wouldn’t have achance of fighting it,” says Sandra Brown. “We have toprevent their coming into contact with any toxins or con-taminants.”
Training and More TrainingOngoing training and repeated drilling are vital to pre-paredness. The program follows a nationally preparedcurriculum that clearly identifies roles, responsibilities,policies and procedures necessaryfor all units to manage and recov-er from an incident. Thesematerials are available on the hos-pital Intranet and in manuals oneach unit.
“We work with every unit allthe time to be sure everyoneunderstands what the plans are,can find them and can executewhat they’re supposed to do,” Dr.Jacobs says. “We use our clinicalknowledge and expertise to regu-larly train other hospitals in theregion, as well.”
In the hospital’s SimulationCenter, nurses and other clini-cians work with a sophisticatedmannequin that can be programmed to exhibit symptomsof a person who has come into contact with chemical,biological or radiological agents.
Drills are held frequently and, in 2005, the hospitaltook part in a federally initiated international trainingexercise called TOPOFF 3.
Jeffrey Schaff, RN, BGS, CEN, a paramedic, is the edu-cation and training coordinator for the program. One ofhis primary responsibilities is training hospital personnelin the National Incident Management System. Developedby the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, NIMS isrequired training that enables all sectors to work togeth-er in the event of a disaster. Mr. Schaff provides incidentcommand training to senior administrators at all hospi-tals in the region. He provides a variety of other trainingprograms, also, including instructing nurses in properdonning of personal protective equipment and in how torecognize and respond to hazards.
“I’ve worked as a nurse, and I believe we have anobligation to protect them,” Mr. Schaff says. “Too often,
that could get overlooked in a crisis.”In the Emergency Department, nursing has incorpo-
rated bioterrorism content into its orientation curriculumand triage training. The triage nurse plays a critical rolein identifying patients affected by an attack and institutingmeasure to prevent the spread of agents. Through severaldrills, the ED has also developed expertise in coordinat-ing ED operations with other hospital services. The goalis to develop the ED’s ability to respond to acute careneeds, track patients in a mass casualty event, provide forcare, schedule staff and restock supplies.
ED Nurse Director Maria Tackett, RN, MSN, CCRN,CEN, says the experiences of retired Hartford Hospital
doctors and nurses are an inspi-ration to her. “When I thinkabout how we will respond to adisaster, I think about them.They faced the polio outbreak,the circus fire, the hospital fire,flu epidemics and more. Theirresolve, skill and dedication giveme tremendous strength. Theyhave left a strong legacy to drawfrom as we face the uncertaintiesahead.”
Nursing’s Key RoleWhen it comes to dealing withdisaster, Dr. Jacobs says “Therole of nursing is absolutely crit-
ical. Nursing is the backbone of all the units wherepatients go. It is critical to have nurses who are welltrained, understand protective gear and are calm. Theyhave to be able to come to work and function well in asituation that is anything but normal.”
Nursing is vital to dealing with not only the physicalaspect of disaster, but the inevitable behavioral aspects,as well. In the event of a release of a toxic agent, evenpeople who do not fall ill may panic, fearing they’ve beencontaminated. People seeking loved ones following acatastrophe will be distraught. Bereaved people will needsupport.
“Behavioral health is another area where nursingplays an important role,” says Sandra Brown. “Emotionaltrauma is a big factor in disaster planning. This is wherethe greatest volume of patients presenting is going to bein any disaster.”
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■
“Nurses … have to be
able to come to work
and function well in
a situation that is
anything but normal.”
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Training for TraumaStudies show that trauma patients have better outcomes whentrauma health care teams use a systematic, standardized approachto care. That’s why the Emergency Nurses Association developedthe Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), a two-day curriculumdesigned to promote best practices in trauma care.
Nurses at Hartford Hospital have demonstrated their commit-ment to excellence in trauma treatment by enrolling in TNCC. Inthe Emergency Department, 100 percent of nurses are certified intrauma nursing—a distinction few hospitals have attained. Manynurses in other units, including Neurotrauma ICU and North 9,have also completed the course.
Maria Tackett, RN, MSN, CCRN, CEN, Hartford Hospital nursedirector for Emergency Department, Flight, Trauma, Neurosurgeryand Neurology, is the TNCC course coordinator and instructor.
“One of the responsibilities of nursing is to prepare staff nurs-ing to care for the trauma patient,” Ms. Tackett says. “TNCC is animportant element of the training we provide for nurses in allunits that care for patients with these injuries.”
The percentage of TNCC-certified nurses is critical to the hos-pital’s being designated a Level I trauma center by the AmericanCollege of Surgeons.
Ms. Tackett also provides TNCC training for nurses atConnecticut Children’s Medical Center, Backus Hospital, MidStateMedical Center and area hospitals that send patients to Hartford.
Other elements of trauma training include weekly “Red Pod” trauma classes, which feature a case presentation and a review ofprocedures; trauma practice drills; and pediatric trauma education,with CCMC nurses, in Hartford Hospital’s pediatric trauma room.
“Trauma is an exciting and rewarding area of nursing to workin,” says Ms. Tackett. “Many of our patients are young and don’thave underlying disease processes. With our ability to begin criti-cal care in the field with assets like LIFE STAR, and with highlyskilled teams throughout the continuum of trauma care—the ED,ICU, step-down and floor units—these patients have great poten-tial for recovery.”
Putting Research into PracticeIn January Hartford Hospital launched the first in a series of RNEvidence-Based Practice Fellowships. The goal of the fellowshipprogram is to promote the implementation of evidence-based best practices.
The idea for the fellowship originated with the hospital’sResearch Roundtable. Participants recognized that identifying bestpractices was only a first step. The next was to ensure that thosebest practices were actually implemented at the patient level.
“We wanted a more systematic way to ensure that practicechanges were actually being made,” says Nurse Educator JoanneRoy, RN, PhD, who designed the curriculum and directs the fellowship. “A common problem in health care is that, while weknow what’s best, we’re often not comfortable changing our practice.”
Each fellowship program will focus on specific topics. Thisone is looking at pain management and safe patient handling.
During the six-month program, the four fellows meet one daya week. Through classroom activities and instruction, they learnhow to research best practices and evaluate evidence. They alsoexplore strategies for ensuring implementation of best practices.Outside of the classroom, they work with people in their contentareas—in this case, people who use patient-handling equipmentor are involved in pain management. They also collaborate with volunteer nurse “champions” on units to bring about practicechange.
Dr. Roy says ongoing monitoring and evaluation will be used tomeasure outcomes in terms of improved pain management andsafe patient handling. “We will also be looking to see whether thefellowship and the collaboration between fellows and championstranslate into staff nurses’ being more aware of evidence-basedpractice and using that knowledge to guide their practice.”
The next fellowship is expected to begin in January 2008. Theprogram is funded by the Department of Nursing.
Research
Education
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Nurse Educator Joanne Roy, RN, PhD, seated, with fellows (L-R) Julia Ericson, RN, BSN; Kim Beekman, RN, BSN;
Carol Strycharz, RN, BSN; and Janice Montano, RN, BSN.
(L-R) Karen Teixeria, RN; John Roske, RN; Susan Tubbs, RN; and Maria Tackett, RN, MSN, CCRN, CEN
An Active and Growing AssociationAs the newly elected president of the AlumnaeAssociation of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, I would like to take this opportunity to express myappreciation for this privilege.
Our Alumnae Association continues to be an activeand growing organization. Since our entry into the com-puter age, with our Web site and our growing number ofe-mail addresses, we have been better able to provideinformation to our members. My goal as president is topromote membership in the Alumnae Association as wellas the use of the Bed Fund. The association’s boardmembers will also be looking for suggestions for how
better to identify uses for this fund. As president, I will continue to encourage partici-pation by the members so that we can continue the tradition of nursing excellence by developing innovative strategies that will encourage people to enter the nursing profession.
Nursing offers an amazing array of opportunities for career choices and collabora-tions. It has been more than 10 years since the opening of the Connecticut Children’sMedical Center (CCMC). The Pediatric Cardiology program at Hartford Hospital hadbeen my home for many years, so it was challenging to move to a brand-new hospital.Time certainly has flown by! Creating a children’s hospital in Hartford required thesupport and encouragement of many pediatric medical professionals; the administra-tions of Hartford Hospital, Newington Children’s Hospital and the University ofConnecticut Health Center; businesses; and the community.
Today, collaboration among these institutions continues. One example is the TraumaNursing Core Course training, which you’ll read about in this issue. The training bringstogether nurses from Hartford Hospital and CCMC to develop the advanced skills necessary to provide excellent care for both adult and pediatric trauma patients.
Clearly, the spirit of collaboration and cooperation that was always a part of our“training” at the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing serves us well even in 2007.
Karen Stinson Mazzarella, RN, BA (HHSN ’69)
Take Advantage of the Alumnae Bed FundThe Alumnae Bed Fund is a trust fund that was established many years ago for the purpose of assisting alumnae members of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing withtheir medical expenses. In order to participate in the Bed Fund, one must be a mem-ber of the Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, in goodstanding for not less than six months, and have contributed a one-time-only assess-ment fee of $50. Assistance from the Bed Fund becomes activated after yourinsurances are utilized and exhausted.
The Bed Fund can provide assistance for a broad spectrum of expenses, includingthose for hospitalizations, medical visits, prescriptions, medical procedures and equip-ment, as well as individualized medical needs. This assistance is provided on aninpatient and outpatient basis at Hartford Hospital, Jefferson House and other HartfordHospital affiliates.
All Alumnae Association members are eligible to join the Bed Fund. You may bepleasantly surprised at what your one-time $50 contribution can do! If you’d like moreinformation or a membership form, please contact Terry Gwozdz, assistant treasurer,at (860) 257-3171; or Pat Ciarcia, executive secretary, at (860) 563-2005 or [email protected]; or write to: Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital Schoolof Nursing, 560 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106.
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Focus on AlumnaeThe Board of the AlumnaeAssociation of the Hartford HospitalSchool of Nursing
PresidentKaren Stinson Mazzarella, RN, BA, ’69
Vice PresidentBetty Ann Vose Fusco, RN, ’66
SecretaryDella Pappalardo Usher, RN, MSN, ’69
Program and PublicityBarbara Biel Nowak, RN, ’73
NominatingGail Pendleton Rapoza, RN, ’66
DirectorsAlicia Plikaitis Junghans, RN, ’66Lesley Prentice McGrath, RN, ’61Mary Jane Pappalardo Densmore, RNC, BA,
MA, ’69Betsy Gaudian, RN, BC, RD, CDE, ’74
Executive SecretaryPatricia Andreana Ciarcia, RN, MSN, ’62
TreasurerJane Wallace Lasher, RN, BSN, AARN, ’74
Assistant TreasurerTheresa Gwozdz, RN, CRNA, ’76
Join Your Alumnae AssociationBecome one of the more than 600 HHSNgraduates who belong to the AlumnaeAssociation of the Hartford HospitalSchool of Nursing. Membership duesare only $30.00 per year. Members areeligible to apply for the Alumnae BedFund and scholarships.
To join, simply mail your $30 non-tax-deductible check (payable to the AlumnaeAssociation of HHSN Inc.) to the address below,along with your full name, class year, mailingaddress, telephone number and e-mail address.
For more information, please contactKaren Stinson Mazzarella, president, at [email protected]; Pat Ciarcia, executivesecretary, at [email protected]; or visitour Web site at www.HHSNalumnae.org.You can also write to the Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, 560 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106.
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Patricia Rinaldi (HHSN ’58)arrived at Hartford Hospital as a studentnurse in 1955 at the age of 18. Morethan 50 years later, and after a 34-yearnursing career, Patti is still here as avolunteer, devoting her talent, time andenergy to the patients and the hospitalshe loves.
“I’ve always felt Hartford Hospital was very good to me, and vol-unteering is a way for me to give something back,” Patti says. Shenotes with pride that she has been a member of the AlumnaeAssociation of HHSN since graduation.
Patti was always drawn to nursing, which was something of atradition in her family. As a teenager, she found she liked lookingafter children. Her plan was to go into pediatric nursing immedi-ately after graduating from HHSN. But her plans changed.
“When I was a student nurse, we didn’t have the technology andtreatments we have now,” Patti recalls. “During my pediatric rota-tion, I experienced a lot of deaths. When I graduated at age 21, Ididn’t feel as if I were emotionally ready for pediatric nursing.”
So Patti became first a staff nurse and then assistant head nurseon a medical unit. From 1962 to 1970, she oversaw a 400-employ-ee department made up of non-RN nursing personnel. “That was avery interesting job, because it combined supervision with educa-tion,” says Patti. She learned human resource skills such asinterviewing, hiring and evaluating employees.
When the department was restructured in 1970 to include onlyRNs and LPNs, Patti became clinically responsible for orientation,
in-service education and continuingeducation for pediatrics, obstetrics andgynecology. She also worked per diemin gynecology and, at long last, pedi-atrics. “It was perfect timing for me tobecome involved in pediatrics,” Pattisays. “I was older and more mature and
had experienced more of life.” One of Patti’s fond memories is of ayoung patient who nicknamed her “Baby Nurse” because of herpetite stature.
Retired since 1992, Patti now travels extensively, serves as presi-dent of her local Professional Nurses Association, enjoyshandcrafts and spends time with her extended family. But she alsofinds time to volunteer at Hartford Hospital in several capacities,including as a patient advocate. “It’s a very fulfilling role, becausepeople don’t choose to get sick and come to the hospital. It’s abusy, strange place to them. And the majority of them are elderlypeople with few family members or friends left. They need some-one to advocate for them,” Patti says.
She also serves and provides training in the hospital’s Keeping inTouch program, in which volunteers visit patients with dementia tohelp keep them oriented. She volunteers in the EmergencyDepartment, supporting both the medical staff and patients. Andshe is a volunteer in the Bereavement Program, staying in tele-phone contact with families who have lost loved ones.
Patti has no plans to curtail her volunteer roles. “It’s the feelingthat I can make a difference for people that keeps drawing meback,” Patti says.
Five Decades of Dedication
Alumnae Spotlight
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A Look Back
Marion Gledhill Engstrom Farnsworth, a 1927graduate of the Hartford Hospital TrainingSchool for Nurses, reached a major milestonelast August when she celebrated her 100thbirthday.
Born at home in Hartford, Marion lived inWest Hartford most of her life. She was the old-est of 12 children and, even as a child, wantedto be a nurse. Today, she remembers nursingschool as being extremely strenuous. Studentsworked long hours and cared for many, manypatients. Like all student nurses, she lived in thedormitory. She recalls working hard and study-ing for her licensing exam, but also finding timeto play a little basketball with her fellow stu-dents.
After graduation, Marion worked at HartfordHospital, serving as head nurse on a surgicalward, and then worked at Charter Oak Hospital,a 14-bed private hospital in Hartford’s SouthEnd. Marion was active in the HHTS AlumnaeAssociation, serving as treasurer and then, in1933, as president. For many years, she was incharge of a fund her class established to makememorial contributions in honor of classmateswho died.
After marrying Clifford Engstrom in 1937and starting her family, Marion continued hernursing career, doing private duty in homes andconvalescent facilities.
In 1985, 14 years after Clifford's death,Marion married Francis Farnsworth and movedto Avery Heights in Hartford, where she stilllives today, and where she celebrated her 100thbirthday this past summer with family andfriends.
Marion’s daughter, Sylvia Webb of NewBritain, says she wishes she could recall moreof her mother’s stories about her days at HHTS,but Sylvia remembers clearly that “Mom hasalways been happiest when she was helpingpeople–usually by using her nursing skills.”
Happy Birthday, Marion!
Marion (left) celebrating her 100th birthday in August 2006, with her sister.
The Class of 1927 of the Hartford Hospital Training School for Nurses.Marion Gledhill is in the front row, sixth from right.
The 1933 HHTS Alumnae Associationbulletin announced Marion
Gledhill's election to president.
Dressed for duty.
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The PILLBOX Alumnae News
Let Us Hear from You!
We’re eager for updates fromHHSN graduates. Share yournews about your career, family leisure activities, educational pursuits, achieve-ments and more with otheralumnae by dropping a noteto Pat Ciarcia, ExecutiveSecretary, Alumnae Associationof the Hartford HospitalSchool of Nursing, at 560Hudson St., Hartford, CT06106 or via e-mail [email protected].
Class of 1927Marion Gledhill Farnsworth celebrat-ed her 100th birthday in August ’06.She is living in Avery Heights inHartford, Conn.
Class of 1934Katherine Blozic Bolis recently cele-brated her 100th birthday.
Class of 1944Jean Landon Smith is still volunteer-ing with the Red Cross and her church.HHSN is always on her mind.
Class of 1946Mavis French Davis and 20 membersof the Class of 1946 celebrated their60th Class Reunion at the RockledgeCountry Club last fall. Dot DwyerClaughsey headed the committee forthe celebration. The HartfordCourant ran an article about theclass’s 60th celebration, highlightingtheir student days and the role theyplayed in the Hartford Circus Fire.While at the Rockledge, an elderlywoman and her son stopped by tothank all the nurses who had takencare of the fire victims. The amazingthing was that both of these people hadsurvived the fire! Both had theirinjuries treated at Hartford Hospital.The son had been 5 years old at thetime of the fire and recalls that hisfather was asked to give permission totreat his son with an experimentaldrug: penicillin! The nurses at thereunion were thrilled to meet themand to accept their appreciation.
Betty Reese Bixler has been busy trav-eling to visit family in Minnesota andNorth Carolina. She also flew toConnecticut for her niece’s wedding,which was held at the Pond House inElizabeth Park. She recalls skating atthe park in her younger days when sheshould have been studying.
Doris Williams Bruce has fond mem-ories of her days at HHSN. She has fivechildren who live in Ohio, New York,Texas, Denmark and Orlando. She sur-vived Hurricane Charlie without muchdamage.
Helen Marchocki Carlson has had ahectic year. Her son has been ill, andshe cares for him. Her daughter is ateacher in Fairfax County.
Mildred Coupe Carney lives inFlorida, where her house survived thefirst hurricane to hit her area.
Lucy Harrison Eimer still lives in hersame home and sends her love to allher classmates.
Shirley Cole Fore lives in Indiana. Sheand her husband have spent time trav-eling. She has a daughter in Coloradoand a son in Indiana.
Jo Young Gamble has moved to abeautiful rural area in New York to benear her daughter and son-in-law.
Wilma Savage Grennan became agreat-grandmother in October.
Ann Desimoni Mains enjoys her fami-ly and does volunteer work in Avon.
Anna Mae Jolie Potocki is active inchurch and nursing home activities.
Bev Phillips Robertson’s eldestdaughter is a professional singer andis appearing with the touring companyof “Annie.”
Corinne Gerry Rowland lives in asmall retirement community inTiconderoga, where she enjoys playingbridge.
Class of 1950Sally Tuttle recently had an incidentwhere her nursing experience provedinvaluable. At a Home Depot parkinglot in Florida, she observed a manbecome unresponsive. She immediate-ly went to his aid and positioned theman for possible CPR. She tilted hishead back to maintain an airway andgave him a thump on the chest. Heimmediately started to breathe and totalk. Once the ambulance arrived, shewent on with her Home Depot errand.Once inside the store, a man who hadobserved the incident asked her if shewas a nurse. He said that she hadsaved that man’s life.
Class of 1956Ann Howe Snow has started a busi-ness with her encaustic painting that isdisplayed in some galleries. She hastwo adopted children. She fondlyremembers her days at HHSN wherethere were canaries in her room andchickens in Marilyn Pieretti’s room.
Janet Johnson Arthur has four children, four stepchildren, 11 grand-children, and two stepgrandchildren.She and her husband have traveled toHawaii, Alaska, Europe and theCaribbean. Her hobbies includebridge, knitting, cooking, traveling,and spending time with her family.
Phyllis Joyner Chase and her husbandhave a son, two daughters, and twograndchildren. Her hobbies includegolfing, walking, sewing, gardening,cross-stitching and quilting. Sheremembers working on neurosurgeryas a student, having five total-carepatients, and wondering if she’d evermake it to graduation.
Marion Kohler Miller has two sonsand five grandchildren. Her husband isretired, and they have traveled toArizona and Hawaii. She enjoys quilting.
Janice LaBelle Bartholomew has foursons, nine grandchildren and onegreat-grandchild. Her hobbies includereading, quilting, tag sales, parishnursing, flu clinics, and vacations withfriends. She has traveled to Holland,England, Germany and France. Herson returned safely from Iraq.
Nedra Leach Caccomo has threedaughters, one son and seven grand-children. She enjoys needlework andhas been a choral member. She is nowa NICU “cuddler.” She also has trav-eled extensively to Greece, Italy,Austria, England, Scotland, China andHaiti.
Maryalice McCue Mansbach has ason, daughter and five grandchildren.She enjoys reading, volunteering andgolfing. She and her husband havetraveled extensively throughout theUnited States and Europe.
Linda McKee Wohlgemuth and herhusband have three daughters andthree grandchildren. Hobbies includebridge, quilting and antiques. She hastraveled to Chicago, Maine, NovaScotia, Alaska and Germany.
Fran Michalowski Thibodeau hasthree sons, a daughter and sevengrandchildren. She enjoys traveling,gardening, raising orchids, OASIS (lit-eracy program) volunteering and abook discussion group. Her travelsinclude the United States, England,Europe and the Caribbean.
Barbara Morse Curry and her hus-band have two sons and fourgrandchildren. She is involved in dogbreeding and exhibiting and is an AKCjudge. She has traveled extensively as aflight nurse. Travels include Lebanon,Morocco, Tripoli, Lybia, Crete, Greece,Turkey, Germany, France, Spain andEngland.
Ann Louise Mortenson Swanson andher husband have three children andeight grandchildren. Hobbies includeplatform tennis, indoor tennis, golf andyoga. She has traveled extensively toAustria, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and many other Europeancountries.
Jane Story Plitt has four children, 12grandchildren, and one great-grand-son. She especially enjoys reading andvisiting her children and grandchil-dren. Travels include the United Statesand the Virgin Islands.
Margaret MacDonald Scattoloni hasseven daughters and one son. Hobbiesinclude quilting, knitting and swim-ming. In 1996 she graduated from theUniversity of Maine with a BS inNursing!
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Polly Paradise Russell and her archi-tect husband have one daughter, twosons and two grandchildren. Hobbiesinclude reading, writing, walking, gardening, Reiki, pro football andcross-country skiing.
Barbara Richards Abbe has onedaughter, two sons and eight grand-children. She enjoys traveling, reading,getting together with friends, runningher church’s Thrift Shop, knitting andwatching the Red Sox and UCONN. Shespends five months in Florida and alsotravels within the United States.
Anita Tasillo Cunningham and herhusband have five children and sevengrandchildren. She enjoys reading,traveling, playing bridge and waterexercising.
Martha Thomson Kirschner has threesons and two grandchildren. She hastraveled to Europe, London and Paris.Her hobbies include quilting andmusic.
Elizabeth Wallace Knight and her hus-band have one son, one daughter andtwo grandchildren. She has traveledwithin the United States, Europe,Russia, Canada and the Caribbean.Hobbies include knitting, sewing,crewel, needlepoint, reading and play-ing tennis. She recently retired asassistant treasurer for HHSN AlumnaeAssociation after serving for 43 years.
Dianne P. Worrall has traveled exten-sively to the Netherlands, Ireland,France and Spain. She also has back-packed in the West. In addition totraveling, she enjoys gardening, walk-ing and hiking.
Barbara Ziebe Bergstrom has oneson, one daughter and four grandchil-dren. Her son Peter died in 1981. Sheenjoys traveling, golfing, knitting, read-ing and playing bridge. She celebratedher 70th year with a trip to Florida andcruise on the Queen Mary II, followedby a trip to Germany and river cruisefrom Amsterdam to Budapest.
Class of 1959Ardell Schmidt Patterson and IreneCardin Smith are part of the “59er’s,”a group of about 10 classmates whohave been getting together for the pastfew years. They have held “mini”reunions in Vermont, Jamaica, Maine,Cape Cod and, this past year, in NewHampshire. They have shared lots ofmemories and enjoyed good timestogether. The Class of 1959 will be cel-ebrating their 50th reunion in 2009.Ardell and Irene ask that any addresschanges or communication be sent tothem. Their e-mail addresses are:Ardell: [email protected]; Irene:[email protected].
Class of 1961Ann Mathewson O’Sullivan and herhusband Kevin volunteered followingHurricanes Katrina/Rita in BatonRouge, La. Anne worked as an RN inthe field, and her husband worked inmanagement. Much to their surprisethey were among 12 semi-finalistsnominated for the Catholic CommunityServices Volunteer 2005 Award. Their11th grandchild is expected in thespring.
Class of 1962The Class of 1962 will be celebratingtheir 45th reunion this spring. Plansfor the reunion weekend include lunchand tour of Hartford Hospital.
Linda Arle Duval works part time as asubstitute school nurse. She also man-ages flu clinics for a local healthservice, volunteers as a family advocatein the emergency room of the localhospital, and leads the MembershipCommittee of her church.
Carol Drumm Ferik continues to workin a health care facility. She enjoys trav-eling and her two granddaughters.
Linda Palmer Haberern moved toMaine in 1996 to be near her daugh-ter. She lives in an in-law apartmentover the garage. Her daughter andhusband have two daughters:Mackenzie, who is 8 years old, andDelaney, who is 8 months old. It is aspecial joy for her to provide daycarefor the baby two days a week. Shekeeps very busy the other three dayswith volunteer work and with running“Nana’s Taxi” after school. She has
been semi-retired since 1999, butkeeps her nursing skills up by workingtwo weekends a month for SouthernMaine Medical Center Visiting Nursesdoing homecare visits. Because shelives on the coast of Maine, she walksdaily at the beach in good weather andspends indoor time with a good bookwhen it snows.
Class of 1967Carol Beattie Howes has officiallyretired from nursing and HartfordHospital. She and her husband, whoretired at the same time, had a greatretirement trip to Hawaii. They arespending the winter months in Florida.She is looking forward to her 40thHHSN reunion this June.
Class of 1968Shirley Girouard is presently an asso-ciate professor at Southern ConnecticutState University. She will be moving toSan Francisco State University in Augustof 2007, where she will be a full pro-fessor and director of the School ofNursing.
Class of 1969Jean Bajek enjoys her new home inPanama City Beach, Fla., which is afive-minute walk from the Gulf ofMexico. Two years ago she retiredfrom St. Francis Care Behavioral Healthat the Mt. Sinai Campus in Hartford,Conn. She now works full time at herneighborhood CVS Pharmacy and alsoworks per diem at Delta HealthcareCenter in Destin, where her 91-year-old mother is a resident.
Class of 1971Mary-Ellen Metzner Just is the CEO forNew England Orthopedic Surgeons Inc.in Springfield, Mass. She has beenmarried for 35 years, and she and herhusband have two daughters and twingrandsons. Their son died in 2000 atthe age of 21.
“I commend you, and all the other per-sons involved, for the development andpublishing of the outstanding Spring2006 issue of Hartford Hospital Nursing.I was impressed with all the various articles, the reporting styles, photographyand informative content. It renewed mypride in being a graduate of HartfordHospital School of Nursing.”
– Sandra Stirrat Myers, RN, BSN (HHSN '57)
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1929Julianne Filipeck Macchi
1931Ruth Clauson Pratt
1933Isabelle McKenzie
1934Florence Bangs Malcarne
1939Lois Alley Smith
1942Elizabeth Cole Sangster
1944Bernadette Tosko Warren
1962Karlene Ann Newsome Peterson
HHSN FACULTY
Margaret "Peggy" Sullivan, nutrition teacher
PHYSICIANS
Dr. James McAndrews
Dr. Arnold Ritvo
In MemoriamWe honor the memory of alumnae of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing
who have passed away, and others who touched our lives.
In Fond Remembrance
Bernadette Tosko Warren, RNOct. 19, 1923 – Jan. 28, 2007
Bernadette Tosko Warren, RN, Hartford Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1944,passed away Jan. 28, 2007, at the age of 83.
Mrs. Warren was a nurse at Hartford Hospital for more than 50 years. She workedin a variety of positions, including staff nurse, charge nurse and supervisor, and retiredin April 2004 as assistant director of nursing. She was always proud to be a graduateof HHSN. Throughout her long career, she treated staff as if they were family andviewed Hartford Hospital as her second home. Known for her ability to solve problemsand accomplish goals, Mrs. Warren gave her best at all times.
“I will always remember Mrs. Warren as one of the most generous and selfless peo-ple I have ever known,” says Hartford Hospital President and CEO John Meehan. “Shewas completely dedicated to the hospital, to physicians and nurses, and to the missionof taking care of patients. She was supportive of hospital administration, yet willing tochallenge us when she believed itappropriate. Efficient and plain-spoken,she was at the same time very caring,often quietly and unobtrusively helpingstaff members with personal problems.She never sought the spotlight.”
In 1991, Dr. Henry Low donated a bronze plaque to Hartford Hospital in recogni-tion of Bernadette Warren’s dedication to the hospital. As described by Dr. DavidCrombie in a testimonial to Bernadette, the plaque recognized her “depth of love,her friendship, her generosity and her vision.”
Mrs. Warren worked well into her late ‘70s, gradually reducing her hours until,as Mr. Meehan says, “one day, she just wasn’t there anymore. She didn’t want aretirement party. She never wanted anyone to make a fuss over her.”
Bernadette Warren left an indelible mark on Hartford Hospital. She will long beremembered, and she will certainly be missed.
Mrs. Warren—then Miss Tosko—in her HHSN 1944 yearbook
Mrs. Warren in 1995
Give a Lasting GiftYour contribution today will make a difference to our nursing education program. Mail your gift to Hartford Hospital, FundDevelopment, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06102. You can act now and show your commitment to nursing education forev-er by including Hartford Hospital and/or the Alumnae Association of HHSN Inc. in your estate plans. For more information,please contact Carol S. Garlick, vice president, philanthropy, at (860) 545-2162 or [email protected].
“The Caregiver,” in the Meditation Garden on the campus of Hartford Hospital, commemorates the
Hartford Hospital School of Nursing.
“Panic plays no part in the training of a nurse.”
— Elizabeth Kenny
80 SEYMOUR STREET
HARTFORD, CT 06102-5037
Non ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage
PAIDHartford, CT
Permit No. 4361
In April 1944 the School of Nursing became affiliatedwith the United States Cadet Nurse Corps. The firstcadets entered in September 1944. These cadetsreceived tuition from the government and pledged toserve as nurses during times of national emergency.
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