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FOR HARTFORD HOSPITAL NURSES AND ALUMNAE OF THE HARTFORD HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING

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NursingEditorial Staff

Noreen S. Kirk, Editor/Writer

Alan Colavecchio, Designer

Joy Miller, Photographer

Steven Lytle, Archivist

Advisory Board

Gail Nelson, RN, CNAA, BCInterim Vice President, Nursing, Hartford Hospital

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-yearlypublication 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: Gail Nelson, RN, CNAA, BCInterim Vice President, Nursinge-mail: gnelson@harthosp.org

Alumnae Association of the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing560 Hudson StreetHartford, CT 06106Attention: Pat Ciarcia, RN, MSNExecutive Secretarye-mail: patciarcia@snet.net

Cover Photograph:Julie Masamery, RN, BS, Clinical Leader, Bliss 8(Photo by Joy Miller.)

Susanne Yeakel, RN, MSN, CNAA-BC, Nurse Manager, Bliss 8

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2 To Our ReadersMessages from Hartford Hospital’s CEO and its Interim Vice President of Nursing

3 Nursing News and NotesNightingales, a Beacon Award and the state’s first CNLs

4 Scaling Down for Better HealthNurses are an integral part of the Surgical Weight Loss Program

7 Sizing up the HospitalNumerous innovations are making the hospital experience more comfortable for people of size

10 ResearchExploring ways to reduce falls among geriatric psychiatric patients

11 Focus on AlumnaeA message from the association president

12 Alumnae SpotlightTrained for nursing, trained for life

13 A Look BackTwo student nurses in the ‘40s forged a friendship that lasted a lifetime

14 The PILLBOX Alumnae News

17 In Memoriam

CONTENTS

Hartford Hospital Nursing

For Hartford Hospital Nurses and Alumnaeof the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing

Volume IV, Issue 1, Spring 2008

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I’m honored to be serving as Interim VicePresident of Nursing while the hospitalseeks a permanent replacement for Laura

Caramanica, RN, PhD. Laura, who had servedas Vice President of Nursing here since 1999,left last fall to become Senior Vice Presidentof Nursing at Westchester Medical Center inValhalla, N.Y. Laura was a true champion fornursing and a valued colleague, and we wishher well.

It’s hard to believe that Nursing isbeginning its fourth year in publication. Froma good idea, it’s grown into a livelypublication we all look forward to reading.Many people have mentioned to me howmuch they like the magazine. And I know I’veenjoyed learning about what nurses are doing

in other areas of the hospital and reading aboutthe experiences and lives of earlier generationsof nurses.

Nursing is a great way to celebrate nurses ofyesterday and today and to spotlight excellencein nursing. The spring issue is always special,because it includes the Nightingale Awardwinners—nurses chosen by their peers asexemplifying excellence in their profession.This issue also explores the important role ofnurses in the rapidly growing field of bariatrics.

I hope you’ll enjoy this issue. And if youhave ideas for future articles in Nursing, pleaselet me know. I’ll be glad to share them with themagazine’s editorial board.

One of the stories you’ll read in this issueof Nursing describes the manyinnovations Hartford Hospital has made

to enhance the comfort and safety of a specificsegment of our patients and visitors. The storyis interesting on its own, but it also under-scores an important truth about this hospital:We are relentless in our efforts to improveand protect the safety and health of everyperson we serve.

We have taken decisive steps to promotequality care and patient safety, and I’vementioned some of them in earlier columns.They include Board involvement in monitoringperformance, a standing Quality and PatientSafety Council that meets monthly, and theappointment of an outstanding physicianexecutive, Jamie M. Roche, MD, MMM, CPE, tothe newly created position of Vice President for Quality andPatient Safety.

However, we’ve now gone even further. Dr. Roche and his Co-chair, Gail Nelson, RN, CNAA, BC, meet daily with the PatientSafety Action Group to initiate meaningful changes in the processes that affect quality and safety. We are already seeingimprovement. Fall risks and pressure sores are declining, while

our hand-hygiene compliance is well abovethe national average and still climbing. Wehave embraced the survey results produced bythe Department of Public Health andcombined them with results of our ownmonitoring processes to pinpoint areasneeding improvement. We have involved staffthroughout the organization in identifying andimplementing systemic changes to furtherstrengthen our robust network of safety measures. We are committed to the processof continuous improvement.

Hartford Hospital is noted worldwide forits standard of clinical excellence, and weconsistently earn high praise from outsideentities for our high-quality programs andfavorable clinical outcomes. Theseachievements are even more remarkable in

light of our high volume of patients. Every year, on average,Hartford Hospital admits 40,000 patients, sees 80,000 people inthe Emergency Department and treats 110,000 patients on anoutpatient basis.

Every one of these tens of thousands of patients deservessuperlative care. We are determined to achieve that goal.

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To Our Readers

John Meehan. President and ChiefExecutive Officer, Hartford Hospital

Gail Nelson, RN, CNAA, BCInterim Vice President of Nursing

Hartford Hospital

The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence

A Magazine For and About Nurses

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Preceptor and Student Earn CNL DesignationHartford Hospital Perioperative Nurse Educator AndreaHagstrom, MSN, RN, CNL, CNOR, has become one of the firstnurses to achieve certification as a Clinical Nurse Leaderthrough Sacred Heart University’s CNL Program. HartfordHospital partnered with Sacred Heart in developing the curriculum for the program, and the hospital provides therequired immersion experience for students. Ms. Hagstromserved as preceptor for Sacred Heart student NicoleRogucki, MSN, RN, CNL, CNOR, during Ms. Rogucki’simmersion experience. At the end of the process, bothteacher and student sat for and passed the rigorous exam.Ms. Rogucki and Ms. Hagstrom have the distinction of beingthe first CNL graduate and first CNL preceptor in the state.

Awarded by the American Association of Colleges ofNursing, the CNL certification creates a unique credential for graduates of master’s and post-master’s CNL programs. It is based on national standards of knowledge and experience. The CNLis an advanced generalist clinician who brings a high level of clinical competence and knowledgeto the point of care and serves as a resource for the nursing team. The major roles of the CNL areexpected to be clinical care coordinator, outcomes manager, patient advocate, educator,information manager and care team leader.

Nursing News and NotesCongratulations to Hartford Hospital’s 2008 Nightingale Award Winners!

Fifteen Hartford Hospital nurses havebeen named winners of the sixthannual Nightingale Awards forExcellence in Nursing. Founded bythe Visiting Nurse Association ofSouth Central Connecticut, theawards program is intended toencourage retention, attract youngpeople to nursing, focus publicattention on nurses’ contributionsand prompt licensed nurses toreturn to practice. Winners of theNightingale Awards are nominatedand chosen by their peers.

(l to r) Joanne Auger, RN, BSN, Labor and Delivery; Laurie Bostiga, RN, BSN, Maternity;Gail Rapoza, RN, Specialty Clinic; Janet Speas, MSN, RN, CEN, Emergency Department;Debbie Ann Ellington, RN, BSN, Neuro/Trauma

(l to r) Steven Sklar, RN, Psychiatry; Susan Bolduc, RN, Perioperative Services; Mary Wiechniak, RN, Short Day Admission; Darcie Shewokis, RN, BSN, Palliative Care; Carol Strycharz, RN, MPH, Medicine

(l to r) JJeeaann BBooccccaacccciioo--MMaallaavvee, RN, Cardiovascular; Sara Visser, RN, BSN, Cardiac Surgery;Angie Fleig, RN, Orthopedics; Irene Krall, RN, BSN, Transpant; Bonnie Hill, RN, JeffersonHouse

Bliss 7-I Wins Beacon AwardThe Bliss 7-I intensive care unit haswon a Beacon Award from theAmerican Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The awards are basedon numerous factors, includingclinical excellence, direct patientoutcomes, staffing ratios,recruitment and retention of nurses,nurses’ involvement on hospitalcommittees and qualifications ofnurses on the unit. Christine Leffler,BSN, RN, and Pamela Trip, MS, RN,CCRN, who completed the extensiveapplication for the award, willaccept the award at the AACN’sNational Teaching Institute inChicago in May.

Andrea Hagstrom, MSN,RN, CNL, CNOR

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Over 10 years, Stacie Lepore saw her weight spiral from 110 to240 pounds. The 5-foot-2-inch young woman struggled to loseweight, but nothing worked. She had chronic migraines,hyperthyroidism, high cholesterol, respiratory problems andborderline diabetes. In 2005, she began researching bariatricsurgery. Concerned about complications reported at otherprograms, she turned to Hartford Hospital and Darren Tishler, MD.

“He stressed that surgery was ‘a tool, not a fix,’” Mrs. Leporesays. After a rigorous six-month evaluation, she had a LAP-BAND® procedure in August 2006. A year later, Mrs. Lepore, whorises at 4:30 a.m. to go to the gym, was down to 149 pounds, andall of her other illnesses were gone.

“Having this surgery was the best life change I’ve made,” saysMrs. Lepore. “I’m healthy. I have confidence. I feel good aboutmyself.”

Mrs. Lepore’s story is a good example of how HartfordHospital’s Surgical Weight Loss Program is helping peoplestruggling with obesity shed pounds, get healthy and achieve agreater sense of well-being.

The program was launched in 2004, with the first procedurebeing performed in January 2005. Since then, approximately 500people have had either the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery orthe LAP-BAND® procedure. Many of the operations areperformed laparoscopically. Demand is so great that a secondexperienced surgeon, Pavlos Papasavas, MD, joined Dr. Tishler inthe program in January 2008. The hospital is in the process ofseeking designation as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellencefrom the Surgical Review Corporation, a nonprofit organizationdedicated to promoting quality health care in bariatric surgeryaround the world.

Scaling Down for Better Health

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Cristin Chambers, RN, BSN, and Michael Gilgenbach, RN, BSN, CNOR, in an operating room specially designed for bariatric surgery.

The Surgical Weight Loss Program at Hartford Hospital is helpingpeople of size lose weight and get healthy, and nurses

are there every step of the way.

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Clearly, it takes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary effort tocreate a successful program and provide excellent patient carefrom start to finish, and that’s where nurses come in. Nurses atHartford Hospital were closely involved in establishing theprogram, and they play a critical role in every phase of thebariatric surgery patient’s experience. Several nurses serve onthe hospital’s Bariatric Oversight Committee, which seeks toensure that all hospital departments meet the special needs ofall patients of size (also see related article).

A Holistic ApproachNina Arnold, RN, MPH, first became interested in working withbariatric patients while earning her master’s degree in publichealth and gaining an appreciation for obesity as a majorpublic health issue. Today she is on the staff of ConnecticutSurgical Group, PC, as the Bariatric Nurse Coordinator for theSurgical Weight Loss Program.

“As a nurse, I find that the field is conducive to approachingthe patient in a holistic manner,” Ms. Arnold says. “Inbariatrics, you don’t deal with just the physical aspects ofobesity. There are the emotional, social and mental healthissues to consider, and that really appealed to me.”

When prospective patients inquire about bariatric surgery,Ms. Arnold is one of the first people they see. She educatesthem about the process toward surgery and what’s involved inthe required medical workup. Once the surgeon hasdetermined that the person is a candidate for surgery, Ms.Arnold works with the surgeon to prepare a customizedworkup plan. It includes lab work; upper GI or chest X-ray;referrals to a Hartford Hospital-based dietician, psychiatrist orpsychologist, and cardiologist; or the sleep lab. Certified insupport-group leadership, she runs a Hartford Hospital-sponsored support group that patients attend before and aftersurgery. Meetings typically feature guest speakers and opendiscussion among patients on a variety of topics.

“Research indicates that attending a support group long-term is one of the things that help patients maintain weight lossafter surgery,” Ms. Arnold notes.

Two to three weeks prior to surgery, patients meet with thesurgical weight loss team, including Ms. Arnold. She remindsthem how to prepare for surgery and what to expectafterwards. She reinforces the requirement to start a high-protein pre-op diet to reduce the size of the liver and theamount of fat surrounding internal organs, thereby making itmore likely that the surgeon will be able to perform theprocedure laparoscopically. Long after patients have hadsurgery, she continues to follow them to be sure they’re doingwell and getting regular medical care.

“Part of my role is being up-to-date on evidence-basednursing practice and most current research,” Ms. Arnold says.“I’m also an advocate for these patients who have dealt withdiscrimination and stigma for the majority of their lives.Research shows that people who are obese are less likely toseek preventive care. Once we get them in the system, we try tomaintain them, making sure, for example, that they have annualmammograms and regular colonoscopies.”

Bariatric nursing has emerged as a distinct field. Ms. Arnoldnotes that nurses who work with bariatric patients have theopportunity to take a national exam to become CertifiedBariatric Nurses through the American Society for Metabolicand Bariatric Surgery.

Welcome to Hartford HospitalWhen patients having bariatric surgery arrive for admission,nurses on the admitting unit, Center 8, are ready to see to theirunique needs.

“We typically know ahead of time if someone is coming infor bariatric surgery,” says Trisha DePietro, RN, BSN, NurseManager of Same-day Admission and Interventional Short Stay.“We have two rooms specially designed for bariatric patientsand johnnies that help patients feel comfortable and covered.”

Since the Surgical Weight Loss Program was initiated,nurses throughout the hospital have taken part in sensitivitytraining to help them gain a greater understanding of how tohelp bariatric patients feel comfortable emotionally as well as physically. Nurses on Center 8 put that training to workregularly. Moreover, Ms. DePietro says, “Center 8 offerssensitivity to many different special needs, no matter what those needs are.

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Patient John Rexford, left, and his surgeon, Darren Tishler, MD, note the visible difference following

Mr. Rexford's surgical weight loss procedure.

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The staff is very good about noticing whatever patients andfamilies might need and seeing to their comfort.”

From a clinical standpoint, blood clots are a concern inbariatric patients. So Center 8 staff are vigilant about puttingboots or compression sleeves on patients’ feet or legs right away.

“We do it immediately on admission because evidence saysif they keep pumping before and during surgery and inrecovery, they reduce patients’ risk of deep vein thrombosis,”Ms. DePietro notes, adding that “If we could put them on at thedesk, we’d do it!”

The OR TeamWhen the patient arrives at the operating room suite, the firstperson he or she is likely to see is circulating nurse CristinChambers, RN, BSN. Ms. Chambers and Auria Mercado, aCertified Surgical Technologist, makeup the team that works mostfrequently with Dr. Tishler in the OR.Both women partnered with DrTishler in beginning the program, andMs. Mercado actually had weight losssurgery performed by Dr. Tishler.

“I talk with the patients before theygo into the OR suite, so there will be afamiliar face inside,” Ms. Chamberssays. “Going into surgery can be anerve-racking experience. I try to putthem at ease.”

Hartford Hospital has an operatingroom specially outfitted to provide thesafest, highest-quality care for bariatricpatients. Ms. Chambers and Ms.Mercado make sure that the operatingroom is completely and correctly setup prior to surgery. But once thepatient is there, Ms. Chambers says,“My most important job is thepatient.” She does her assessments,helps with special patient positioningand makes sure the patient’s skin integrity is protected, allwhile making sure the patient is as comfortable as possible.She is responsible for documenting the procedure. Once thesurgery is completed, but before the patient wakes up, shetakes steps to ensure that the patient will be comfortable onawakening, including dressing the incision, cleaning the patientup, putting a fresh gown on the patient and wrapping him orher in a warming blanket. Then she communicates with thepost-anesthesia care unit so a PACU team will be prepared forthe patient’s arrival.

Post-Surgical CareWhen the Surgical Weight Loss Program began, HartfordHospital established a post-operative care unit on Bliss 8especially for bariatric patients. Bliss 8 Nurse Manager SusanneYeakel, RN, MSN, CNAA-BC, has been a leader in hospital-wideefforts to meet the needs of bariatric patients.

In addition to ensuring that Bliss 8 has the right beds andother equipment, Ms. Yeakel and her colleagues haveaddressed the unique clinical needs of bariatric patients.

“About half the patients who have bariatric surgery alsohave sleep apnea,” says Ms. Yeakel. “They need to have theirpulse oximetry monitored for 24 hours after surgery. To free upbeds in the ICU for critically ill patients, we increased staffinglevels so that the monitoring can be done right here on Bliss 8.”

Bliss 8 Clinical Leader Julie Masamery, RN, BS who caresfor bariatric patients and orients nursesnew to the unit, notes that the nurse-to-patient ratio of one to four contributesto very high patient satisfaction levelson the unit.

Flexibility is key. MichaelGilgenbach, RN, BSN, CNOR, NurseManager of the CORE Department,which includes Bariatrics, notes thatthe number of patients having bariatricsurgery increased significantly whenDr. Tishler began performing the LAP-BAND® procedure.

“The less-invasive procedure meantthat a larger number of patients werecandidates for the surgery,” Mr.Gilgenbach says. “We adjusted staffinglevels to enable us to provide care formany more patients.”

Susanne Yeakel says that her workspearheading hospital innovations thatbenefit bariatric patients has been apositive experience for her.

“Every step of the way, there’ssomething else to work on in this program,” she says. “I’ve met a lot of people in other hospital areas. I’ve met a lot of nicepatients. And I’ve helped my staff grow professionally. I believethat one of the greatest contributions I’ve made as a manager has been setting up this program and taking it to thenext level.” n

“I talk with thepatients before theygo into the OR suite,so there will be afamiliar face inside,”Ms. Chambers says."Going into surgerycan be a nerve-racking experience. I try to put them atease.”

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Sizing Up the Hospital

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There’s no doubt about it: Americans are getting bigger.Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that, overthe past 25 years, the percentage of adults who areobese—otherwise known as bariatric—more thandoubled, from 15 percent to 32.9 percent. That meansthere are more people of size everywhere in thecommunity, including hospitals. Especially hospitals.That’s why, several years ago, Hartford Hospital formedthe Bariatric Oversight Committee.

“A large percentage of the people who go to thehospital are overweight or obese,” says Nina Arnold, RN,MPH, Bariatric Nurse Coordinator of the of the SurgicalWeight Loss Program, which is a joint venture ofConnecticut Surgical Group and Hartford Hospital.“The Bariatric Oversight Committee is dedicated toensuring that these patients are cared for appropriately.”

T hroughout Hartford Hospital, innovations andeducation are enhancing comfort and safety

for bariatric patients—and their families.

The new Sireskop Bariatric Fluoroscopy Suite accommodates bariatric patients comfortably.

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Members of the Bariatric Oversight Committeeinclude Hartford Hospital Chief of Surgery OrlandoKirton, MD; Co-directors of Bariatric Surgery DarrenTishler, MD, and Pavlos Papasavas, MD; Director ofSurgical Nursing Catherine Yavinsky, RN, MS; NurseManager of Bliss 8 Susanne Yeakel, RN, MSN, CNAA-BC;Director of Perioperative Services Cheryl Ficara, RN, MS,CNAA-BC; Ms. Arnold; and representatives of hospitaladministration. Over the past several years, thecommittee has brought about hospital-wide changes toensure that the hospital meets the needs of people ofsize—patients and visitors alike.

Education Is KeyOne of the first initiatives launched at therecommendation of the Bariatric Oversight Committeewas bariatric sensitivity training for hospital staff.

“People with obesity often encounter societalprejudice and physical barriers. As a result, when theycome to the hospital as patients, their self-esteem is often already low,” says Susanne Yeakel. “We wanted staff members to be aware of patients’ feelings and besensitive in the way they communicate with theirpatients.”

A simple word choice can make all the difference.For example, saying “I’ll get you a more comfortablegown” rather than “a larger gown” eliminates theimplied judgment about the patient’s size.

Nurses, patient care associates, transport staff,security personnel and others throughout the hospitalare required to participate in the training. Sessions areheld regularly in Gilman Auditorium. The training is alsoavailable online, so everyone can access it, regardless ofwork schedule.

To enhance safety for staff and patients alike, staffmembers received training in proper body mechanics tolift and move bariatric patients.

On Bliss 8, where the post-surgical unit for bariatricpatients is located, a dedicated nurse educator workswith nurses to ensure they have the special competenciesnecessary to care for bariatric patients.

Equipment and FurnishingsMany changes have been made in the hospital’sinfrastructure to ensure that the facility is well-suited toaccommodating bariatric patients and visitors. TheBariatric Oversight Committee began in 2004 to identifychanges that needed to be made.

“We needed to ensure proper equipment right fromthe point of entry into the hospital,” says Ms. Yeakel.

Chairs without arms were installed in the lobby of themain entrance, and larger visitor chairs were placed onfloors. In the preadmission testing area, floor-mountedtoilets were installed to support greater weight. Thehospital made sure it had stretchers that couldaccommodate more than 500 pounds. In the pre-operative nursing unit on Center 8, two rooms—onesingle and one double—were renovated toaccommodate bariatric patients. Both have floor-mounted toilets with hand-holds to assist with sitting andstanding. On Bliss 8, the post-surgical unit right downthe hall, which cares for patients who’ve had bariatricsurgery, two double rooms and one single room wererenovated with floor-mounted toilets. The beds canaccommodate patients weighing up to 500 pounds. Thehospital purchased larger johnnies and blood pressurecuffs. It also acquired AirPal air-assisted patient-transferdevices that enable staff to move bariatric patients from

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“People with obesity often encounter societalprejudice and physical barriers ... We wanted staffmembers to be aware of patients' feelings and besensitive in the way they communicate with their patients.

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bed to stretcher more easily and safely and withfewer people.

Toilet facilities throughout the hospital have beenmodified for bariatric patients, and special signageidentifies the ones that are “bariatric-friendly.”

Bariatric patients, just like any other patients, mayneed diagnostic imaging studies. Hartford Hospital’sRadiology Department has been active in implementingchanges aimed at accommodating larger patients. Tablesand stretchers are stronger. Step stools have handles.Bathrooms are larger. And the department now featuresa Siemens Sireskop Bariatric Fluoroscopy Suite.

“This is our newest digital room,” says Triage LeadTechnologist Debbie Beebe, who herself had bariatricsurgery at Hartford Hospital. “It has a higher tableweight limit, as well as a more powerful generator. Theincreased distance between the image intensifier andtable allows more room for the patient. The bathroom is larger and has been renovated with a floor-mountedtoilet.”

Throughout the department, older equipment,including CT scanners and MRI machines, is beingreplaced with equipment able to accommodate largerpatients—patients many other facilities can’t handle.

“At Hartford Hospital, we can always image. We canalways accommodate what doctors want,” says Ms.Beebe. “We have patients sent to us from all over thestate. If we have a particularly challenging patient, ourchief radiologist and engineering get involved to figureout how to do it. There’s always a way.”

Similar upgrades have been made in the operatingroom used for bariatric patients.

“We have a special operating room bed that holds upto 1,200 pounds,” says Cristin Chambers, RN, BSN,circulating nurse in the bariatric OR. “The bed also goesinto a particular position that gives optimal positioningfor anesthesia. It puts the patient’s back up with the headtilted back so the anesthesiologist can insert theendotrachial tube. Many bariatric patients have difficultairways and are harder to intubate. This bed helps a lot.”

For patients whose weight exceeds the limits of thehospital’s equipment, staff can rent equipment fromSIZEWise Rentals LLC, a company specializing in large-scale medical equipment. This can be done right throughthe hospital’s CPOE system. A bariatric patient bed isalways set aside in a special location in the event ofemergencies or after-hours admissions.

Knowledge OnlineJust about everything nurses may need to know whencaring for bariatric patients is contained in a BariatricResource Manual that the oversight committee createdand posted on the hospital’s Intranet.

“We’ve catalogued equipment throughout the hospitaland listed it in the manual,” Ms. Yeakel notes. “Everyarea, including the Emergency Department, can find outwhat equipment we have, what its weight capacity is andwhere it’s located in the hospital.”

The manual goes beyond equipment, however.“The manual discusses the two bariatric surgical

procedures and the clinical pathways for each one,” saysJulie Masamery, RN, BS, Clinical Leader on Bliss 8. “Italso tells you who to call for a variety of issues, such asskin and dietary concerns, and it provides locations of allthe bariatric-friendly rest rooms in the hospital.”

“Creating this manual has been a nice hospital-wideeffort toward the care of bariatric patients in general,”says Susanne Yeakel.

Looking AheadMs. Yeakel anticipates that the hospital will continue toimplement changes to accommodate people of size. Forexample, she expects renovations to Bliss 8 that willincrease the number of bariatric beds from five to 13and increase the unit’s capacity to monitor pulseoximetry and telemetry.

After all, Ms. Yeakel notes, according to the literature,“Patients are only going to get heavier.”

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Discovering How to Prevent FallsTake an elderly patient population, addpsychiatric disorders, side effects frompsychotropic drugs, and a therapeutic settingthat encourages ambulation and you’ve got arecipe for a high risk of falls. Falls were a majorconcern on Donnelly One North at the Instituteof Living when Ellen Blair, APRN, CNAA, BC,became unit director of the geriatric psychiatricunit several years ago. She and her staff wereeager to prevent falls and their resulting injuries,but there was negligible research in theliterature involving inpatient geriatric psychiatricunits. So Ms. Blair decided to conduct her ownclinical research.

“I wanted to find out what was happeningthat was specific to our unit that was making falls common orharder to prevent,” Ms. Blair says. “I’m an advocate of evidence-based practice, and on Donnelly One North, our goal is always topractice in accordance with sound theory and best practice.”

Working with Cynthia Gruman, PhD, a researcher at the IOL’sBraceland Center, Ms. Blair analyzed falls for three months. Notsurprisingly, medications, a history of falls, and walking to and

from the bathroom were found to be major fallrisks. But the research also revealed just howcomplex the issue is. Because of that, Ms. Blairsays, “Our staff began to look at the patientfrom a more individualized perspective,developing unique, yet practical, fall preventioninterventions for each patient’s nursing careplan.”

Now, staff devote a full page of eachpatient’s individualized treatment plan toassessing fall risk and preventing falls. Theyalso complete a fall rounding checklist twiceon each shift as they evaluate each patient. Thechanges in practice have led to a downwardtrend in falls and falls with injuries.

Ms. Blair and Dr. Gruman published theirfindings in the December 2005/January 2006Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses

Association, in order to help other hospitals benefit from theirresearch. An article about the project appeared in January 2008in Advance for Nurses. As a result, she frequently receives callsfrom other institutions.

“They want to know what we’re doing that’s making our fallsgo down,” Ms. Blair says. “I invite them to come here and visitour unit.”

Research

Education

Ellen Blair, APRN, CNAA, BC

First Class Completes Nurse Residency ProgramThe first group of graduate nurses hascompleted the new Nurse Residency Program atHartford Hospital. The nurses, who are from allareas of the hospital, were hired in summer2007 and began the six-month residencyprogram in September 2007.

A team of nurse educators and nursingleaders at Hartford Hospital developed theprogram with the goal of helping new nursestransition more smoothly from being students tobeing practicing professionals in today’s highlycomplex health care environment. Thecurriculum is based on standards set forth bythe Commission on Collegiate NursingEducation. It includes all the information fromthe hospital’s former nine-week orientation, butprovides structured, monthly classes and coversadditional topics such as patient-safetyinitiatives, cultural diversity, communications,critical thinking, staff safety, legal and regulatoryissues and professional development.Participants also benefit from regular supportgroups facilitated by Hartford Hospital socialworkers.

First Group Finishes ICU Transition ProgramThis winter, seven new RNs completed Hartford Hospital’s first Graduate Nurse toIntensive Care Unit Transition Program. A reception to celebrate the event was heldon Jan. 24. At the ceremony, each participant gave her preceptors a personal thank-you note, a single rose, a starfish lapel pin and a copy of “The Starfish Story” (seeinside back cover). The GN-ICU program was designed to give new nurses theeducation and experience necessary to take on roles in the hospital’s five intensivecare units. Another six graduate nurses began the course in January 2008.

GN-ICU Program orientees and preceptors gather at the Jan. 24 reception. FrontRow (seated): orientees Katie Tyminski, Kate Nigro, Stacy Bentil, and Kerri White;standing Susan Ramos. Second row: preceptors Rebecca Lange, Elda Marcelynas,Katie Ortiz, Amy Litchfield, Jacqui Coveney, Leonie Jackson. Third Row:preceptors and nurse educators Kevin Mooney, Lynn Jansky, Olga May Smith,Susan Healy-Schnitman, Ann Russell, Liza Nowicki. Orientees missing fromphoto: Christina Farrington, Sheena McFarlane, Magilta Joseph.

Obesity and Children—Plus Scholarship Fund

Bariatrics as a field of medicine didn’t even exist whenwe were in training at HHSN. But as seen in this issueof Hartford Hospital Nursing, Hartford Hospital andhospitals across the country are increasingly addressingthe issue of obesity. A growing epidemic among adults,obesity often begins in childhood and adolescence. TheNational Health and Nutrition Examination Surveycontinues to find evidence of an increasing number ofchildren and adolescents classified as obese.

Although the reasons for obesity in young peopleare varied, the focus on management is varied, as well.Diet, lack of exercise, increased time spent on the

computer and genetics are several factors thought to play a part in this epidemic.Recently, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where I work, has begun to developa team approach to dealing with this group of patients. The team includes anendocrinologist, cardiologist, dietitian, psychologist/psychiatrist, surgeons, exercisephysiologist, pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, adolescent medicine physician, socialworker and APRN. A protocol is being developed to identify patients. It includesphysical exam, family history and identifying possible endocrine disorders.

According to Christine Finck, MD, a pediatric surgeon at CCMC, the criteria for achild or adolescent to be a candidate for bariatric surgery at CCMC are specific. Thefavorable candidate must be motivated, have realistic expectations, be compliant,have good decisional capacity, understand the lifelong change and be willing to havelong-term follow-up. Strong family commitment and support are vital, also.

Dr. Finck came to CCMC in July 2007 from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Childrenin Philadelphia. While there, she held the position of surgical director of the HealthyWeight Awareness Center. This program cared for and treated overweight adolescentsthrough a comprehensive educational program that included outreach to schools andthe community. It is hoped that the new bariatric program at CCMC, includingsurgical cases, will be fully implemented by this summer. By addressing this issue atan early age, Dr. Finck and her colleagues hope to reduce or eliminate many of thephysical problems associated with obesity, including diabetes, asthma andhypertension. Using a collaborative approach to focus on obesity as a disease processmay be the best solution for young patients facing this challenge.

On another topic …As you may recall, the Alumnae Association of HHSN formed a Scholarship Committeein order to develop criteria for applicants who are planning a career in nursing. Thecommittee, headed by Betty Ann Fusco, Vice President of the Alumnae Association,has met several times and has almost completed the criteria. They expect that thecriteria and application form will be ready to implement in the near future. Our goalis to provide financial assistance to worthy nursing students in order to promotenursing as a career.

Karen Stinson Mazzarella, RN, BA (HHSN ’69)

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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

JJooiinn YYoouurr AAlluummnnaaee AAssssoocciiaattiioonnBecome 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 kmazzar@ccmckids.org; Pat Ciarcia, executivesecretary, at patciarcia@snet.net; 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.

Alumnae Spotlight

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Training for Life

As a high school student, John Ham, RN, BA (HHSN ’74) workedin housekeeping at Hartford Hospital. But it was during a laterexperience as an ambulance attendant that he became interestedin nursing. In 1970 he enrolled in the Hartford Hospital School ofNursing. At the time, male nursing students were more theexception than the rule. Yet John made it clear to classmates, staff nurses and instructors that he was not there because of anysocial agenda.

“I wasn’t there to prove a point,” John recalls. “I was there tolearn and to take care of patients. Once people recognized thatand got to know me, I got along well.”

Male nursing students were housed with medical residents.Unlike the female students, the men didn’t have the equivalent of ahouse mother. In off-duty hours, there was no one keeping an eyeon the men’s comings and goings. But the training was the samefor both genders, and John enjoyed his experience.

“I especially enjoyed direct patient care, working on the floorsand talking to the more experienced nurses to learn how to dothings,” John recalls.

Looking back, he believes that the hospital-based program wasexceptionally effective at not only preparing a whole cadre ofpeople to staff the hospital but also preparing students for what itreally meant to be a nurse.

“People in university-based programs got the education, but Idon’t think they were prepared for the sacrifice that goes alongwith staffing a 24/7 institution,” he says.

After graduating, John worked in Hartford Hospital’spsychiatric unit for two years and consulted at Mt. Sinai Hospitalon the other side of Hartford. He subsequently moved to Mt. Sinai,where he helped establish the hospital’s adult psychiatric unit andbecame that unit’s first head nurse. He earned a bachelor’s degreein psychology from the University of Hartford and began amaster’s program in health systems management.

In the late ’70s, though, a very different career beckoned. Afteraccompanying a trucker friend on several cross-country hauls,John decided to get into the business himself. Today he is the soleproprietor of his own company. He owns a truck and seventrailers, and transports goods—primarily food—for severalregular customers.

John says that the training he received at HHSN prepared him,not just for nursing, but for life.

“My education prepared me well to solve problems and makedecisions,” he says. “I learned how critical it is to get all the factstogether before drawing a conclusion. In training, they called itSOAP—subjective, objective, assessment and plan. That concepthas served me well in everything I’ve done.”

John, who has maintained his nursing license and AlumnaeAssociation membership all these years, now is considering areturn to nursing. He plans to attend an information session atCapital Community College to learn what would be involved.

“I liked psychiatric nursing when I did it, and that’s probablythe field I’d go into,” he says. “But instead of going intomanagement this time, I think I’d prefer to be a staff nurse.”

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John Ham HHSN 1974 graduation photo

John Ham, RN, BA (HHSN ’74)

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A Look Back

Fulfillment and Friendship

Avis Velma Warren Butler(HHSN ’44) entered theHartford Hospital School ofNursing in 1941, just prior tothe outbreak of World War II.On registration day, the very eager young Miss Warren was thefirst to arrive at the school and on her residence floor. Sheintroduced herself to the others as they arrived and gave eachone a nickname, including Bernadette Tosko, whom shedubbed “Benny.” Bernadette would become Avis’s roommate,lifelong friend, sister-in-law and partner in a memorable cross-country adventure.

During Avis’s training and early postgraduate years, the warmade itself felt on Hartford Hospital and its nursing school. Avisrecalls that so many graduate nurses had joined the servicethat, at night, the floors were staffed almost exclusively bystudents, with a supervisor or head nurse available in case aproblem arose.

“We worked long hours,” Avis says. “Nobody punched aclock. If you were supposed to go off duty, but you wereneeded, you just kept going and going. And we worked six daysa week.”

Twice, events conspired to change the course of Avis’s life.One was when she and some classmates attempted to enlist inthe war effort. Twice they walked downtown to the recruitingcenter only to find the staff absent. Avis and Bernadette decidedit wasn’t meant to be, so they ultimately remained stateside.

The other was when she and friends who were workingnights decided to get up four hours early and go to the circus.But when Avis washed her hair that morning—July 6, 1944—her brand-new permanent wave straightened out. The salonsaid if she’d come right in, they’d re-do it. She did. And thatwas why she and her friends were not in the audience when theGreat Hartford Circus Fire occurred. But that night, working onher ward, she could hear the children who’d been brought inwith burns crying in the ward below.

Avis recalls that one of her most interesting studentexperiences was a summer 1943 rotation in the communicabledisease unit of City Hospital. Housed in a separate building, theunit cared for people with illnesses such as scarlet fever, diphtheria, polio and tuberculosis. Students had to take an

exam at the end of theirassignment. One day, afterhaving returned to HHSN,Avis was called to the officeof the school’s notoriouslystern Director, EthelBrooks, RN.

“I was quaking in myboots,” Avis says. “I couldn’t

imagine what I had done!Miss Brooks told me to sit

down. She said the instructor from the communicable diseaseprogram had called her about my exam. ‘You got the best markof any student they’ve ever had there. Congratulations!’ shesaid. I almost fell out of my chair!”

After graduating, Avis first was among a small number ofgraduates selected to work in the education department. Shewas later appointed head nurse on EB-1, male orthopedics.Her friend Bernadette Tosko became head nurse on Ward 2,surgery. Avis had been living at 95 Jefferson Street, butBernadette’s doting mother persuaded Avis to live with them, so her daughter wouldn’t have to travel to and from thehospital alone.

In summer 1945, Avis took Bernadette to her family homein Middlebury, Vt., where Bernadette met Avis’s brother, Owen,who was on leave from the military. Bernadette and Owen “hitit off quite well.” In spring 1947 the three young people quittheir jobs and drove to California. Bernadette and Owen hadmarried secretly in the fall of ’46—a fact Bernadette waited ayear to tell her mother. The three went on to Arizona, whereAvis and Bernadette worked in a hospital in Tucson. They werehaving a wonderful time, despite the fact that they’d sometimesrun out of money and food and have to rely on the goodwill ofthe kitchen staff, who let Bernadette occasionally pilfer a fewslices of bread and some eggs from the hospital kitchen.

The next spring, the three set out for Alaska, travelingthrough Canada on the then-new Alaska Highway. When theyreached Whitehorse, Avis returned to Middlebury for heryounger brother Donny’s wedding. Owen and Bernadette ToskoWarren eventually returned to Hartford, where she was anurse—and something of an icon—at Hartford Hospital formore than 50 years. Avis married in 1949 and retired fromnursing to raise her five children, one of whom, Jayne D.B.Marsh, BS, RN, MSN, MAPH, also entered the nursing profession.

Today Avis recalls that, “The years that I was in nursingschool and working as a nurse were the most fulfilling of my life.”

Avis Velma Warren Butler, then and now

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CLASS OF 1940Louise Hitchcock Ost lives in aduplex apartment in Washington,next to her nephew and familywho help her tremendously withher shopping and businessmatters. She is still active in herchurch and receives visits frommissionary families fromNicaragua, Mexico, Spain, Franceand Morocco.

CLASS OF 1941Christine Palmer Whitlock hasrecently published a 25-song CDentitled “Piano Stylings for WhatAils You—An Hour Concert bythe Sea.” The CD is a relaxationseries and Christine composedmany of the 25 songs it contains.The promotional materials for theCD note that “Christine’s piano,the ocean waves, and seagulls areall designed to transport you faraway from the cares of the day.”Christine believes that her pianoplaying made a positive contribu-tion to her nursing career.

CLASS OF 1944Jean Landon Smith has workedwith the Red Cross during floodsin the states of New Jersey, Texasand Minnesota. She also hasworked with the Red Cross whenthere were fires in San Diego. Sheis a veteran of World War II andactive in the VFW.

CLASS OF 1947Barbara Wilson Laitinen and theClass of 1947 held their 60threunion last fall. Twentyclassmates attended the festivitiesand shared treasured memories.They had a wonderful time. Theclass’s former nursing artsinstructor, Peggy EldridgeFolgmann, also made thereunion. Her wisdom is pricelesseven after 90 years! Threeclassmates attended from outsideof New England. These included:Fran Ruoff Flynn from NorthCarolina, Audrey GilchristCarroll from West Virginia andLynn Batter Dahl, who droveherself down from Quebec,Canada.

CLASS OF 1948Norma Brundage Marshall notesthat the February section of theclass of 1948 celebrated its 60thanniversary in February. “Wewere a small class who becameclose friends and had manyreunions as time and distanceallowed,” she says of the group of14 graduates. One member of theclass continues to work, oneresides in a Hartford nursingfacility and three are deceased.

CLASS OF 1950Mary Roth Burns is picturedduring her recent trip toThailand. She has been extremelyactive in the Pulmonary Educa-tion Rehabilitation Foundation inCalifornia, where she has a“Chair” named after her. Shetravels worldwide spreadinginformation on pulmonary rehaband has published many articleson the subject. She recentlyretired from being the editor ofthe foundation newsletter.

Gwen Morrison has a PhD and isalso published.

Irene Sakmar O’Day has writtena chapter in the recently publish-ed book, “A Nurse’s Guide toPublishing and Presenting: Dareto Share” by Kathleen Heinrich,RN, PhD, Jones and BartlettPublishers. Irene writes of herexperience as a student at HHSN,and how the Nightingalephilosophy affected her nursingcareer as well as her later life.She invites other nurses to “Dareto Share” their nursing stories.

Marjorie Zenobi Spitzel enjoysretirement and visits with herfour children and six grand-children in California, Arizonaand New York. She enjoysballroom dancing and cruising,which has become a way of lifefor her in South Florida. Shetaught nursing for over 25 yearsand was a junior instructor aftergraduating from HHSN.

CLASS OF 1957Sylvia Merrill retired from theUSAF Nurse Corp in 1990. Shedrives from Texas to Maine eachMay and stays all summer. InOctober she drives back to Texasbut stops along the way to visitwith friends. She finds lots to doin both places.

Mary Lou Gardner Millar andher husband downsized fromtheir home to a condo where theyare able to walk downtown torestaurants, shops and the park.They have traveled to Germanyand have taken theirgrandchildren to London. Both ofher children live in the Midwest.She is still working and at somepoint would like to becomeinvolved with the Alumnae andperhaps volunteer at HartfordHospital.

Carol Neumeister Moylan andher husband continue to live intheir same house (with manyadditions and renovations) since1960. She works two evenings aweek as nursing supervisor at

Avery Health Care Center. Theyhave four children in the area aswell as 10 grandchildren rangingin age from 3 1/2 to 21 years old.

Sandy Stirret Myers and herhusband sold their home andmoved into an RV and have beentouring the country. They travelextensively and enjoy this newlifestyle.

Beverly Henderson Nortz has ahome on the St. Lawrence Riverwhere it is beautiful but very cold.In the winter they go to Sarasota,Fla. She taught nursing tovocational students for 30 years.

Diana Woodward Oliveiraretired to the Cape in ’95. Sherestored a 250-year-oldfarmhouse in Portugal andvacations there every year (alarge family helps with thelanguage and customs). She isenjoying her travels andgrandchildren.

Joal Friese Patterson has workedin nursing for almost 40 years.She has worked as staff nurse,infection control nurse, staffdevelopment, assistant director ofnursing, and director of nursing.She has three children and hastraveled extensively from NovaScotia to Florida, Kentucky,Arizona, England and Aruba. She spends her summers innortheastern Connecticut, whereshe enjoys swimming, sailing, andsharing this beautiful spot withher children and grandchildren.

Cindy Johnson Pavano is veryactive in her church, where shecoordinates the caring network,visits and brings communion toshut-ins, plays the organ andpiano duets and is director of thebell choir.

Lynn Farrow Peters is stillpainting and teaching at thesenior center in Vernon. She alsoexhibits and sells her work at theTinkling Tea Cups and teashops inEast Hampton. She and herhusband are in good health andgo to the gym three times a week.

Peggy Woltersdorf Plutchkoenjoys the good life. She spendsher time doing watercolor

Mary Roth Burns, Class of 1950

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paintings, swimming, andbeaching. She has 20grandchildren and recentlybecame a great-grandmother.

Alice Gagne Regas retired fromnursing in 2006. She has beentraveling and enjoying life. Sheenjoys her visits with herdaughter, who lives and works inNew Hampshire.

Jeanette Berger Reese is stillworking per diem in OB atHartford Hospital.

Jean Hargraves Reil traveled toEurope last summer. Herdaughter, son-in-law, andgrandchild went with them. Theyvisited Denmark, Germany andHolland and all had a great time.

Polly Thompson Reynolds andher husband have been spendinga lot of time in New Hampshirewhere they have a log home and31 acres of land and raise beefcattle. They have three sons andfive grandchildren. She and herhusband are planning a trip toAlaska via train across Canada.

Sue VanderMeer Shaw retired in2002 after working 30 years inpediatric nursing, which sheloved. The last six years were atConnecticut Children’s MedicalCenter, which is in front ofHartford Hospital, so she endedher career in the same city blockwhere it all began! Since then, sheand her husband Bob haveenjoyed some cruises as well asseveral trips around the country.They spend eight months a year intheir waterfront condo onManasota Key in Englewood, Fla.,where they can watch dolphins,manatees and a wide variety ofshorebirds from their livingroom. Summers are spent inConnecticut, where they enjoyfilling their yard with flowers andgentle wind chimes.They have twosons who are doing well and twograndchildren, Stephanie (17)and Austin (14), who are growingup much too fast! Life is good.

Charlotte VanAuken Silbaughand her husband enjoy traveling.They live in Oregon and spendtheir summers in Pennsylvania.Trips include snorkeling in

Hawaii or some tropical place.She and her husband have eightgrandchildren ranging in agefrom 17 to 4.

Jayne Larson Smith retired in2005 after experiencing nursingon many levels. In October shewent on a nine-day CaribbeanCruise. She has two children andthree grandchildren.

Ann Tomasek Staub and herhusband moved into a retirementcommunity in 2005. Their largeapartment faces the river with afantastic view—sunsets aremagnificent. She enjoys herneighbors and is busier than ever.

Louise Swanson Steigerwaltretired in 2006 but still works afew hours a month. She has fivegrandchildren and four great-granddaughters and does a lot of“girl shopping” with them. Shetravels to Aruba every October.

Patti Fitton Stone and herhusband live in a condo inVirginia, where they can easilyvisit with their children andgrandchildren. Previously theylived in Michigan, Illinois, NewJersey, Colorado, Germany andConnecticut.

Joanna Pearson Stranahan andher husband have two childrenand five grandchildren. She workstwo days a week for an oralsurgeon and one day a weekbabysitting her grandchild.

Maureen Anderson Summershas a very active life in Maine. Shehas provided part-time consultingwork in occupational healtharound the country and is now aneditor of an Accepted HealthJournal, The Tracker. She is alsovice chairman of the board ofUnited Way for York County, and a member and on the board of achoral group, Seaglas PerformingArts. She enjoys traveling andplaying golf.

Sigrid Heland Svensen and herhusband celebrated their 46thwedding anniversary in 2006.They have three daughters and six grandchildren. She and herhusband enjoy traveling and theygo to St. Marten and Florida every year.

Arline Warner Tinus has beenbusy painting as always. She livesclose to the Grand Canyon, whichhas become her favorite subjectmatter.

Vedder Grethen Ungham hasthree children and threegrandchildren. She still worksunder contract 20 weeks in theER at Venice Hospital in VeniceFla. She plans to retire soon andthen travel, catch up on herreading and enjoy her newgrandson.

Marge Collins Wallace retiredfrom the Veterans Administrationand has had various jobs, short-term, in between. A few years agoshe returned to Connecticut forher 50th high school reunion.

Nancy Griswold Zable has threechildren and seven grandchildrenwhom she sees frequently. Sheattends a lot of her their soccer,basketball and volleyball games.She walks on the beach daily andenjoys traveling.

CLASS OF 1959The Class of 1959 will celebratetheir 49th reunion this year, andthey’re looking forward toreceiving the “Golden Bed Pan.”They are asking all theirclassmates to attend the banquetthis year and the 50th anniversaryfestivities in June 2009. Pleasemake sure organizers have youraddress or e-mail. Contact IreneCardin Smith at 860-646-2175.

CLASS OF 1960Joanna Laskus Hamby, JoanneLeonard Campominosi, MarleneBredice Fregeau, Marion BrooksMuschell, Joan Aggard Newth,Carolyn Bickford Calhoun,Virginia Owen Chandler, and Judy Welch Friend pictured aboveat a June gathering at the home ofCarolyn Bickford Calhoun. Therewas another group that gottogether at Mary ClementinoMoreau’s home at Andover Lake.They enjoyed a fun summercatching up with so many of theirclassmates, most of whom areretired and enjoying life withgrandchildren.

CLASS OF 1962Linda Arle Duval works part-timeat flu clinics, is a substitute schoolnurse and volunteers at her localhospital. She and her husbandspend the winter months inFlorida, where they enjoy theleisurely pace of living, visitingfriends, walking and taking in allthe sights and adventures in thearea.

Carol Drumm Ferik is enjoyingher retirement. She keeps busywith church, gardening, walking,crocheting and photographingher granddaughters.

Joanna Laskus Hamby, Joanne Leonard Campominosi, MarleneBredice Fregeau, Marion Brooks Muschell, Joan Aggard Newth,Carolyn Bickford Calhoun, Virginia Owen Chandler, andJudy Welch Friend, from the Class of 1960.

CLASS OF 1968Shirley Girouard is now in San Francisco as the Director ofthe School of Nursing at San Francisco State University.

CLASS OF 1969Jean Bajek is enjoying her newhome in Florida, which is just afive-minute walk to the Gulf ofMexico. Her oldest son, twograndchildren, and her brothervisited with her this past summer.She works full-time at CVSPharmacy and also does an occa-sional shift at the nursing homewhere her mom is a resident.

Rhonda Calamari Forristallworks at Middlesex HospitalMedical Center Shoreline inEssex, Conn. She has been askedby the Emergency NursesAssociation to present a posterpresentation at the ENALeadership Conference in 2008.Her abstract, called BuildingTomorrow’s Leaders, is about a

program that she and hercolleagues started about fiveyears ago. The goal of theprogram is to interest highschool students in nursing. Thishands-on project has beenrecognized by the ConnecticutENA and the Connecticut HospitalAssociation for its communityoutreach qualities. She and hercolleagues are planning theirsixth Career Day for area highschool students.

Della Pappalardo Usher worksas a clinical consulting analyst inthe Information ServicesDepartment at Hartford Hospital.She recently celebrated 30 yearsof service to the institution.

CLASS OF 1972Patricia Crosen Montanaro isDirector of Electronic HealthRecords in the InformationServices Department at HartfordHospital. She recently marked 35 years of service to HartfordHospital.

CLASS OF 1974Sally Gurecki Marzi works atMiddlesex Hospital MedicalCenter Shoreline in Essex,Connecticut. She is an activemember of a project to interesthigh school students in nursing.

She and a colleague are currentlyplanning their sixth annualCareer Day for area high schoolstudents.

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At Hartford Hospital’s Fall 2007 Research Conference entitled TheEssence of Nursing, Laura Caramanica ’72, left, displays the HHSNnursing uniform from 1898 and Pat Andreana Ciarcia ’62 wears theHHSN student uniform from the early 1940s.

In MemoriamWe honor the memory of alumnae of the Hartford Hospital

School of Nursing who have passed away,and others who touched our lives.

1936Anne Ellsworth Sexton

1938Edna Boyle Beattie

Elizabeth Roberts Fredericksen

1942Audrey London GrundtHelen Haywood Sayers

1943Ruth Schroeder Schumacher

1946Eunice Norton

1950Constance Baranski Wilks Pechka

1951Elizabeth Berry

Marjorie Loring CoeBarbara Condon LeMay

Norma Schoonmaker ReynoldsAnne Satriano

PHYSICIANSDr. Robert Hepburn

Director of the Department of UrologyHartford Hospital

Dr. Richard KayAnesthesiologist

Let Us Hear from You!We would love to receive photosand news from HHSN alumnae.Please mail information to theAlumnae Association of theHartford Hospital School ofNursing, 560 Hudson Street,Hartford, CT 06106 or email patciarcia@snet.net.

Request for HHSNNursing PinsWe often receive requests for areplacement HHSN nursing pin.Since they are no longer made,the only way we can get one is ifan alum is willing to donate herpin to the Alumnae Association.We would then give the pin to thealum who is requesting it. If you are interested in donatingyour pin for this purpose, please contact Pat Ciarcia at(860) 563-2005 orpatciarcia@snet.net.

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 forever by including Hartford Hospital and/or the Alumnae Association of HHSN Inc. in your estate plans. For moreinformation, please contact Carol S. Garlick, vice president, philanthropy, at (860) 545-2162 or cgarlic@harthosp.org.

“The Caregiver,” a bronze statue of a studentnurse, stands in the Meditation Garden on thecampus of Hartford Hospital. The statue honorsthe 99-year history (1877-1976) of the HartfordHospital School of Nursing. University ofHartford professor Lloyd W. Glasson of New YorkCity and Cromwell, Conn., sculpted the statue,which was made possible by the efforts of theAlumnae Association of the Hartford HospitalSchool of Nursing.

The Starfish StoryOriginal Story by Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up andgently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youthreplied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’tthrow them back, they’ll die.”“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?You can’t make a difference!”After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.Then, smiling at the man, he said,” I made a difference for that one.”

Nurses completing Hartford Hospital’s Graduate Nurse to Intensive Care Unit Transition Program presented theirpreceptors with a copy of this story and a small starfish pin at a reception held Jan. 24, 2008.

80 SEYMOUR STREET

HARTFORD, CT 06102-5037

Non ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDHartford, CT

Permit No. 4361

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