Points of Pride

Fabulous under 40

Janette Edwards, vice president of operations for The Hospital of Central Connecticut and MidState Medical Center, was named one of Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty.” The award recognizes outstanding achievements of young professionals in the Greater Hartford area.

“I am humbled,” Edwards said. “The work I do is rooted in a passion for providing our patients with exceptional care and it couldn’t be possible without the teams of dedicated colleagues who share my vision.”

Edwards, 36, is responsible for more than 20 departments and service lines.

A graduate of Assumption College, she received her master’s in public health from Dartmouth College and her master’s in business administration from the University of Connecticut. She serves on the Board of Directors of the New Britain YWCA and enjoys cooking, entertaining and traveling with her husband.

Standing out for stroke care

Moments matter for stroke patients, and that means quick diagnosis and delivery of clot-busting medication is critical to reducing complications or disability.

Hartford Hospital’s ability to thrive in those urgent care situations, combined with its comprehensive approach to getting patients on the road to a speedy recovery, earned the hospital acclaim for the second year in a row with the American Heart Association/Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Quality Achievement Award.

The hospital met specific quality measures for diagnosis and treatment of stroke, including the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines. Noteworthy is the hospital’s commitment to reduce the time between a patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), the clot-busting medication.

“This award is a real source of pride for physicians and nurses here who have dedicated themselves to not just maintain the highest standard of coordinated care,” said Dawn Beland, coordinator of Hartford Hospital’s Stroke Center, “but to look at their work with a critical eye and push for even the smallest improvements to make our patient outcomes better year after year.”

In May, Hartford Hospital also earned a third Joint Commission recertification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Bringing more care to Cheshire

Cheshire residents have access to a broad array of services in the new Hartford HealthCare HealthCenter at 280 South Main St. At nearly 50,000 square feet, it is the largest footprint of healthcare services under one roof in town.

The building is opening in phases, which started in September, and will bring together experts in more than 20 specialties, including movement disorders, dermatology, cardiology, primary care, headache, physical rehabilitation, imaging and more.

These services will join HHC’s existing offerings in town, including urgent care and behavioral health. For more information, visit hartfordhealthcare.org/Cheshire.

Behavioral Health road show

On topics from vaping to video games, HHC’s  Behavioral Health Network (BHN) will be well represented at October’s American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) annual meeting, one of the most prestigious research venues in the field.

“We are fortunate to have some of the world’sleading voices in the care of our youngest patients and bright, inquisitive minds examining the trendsand searching for new ways to help,” said John Santopietro, MD, physician-in-chief of the BHN. “This expertise is evidenced by the thought leadership we will have at this important meeting.”

Selected to present their research at the meeting in Chicago, are:

  • Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, who with members of the BHN Substance Use Committee, will present “Teen Vaping Boom: Electronic Cigarette Use, Associated Outcomes and Efforts in Prevention. Clinical Perspective.”
  • Paul Weigle, MD, associate medical director of Natchaug Hospital Ambulatory Services, who will lead the meeting as co-chair of the AACAP’s media committee, chair the research symposium “Children and Screens: New Research Reveals How Digital Media Affects Mental Health,” and chair the clinical perspectives presentation “Logging on to the Positive Role of Technology in Psychiatric Practice.” As part of the latter, he will present the talk “There’s an App for That: Prescribing Video Games and Smartphone Applications in Clinical Practice.”
  • Lisa Namerow, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, who will present workshops entitled “Using the S Word: A Guide to SSRD management” and “Stomaching ARFID.”

During the AACAP meeting, teams of BHN providers will also make seven presentations. For more information on the care and research being conducted in child and adolescent psychiatry at Hartford HealthCare, go to hhcbehavioralhealth.org.