The Pix!

Rainbow Bright

Susan McDonald

June was an especially colorful time at Hartford HealthCare as teams across the system celebrated Pride Month in a variety of ways, from planning parades to donning their best bright colors of the rainbow, an international symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and identity.

Pride, inclusion and love were on display as dozens of colleagues, students and patients at the Institute of Living (IOL) hosted a lively parade. With homemade posters, rainbow streamers, colorful flags and clothing, the group trotted their good vibes around the IOL grounds, and were met with cheers of support from onlookers. Photos by Brenda Kestenbaum

Members of the Access Center team in Hartford, above, literally formed the rainbow with their colorful attire during a Pride Month celebration organized by the Compassionate Associates Recognizing Everyone (CARE) employee engagement team there. Photo by Rusty Kimball

Swimmers Dive Back in the Water for 2021

Fair skies and following seas set the perfect stage for the St. Vincent’s Medical Center 34th Annual Swim Across the Sound Marathon on Saturday, August 7. Approximately 70 swimmers, accompanied by a fleet of 75 escort and 12 law enforcement boats, took to Long Island Sound in Port Jefferson, NY, and swam across to Bridgeport


Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim (in white shirt) and Fairfield Region President William Jennings (grey shirt) welcome solo swimmer Andy Rieger, the first to cross the finish line, completing the Swim in 5:56 hours, a new course record. Photo by Amy Mortensen

Judy Nunes, senior director of the Ayer Neuroscience Institute, joined this year’s Swim Across the Sound as a perimeter boat. She and her furry first mate, Rudder, helped keep the field safe for swimmers aboard her tugboat, Tuggly 2.0. Photo by Judy Nunes

to raise money and support for those battling cancer and their families. HHC colleagues and spectators gathered at Captain’s Cove Seaport in Bridgeport to cheer on the swimmers and boat captains in what turned out to be a thrilling finish. —Anne Rondepierre-Riczu


For raising the most money – $45,000 – Team Boo’s Crew was given the inaugural Ron Bianchi Fundraiser Award. The team, headed by Captain Jeff Lever, right, was formed to raise money in memory of Lever’s sister, Beth “Boo” Hare, a nurse at St. Vincent’s for 37 years who lost her battle with cancer in 2020. The team raised enough money to have a plaque put up, permanently naming Hare’s former office after her. Photo by Amy Mortensen

It was all hands on deck for fan-favorite, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Emergency Department team Code Blue Fish, which received the Dream of Life Award. From left to right, the team included: Ann Gorton, tech coordinator; Jose Collado, former ERT now medical technologist in the lab; Ben Miller, scribe; Alex Vuolo, PA; Jaime Chila, RN; and Denae Sheahan, ERT. Photo by Amy Mortensen