Diving in on ‘Sound’ Swim
By Anne Rondespierre
2025 Swim Across the Sound Marathon Saturday, August 2, 2025
Join or start your own HHC Swim Across the Sound team!
Registration to open early February.
https://swimacrossthesound.org/marathon2025
Contact Christine Howard at Christine.Howard@hhchealth.org
“We are medical professionals, not professional swimmers. We may not place first, but we continue to swim to support the cause — to support our patients and our community beyond their medical needs.”
Coordinator of the St. Vincent’s Medical Center Emergency Department, Ann Gorton is also captain of Code Blue Fish, St. Vincent’s Swim Across the Sound relay swim team comprised mostly of ED colleagues. For nine consecutive years, Code Blue Fish swimmers have made their way across Long Island Sound for the iconic event, now preparing for its 38th year in 2025.
What first inspired you to take the Swim Across the Sound plunge?
In 2011 my son Tom was a security officer at St. Vincent’s. He and four other members of the department asked me to help them organize the first hospital swim team. My original thought was “You guys are crazy!” But how could I say no?
That team taught me I could do more. In the emergency department, we take care of medical needs but patients with cancer and their families need so much more support, emotionally and financially. Swim Across the Sound helps them and I wanted to help the Swim. In 2015, I organized the first Code Blue Fish ED swim team and we have participated in every marathon since.
How do you train for the marathon?
I swim at a local pool for training. Last year, the Fairfield Police marine unit took us out to practice in Long Island Sound. It was their way of honoring one of their police officers who had just passed from cancer. SVMC President Bill Jennings also invited our team to the Fairfield Beach Club so we could practice in Long Island Sound as a team.
What are the greatest challenges?
Every year, we face the possibility of rough water, jellyfish, sea sickness, sudden storms and, of course, trying to make our swim markers.
What is it like crossing the finish line at Captain’s Cove Seaport?
One word: EXHILARATING! No other word can describe the amazing feeling. It’s overwhelmingly emotional. Getting out of the water exhausted and seeing your family, friends, colleagues and cancer survivors cheering for you makes all the hard work and every stroke worth it.
Clothing sexual abuse survivors in dignity
By Susan McDonald
A sexual assault could not be more traumatic, so leaving the emergency room afterward should not add to the emotional scars.
During a sexual assault exam, clothing is taken as evidence against the attacker.
It’s a necessary step, but Tara Flynn, an administrative assistant in the Department of Medicine at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, knew it just compounded the assault.
“Then what? What happens then? Do we send them out in a johnny? Do we wait for them to call a friend for an outfit? Do we give them a used outfit?” she asks rapid-fire.
Flynn, who was sexually assaulted by the father of children she babysat as a teenager, knew the system had to do better.
“We said ‘We want to do more. We want to give them a brand new sweatsuit to leave the hospital with for dignity,” she notes.
Part of the non-profit Jane Doe No More, Flynn organized a clothing drive around the holidays that generated donations of new sweatsuits and, through the help of clothing manufacturer Hanes, bras and underpants. They will be distributed to SVMC, MidState Medical Center, The Hospital of Central Connecticut and Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury.
“This is going to have a huge impact for survivors across the state,” Flynn says.
The work was done through Jane Doe No More’s Survivors Speak Program, as part of its work to improve way society responds to victims of sexual crimes.
“We wanted to do something meaningful to provide even the smallest bit of dignity to someone going through a scary situation. It’s a message of hope,” Flynn says.
The work, she explains, blends nicely her role at HHC, where she’s worked for more than 13 years.
“It merges the worlds of patient care and survivors of sexual crimes which are so important to me,” she says, anticipating that the clothing drive will be an annual event. “It’s very difficult for these victims so if we have to do this small task to continue to bring them the smallest sliver of dignity after their experience, absolutely we’ll do it every year.”