Press release from two state representatives with Bristol districts:
The state Department of Social Services (DSS) has awarded a $500,000 grant to Bristol Hospital from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund, s tate representatives William A. Hamzy, R-78th District, and Ron Burns, R-77th District, announced today.
The funding will be used for the hospital’s quality improvement program and for a “strategic planning review that identifies optimal hospital service offerings in consideration of specialty services at other area hospitals,” DSS Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski said in a letter informing Michael Orr, Bristol Hospital’s vice president for finance, that the grant had been approved.
“Although we had hoped for a larger grant that would have included funding for equipment for the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department as well as for the quality improvement program, we are very pleased that this grant has been approved,” Representatives Hamzy and Burns said. “Bristol Hospital has always been recognized for the quality patient care it provides for Greater Bristol area residents. This grant will help the hospital enhance and broaden those services over the next few years. We’d like to thank Commissioner Starkowski, Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, Health Care Access Commissioner Cristine Vogel, and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority for their support for this grant.”
On October 3, 2007, representatives Burns and Hamzy, state representatives Frank N. Nicastro Sr., D-79th District, and Elizabeth A. Boukus, D-22nd District, and state Senator Thomas A. Colapietro, D-31st District, sent a letter to Commissioner Starkowski urging him to support the hospital’s grant application.
“The hospital has established a good track record by virtue of the investment it made with the generous $1.2 million grant it was awarded by the Department of Social Services last year to enhance the operations of the emergency department. Bristol Hospital is on the cusp of making a full comeback and this additional grant will enable it to better fulfill its mission. The importance of this institution to the Greater Bristol area cannot be overstated,” the legislators wrote.
DSS today announced the award of more than $20.3 million, including the $500,000 for Bristol Hospital, from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund to help eight hospitals around the state meet critical operating expenses, expand facilities and strengthen their long-term financial health.
The hardship grants will help upgrade and modernize services and facilities, or meet extraordinary operating expenses at the hospitals.
The funding was authorized under 2007 legislation that established a $30 million Hospital Hardship Fund to be administered by DSS. Selection factors for the grants include hospital utilization by patients eligible for state assistance programs, licensure and certification compliance history; and reasonableness of actual and projected revenues and expenditures.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
Too bad that the Press chose not to cover the recent Hospital meeting: the Courant did and did a good job of reporting and one of Bristol's assetts.
The Press has Bristol Hospital stories, too. They were held for breaking news Friday and will, I'm sure, run this weekend.
I have no doubt that the hospital president, Kurt Barwis, would be happy to tell anyone who cares what he thinks of the Press coverage of the hospital since he's been around.
So does this mean people won't have to wait for over an hour in an empty ER before their seen.
This was a bipartisan effort and just because the republicans have quicker access to the fax to get their self-righteous press release out, it should be noted that they, particularly due to their status as the very very minority, should not be given full credit for this. They do this with almost every issue.
Thank you "Dollar Bill Hamzy" and "I'm right behind you" Burns.
11:06AM
Nor should dueling press releases be confused as real effort coming from Hartford. Press releases from the Capitol are mostly about politics.
The hospital is on the right track with the new president.
Why did the Press wait until today to run the stories, Steve?
They were good and should have been in the paper sooner.
I'm sick of inflated cop news trumping the truly important things that happen.
Editors make the best choices they can. They're not always the same choices I would make.
On the other hand, I would rather see stories like the hospital ones that ran in today's paper held so they can be featured prominently if the alternative is to shovel them deep inside instead.
But, please, don't make me justify what editors choose to do. I have no say in these things.
Post a Comment