Early Childhood Intervention – The Hospital’s ChildFIRST is an early childhood mental health initiative that identifies at-risk children and arranges the appropriate intervention and support. Supported by grants from a coalition of funding partners, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ChildFIRST served more than 700 children and 250 families during the year. The cost of running the program in FY 2011 was $1.0 million dollars, which was primarily offset by grant funding.

Parenting – The Hospital offers the Nurturing Connections Parenting Program for first-time parents who live in Bridgeport. The support program focuses on infant health and good parenting, and covers a variety of developmental newborn subjects such as establishing routines, ways to promote development in newborns’ brain, eye, and motor areas, and proper nutrition. The program also helps to connect families with helpful community resources.

Breast Cancer Outreach – The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center’s Underserved Program provided more than $539,000 in education, outreach and other breast care services to 609 uninsured women in the Bridgeport community. Services included mammography and other diagnostic screenings, physician visits, wigs, prosthetics, and many other types of care for women and their families including breast cancer education and support groups.

Assistance for Cancer Patients – The Oncology Social Worker in the Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute assisted 190 patients with requests for referrals or assistance from outside agencies. These requests were for a variety of community resources including transportation, financial assistance, support services and head coverings. Through these referrals individuals received nearly $40,000 in financial grants from organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Cancer Care, Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Brain Tumor Association, CHAIN Fund, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, and Take A Swing Against Cancer.

Support Groups – The Hospital sponsored free support groups for patients recovering from cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke and other conditions. Nearly 450 people participated in these groups during FY 2011. More than 2,000 people attended free Hospital-sponsored health lectures and awareness events on topics such as back pain, diabetes, gynecological issues, headaches, mental health and smoking cessation. The fourth annual “Celebrate Life” cancer survivors’ event at the Connecticut Beardsley Zoo in June attracted more than 300 people and provided information about cancer prevention and treatment.

Community Ties to Hospital Governance and the Medical Staff – In addition to the activities described, Bridgeport Hospital also contributes to the community in ways that are not quantified as part of this report and serves as an important community resource. This includes having a community-based Board of Directors with the majority of the members residing in the Hospital’s primary and secondary service area towns of Fairfield, Trumbull, Easton, Stratford, Newtown and Westport. The Hospital also extends medical staff privileges to all qualified physicians in its community. A total of 52 physicians joined the Hospital’s medical staff in Fiscal Year 2011, which now totals 762 members.