Care for the Underserved

Beyond free and under-reimbursed care, Bridgeport Hospital provided a number of healthcare services to low-income and underserved patients and families on a regional and even statewide basis. Following are some leading examples.

• The Dr. Andrew and Henrietta Panettieri Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only dedicated burn center in Connecticut. Recognized for meeting the highest standards of care by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association, it is one of only 44 verified adult burn centers in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2007, the Burn Center treated 289 inpatients, 35% of whom were Medicaid-insured or uninsured.
• The Bridgeport Hospital Primary Care Center is an essential component of the Hospital’s commitment to community service. The Primary Care Center has three components: Medical/Surgical, Pediatric and Obstetrics/Gynecology. In addition, there are a total of 20 adult and pediatric subspecialty clinics, including ones for cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, neurology, orthopedics and pulmonary diseases. The Primary Care Center provides outpatient treatment to individuals who are sick, complete care for pregnant women and immunizations and well care for adults and children. In FY 2007, there were 28,752 visits to the Primary Care Center, 84% of which were by Medicaid and uninsured patients.
• In addition to operating its own Primary Care Center, the Hospital partners with the two Bridgeport based Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHC), Optimus Health Care and the Southwest Community Health Center. Bridgeport Hospital is the primary inpatient facility for both FQHCs. More than 681 patients were admitted from the two centers in FY 2007, 58% of whom were uninsured or Medicaid patients.
• The Hospital funded two State of Connecticut Department of Social Services employees (at a cost of $80,000) to work on site at the hospital to help patients enroll in Medicaid and other state assistance programs. Medicaid benefits in the State of Connecticut include acute care services, Federally Qualified Health Center services, clinical services, mental health services, dental services, optometrist services, prescription drugs and medical equipment and supplies.
• The Hospital’s Community Prescription Assistance Program assists uninsured and underinsured patients to obtain expensive prescription medication and therapies for a variety of conditions through existing pharmaceutical patient assistance programs. A full-time dedicated coordinator for the program assisted approximately 32 patients in the community in FY 2007, achieving an out-of-pocket cost savings for these patients of nearly $475,000.
• The Hospital continued to sponsor a Lead Safe Program, including Fairfield County’s only Lead-Safe House, a temporary residence for children undergoing treatment for lead poisoning and their families. The program also provides health education and social services support. In FY 2007, the cost of running the program in FY 2007 was $36,500.

• Through its subsidiary, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, the Hospital provided more than $59,500 in care to 286 uninsured women in the Bridgeport community. Services included mammography screenings, breast cancer education and support programs.
• Bridgeport Hospital’s Child FIRST 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, Child FIRST served more than 700 children and 250 families during the year. Child FIRST received the 2007 Connecticut Hospitals Community Service Award from the Connecticut Hospital Association and State Department of Public Health. The cost to run the program in FY 2007 was $606,000.
• The Hospital offered the Nurturing Connections Parenting Program for first-time parents who live in Bridgeport. The support program focused on infant health and good parenting, and covered 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.