Skip to main content
Find a DoctorGet Care Now
Skip to main content
Search icon magnifying glass

Contrast

Contact

Share

Donate

MyChart

Help

Bridgeport Hospital hosts celebration for cancer survivors at zoo

cancer survivor safari

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

BRIDGEPORT, CT (June 14, 2017) – Nearly 150 cancer survivors, more than 400 of their family members and approximately 100 staff members – about 650 people in all – attended Bridgeport Hospital’s 10th annual Survivor Safari June 10 at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. The event included free zoo admission, a barbecue, family entertainment and the symbolic release of butterflies to signify new beginnings and rebirth.

Oncology nurse navigator Kim Bielecki was the lead organizer. “Survivors take to heart the fact they’ve gone through treatment,” Bielecki said. “They can celebrate and move on because of advances in cancer treatment. Some patients have been coming to the safari for years.”

Bielecki joined Lisa Shomsky, clinical program director of Smilow Cancer Hospital services in the Bridgeport Hospital service area, in welcoming guests to the event. Both hospitals are members of Yale New Haven Health, and cancer services are among the specialties being integrated across the health system to help standardize and improve the quality of patient care.

“This is a most gratifying day but most of all, we’re grateful for all of you,” Shomsky said to the survivors on hand, referring to the progress they have made along their cancer journey.

Survivor Safari was sponsored by the Kaulbach Memorial Golf Classic and Norma Pfriem Cancer Institute at Bridgeport Hospital.

Similar Articles

6/3/2025

Yale New Haven Health announces the winners of the Health AI Championship

New Haven, CT (June 3, 2025) – On May 27, the Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) Center for Health Care Innovation hosted the first Health AI Championship, a premier competition designed to showcase groundbreaking applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The competition invited innovators from health systems and hospitals across Connecticut to develop AI-driven solutions that address critical challenges in patient care and healthcare operations.

5/23/2025

Farm Stand will return to Bridgeport Hospital in July

BRIDGEPORT, CT (May 23, 2025) – For the sixth year, Bridgeport Hospital is helping to bring fresh produce to the community with its weekly Farm Stand. The stand, featuring fresh fruits and vegetables from Smith’s Acres, will run Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:30 pm starting July 10.

5/23/2025

First responders honored at Bridgeport Hospitals annual EMS awards ceremony

BRIDGEPORT, CT (May 23, 2025) – Bridgeport Hospital celebrated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week by honoring some of the best in the area. The hospital held its annual EMS awards ceremony, which recognizes those who go above and beyond.