Thursday, March 13, 2014
The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital has received a three-year, $150,000 grant from the PSEG Foundation to help fund the renovation of the center’s nursing station and staff work area.
The grant funds are supplemented by the proceeds of the annual Bridgeport Harbor Station Golf Classic, which is hosted by several Connecticut electrical utilities including PSEG Power Connecticut LLC.
Representatives of PSEG of Newark, NJ, PSEG Foundation’s parent, as well as leaders of Bridgeport Hospital and its burn center, participated in a March 6 special event in the burn center to acknowledge the gift.
“Our relationship with the burn center is a special and time-honored one,” said Tom Copus, plant manager of PSEG Power Connecticut’s Bridgeport Harbor Station, referring to a group of plant workers who were treated at the burn center in 1980.
To express their appreciation, workers at the plant launched a fundraising campaign, which eventually led to the first Bridgeport Harbor Station Classic in 1991. PSEG employees took up the cause when the company acquired the Bridgeport Harbor Station in 2002 and have continued this important fundraising event together with other Connecticut energy providers. Over a 20-year span, gift donations have totaled more than $750,000.
“We pride ourselves in being good neighbors,” Copus said. “We’re delighted to support the burn center and look forward to continuing that support.”
The Connecticut Burn Center is the state’s only dedicated burn care facility and one of only 64 burn centers in the United States verified by the American Burn Association. Established in 1973, the center underwent a $1.5 million modernization in 2011-2012. In addition to the nursing station, patient rooms and treatment areas were upgraded, a dedicated patient elevator was installed, and a new family hospitality suite was added.
The PSEG Foundation gift and proceeds from several years of the Golf Classic helped the burn center install a larger, more comfortable nursing station and staff work area, where doctors, nurses and other caregivers could more easily update and review medical records, analyze patient care data and hold meetings to discuss care plans.
“Thanks to the generous support of organizations such as the PSEG Foundation, Connecticut has a state-of-the-art burn center for patients, their families and staff,” said Steve Jakab, president of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising arm. “The new nursing station, which has facilitated many work processes, is particularly appreciated by the staff.”
Burn center Medical Director Alisa Savetamal, MD, agreed with Jakab. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the new nursing station and work area,” she said. “It helps the staff tremendously.”
The Connecticut Burn Center treats nearly 200 inpatients a year and receives more than 1,700 outpatient visits. Its multidisciplinary staff includes surgeons, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, dietitians and social workers.
PSEG is the parent company of PSEG Power and PSEG, one of the largest combined electric and gas companies in the United States, serving 1.8 million gas customers and 2.2 million electric customers in more than 300 communities.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
