New murals added at Bridgeport Hospital REACH site

BRIDGEPORT, CT (May 14, 2018) – New panoramic murals by artist Sharon Leichsenring are the latest enhancement to Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH outpatient psychiatric program site at Barnum Avenue Business Park, thanks to donor Sonja Narcisse, a Bridgeport Hospital Foundation board member.

Designed with input from staff, the murals depict the journey from childhood through adulthood, reflecting the range of people served by the REACH program, which provides intake assessments, medication management, group therapy, case management and after care planning for children, adolescents, adults and seniors.

“People have always been challenged by mental health issues but the pressures of life in the 21st century have amplified them,” said Charles Morgan, MD, chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Bridgeport Hospital. “Fortunately, as we gain a better understand of these issues, we can provide support through programs like REACH to help people cope. For the underserved in our community, particularly children and adolescents, REACH is an invaluable service.”

The murals are the first project of the REACH Initiative, an effort to raise funds and generate awareness of the mental health crisis facing the community. The REACH Initiative is spearheaded by a committee of individuals with interest in mental health issues, several of whom are members of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. Their first major fundraiser was a wine pairing dinner in March at 348 Oyster Bar in Fairfield.

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