A message from Mark and Margaret on the 39th anniversary of CHC:

Greetings

Margaret and I,  want to extend a Happy 39^th Birthday wish to everyone at CHC!

What a month leading up to May 1^st – our construction projects in Stamford and New London finished up – thanks to Adele and Alejandro for their leadership along with the their team of staff who have been working to coordinate the project – also, thanks to the  staff who patiently go about their work as the construction crews work to make our sites look spectacular.  You already heard  on Friday about the State of Connecticut’s commitment to provide us with 3.5 million in capital to expand in Danbury, Bristol and New London. In the midst of a terrible State budget crisis,  the Governor showed enormous faith in our staff, model of care and history of service to make such a recommendation.  And finally, our new building in Middletown is rising, bringing all of our services under one roof.

These improvements to our facilities and our geographic reach are important.  But even more than these projects, the event that assures me that CHC is thriving is our designation as a Patient Centered Medical Home.  This recognition, at all of our eleven sites, shows that we are staying true to our mission – to build a world class primary care system for those who need it most.   As we begin our 39^th year, I can think of no better indication that our secret ingredient is the commitment and excellence of our staff.   Each of our individual stories and the experiences that draw us to this work are vital our success – I am always amazed at the energy and ingenuity that our staff shows in raising the standards to which we hold ourselves.  This PCMH designation is a testament to that drive – thank you to Nwando for spearheading this effort, and to the leadership of our on-site medical and behavioral health directors.

And we love that you continue to spread the word that CHC is a place where dedication is honored.   The other day we were interviewing a very impressive psychiatrist who said that the only reason she was aware of CHC was that she’d met one of our staff at  a networking event.  Dr. Daniels, our on-site dental director in Norwalk had talked so passionately about the place she worked and the difference that her work makes.  The psychiatrist noted:  “I was so impressed with this I asked her the name of her organization  – as our family was moving from NYC to Connecticut and I immediately started to look at your work on your web site”.

Whether it’s the being excited about your work or thinking about ways we can reach out to more patients – CHC staff are committed.

That’s the real reason we celebrate this 39^th as such a successful  organization– it’s about you and the caring you have for the work of CHC – thank you and happy birthday!

Peace and Health

Mark and Margaret