Healthy Communities Online

2013 Nurse Pratitioner Residency & Post Doc Residency Graduation

August 23, 2013 Sofia Dupi

“Summer’s almost over and I’m crying and I don’t know why…” The lyrics of Cheryl Wheeler’s song echo in my head as I think about CHC’s NP Residency and Post Doc Residency Graduation Ceremony last night. It has been a great summer for CHC and our residents. Our Clinical Director, Margaret Flinter, often speaks of the residency program as ‘hardening off’ newly graduated Nurse Practitioners. Non-gardeners may misunderstand what this means. One article about hardening plants puts it this way,…

Dr. Kavita Patel, Brookings Institution and Bipartisan Policy Center

August 21, 2013 Marianne OHare

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Kavita Patel, Managing Director of Delivery System Reform and Clinical Transformation at the Brookings Institution, and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Health Professional Workforce Initiative. Dr. Patel discusses their recently released reports which examine the need for better national planning strategies for projecting health care work force needs in the future

Welcome to “Exceptional Women; Living with Chronic Illness”

August 20, 2013 Jana Noyes

Hello, My name is Jana Noyes. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working at the CHC Groton and New London sites. I have a group I call “Exceptional Women”, which is made up of women living with a variety of chronic illnesses. We’re starting a new section of the CHC blog to share information and resources. Please check back regularly to see our posts!

SONO Day Out

August 19, 2013 Sofia Dupi

Saturday’s SONO Day Out was a HUGE success. The park was full of families enjoying face painting, hula hoop contests, basketball, soccer, kickball, sack races, bouncy house jumping, and balloon animals. The Police Department kept everyone well fed and entertained with music from Cox radio. As special thanks to the Zumba and Yoga instructors, who were able to encourage many people to get moving and stretching. The fair ended with the Police Department bringing the Fire Department to the ground…

Aaron Smith, co-founder and Executive Director of Young Invincibles

August 14, 2013 Marianne OHare

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Aaron Smith, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Young Invincibles, a non-profit working to give young adults a voice in the political process. Mr. Smith discusses their impact on provisions in the Affordable Care Act affecting the “millennial” population and their national efforts to encourage young adults to participate in the Insurance Exchanges.

Learning, Sharing, Gardening!

August 9, 2013 Hope Brigham

“Does anyone want to share their favorite part about gardening on the roof over the past 3 months?” asked the Director of Adult Recreation for MARC: Community Resources on Tuesday evening. She was addressing the group of six regular MARC participants who have been gardening alongside members of the Middletown Garden Club at the Community Health Center rooftop plots since the springtime. Someone spoke up and mentioned she really enjoyed the feeling of ownership while maintaining 5 garden plots from…