Friday, March 5, 2021
New London, CT and Westerly, RI (March 5, 2021) – Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) recently concluded its employee driven healthy food donation program as part of the #GiveHealthy Movement. The goal was to provide fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food items to help hunger-relief organizations throughout the state and region during the winter months when donations are fewer.
System wide, Yale New Haven Health collected over 22,550 pounds of food during two months of the #GetHealthy drive, which equates to 18,792 meals.
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital collected 4,727 pounds of food equaling 3,939 meals and was donated to F.R.E.S.H. New London, a community group dedicated to building and sustaining a healthy and just food system to establish community food security in Connecticut.
“The generosity of staff will enable us to receive fresh fruits and vegetables for our weekly food distribution,” said Alicia Mcavay, director, F.R.E.S.H. New London.
Westerly Hospital collected 1,579 pounds of food equaling 1,316 meals and donated locally to the “Pantry of the lane” operated by the joy Fellowship Church.
“The food that has been donated help[s us be successful in our work,” said Pastor Mark Benson, Pantry on the Lane.
“The GetHealthy food drive is a demonstration of our deep commitment to community health, a commitment that goes well beyond the doors of our buildings, said Laurel Holmes, director of Community Partnerships and Population Health for L+M and Westerly hospitals. “ We know that families are struggling with food insecurity right now and our doctors, nurses, and staff are also your neighbors and friends. To be able to make a difference by donating healthy foods to those who need it most is another way to promote healing.”
“Food insecurity has always been a problem for people in our communities, but COVID-19’s economic impact has meant that even more people can’t afford enough food to feed themselves and their families,” said Nancy Hamson, system director, Community Health Improvement, YNHHS. “In response, YNHHS was very eager to collaborate with our partners at #GetHealthy with our first online food drive. We invited employees and medical staff throughout YNHHS to support hunger-relief organizations in the communities where they live and/or work.
The employee food drive was conducted through #GiveHealthy, an organization that provides an online platform for hunger-relief organizations to set up “registries” listing items they need. YNHHS employees, departments and medical staff supported one or more hunger-relief organizations in YNHHS delivery networks’ communities. Because the food will be shipped from suppliers directly to hunger-relief organizations, donors were able to purchase healthy food items, including fresh produce.
“The 42 million-plus people struggling with food insecurity also face high rates of diet related health issues – like obesity, diabetes, cancer – due to a lack of access to healthy food. A lot of food that gets donated actually worsens these health conditions. What was needed were healthy food donations and that was our goal from the beginning,” said Augusta Mueller, community benefit manager, Yale New Haven Health.
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit, 308-bed general and acute care hospital providing patient care to medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric and obstetrical patients in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island since 1912. Lawrence + Memorial offers cardiac acute, step-down and rehabilitation programs and is the only eastern Connecticut hospital that performs emergency and elective angioplasty. www.lmhospital.org
Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org
7/13/2023
Yale New Haven Health names Richard Lisitano as new president for Lawrence + Memorial HealthcareNew London, CT/ Westerly, RI (July 13, 2023) – Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) has named Richard (Rich) Lisitano as the new president of Lawrence + Memorial Healthcare (Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Westerly Hospital and VNA of Southeastern Connecticut) and executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health effective July 17.
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Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital holds ribbon-cutting ceremony for new pediatric specialty center in New LondonNew London, CT (June 28, 2023) – Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday to open a new YNHCH Pediatric Specialty Center at Shaws Cove along with leaders from Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (L+M). The center will begin seeing patients on July 6.
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Lawrence + Memorial Hospital accepts gift from Sails Up 4 CancerLawrence + Memorial Hospital (L+M) announced today the receipt of a $25,000 grant from Sails Up 4 Cancer to provide high quality, patient-centered care to cancer patients receiving treatment at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Waterford.
Fiona Phelan
203-780-1993
860-271-4634
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