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Description

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Mission Vision and Values
Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is dedicated to improving the physical and emotional health of children through familycentered care research education and advocacy We embrace discovery teamwork integrity and excellence in all that we do

Services
Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is a caring fullservice hospital for the benefit of all of our patients Our philosophy is childand familycentered with sensitivity to cultural diversity We provide leadership in developing child health services in our communities and in advocating for children

Education
Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is committed to advancing child health through education and serves as a major regional pediatric resource We encourage and support programs for health professionals children families and the community

Research
Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is committed to advancing child health through research We encourage and support basic clinical and health services research of regional and national significance

Our Patient Bill of Rights
At Connecticut Childrens Medical Center children and their parents or guardians have the right click here to read more

Derechos del Paciente
En el Centro de Meacutedico de Nintildeos de Connecticut los ninos y sus padres o tutores tienen el derecho a Por favor haz clic aquiacute

Philosophy
A guiding philosophy of our child and familycentered care is at the core of the way patients are served at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center

Every inpatient child has a private room and parents are encouraged to roomin at the medical center Special couches convert to beds for parent sleeping Kitchen and laundry facilities are also available to families on each inpatient floor

Understanding the developmental and emotional needs of children guides the staff in the way they care for children Child Life specialists on staff work to make the hospital experience understandable and therefore less threatening for the child

Families are involved in all aspects of a childs care In fact a parent may accompany their child into the operating room and be present while anesthesia is administered This helps greatly reduce a childs anxiety about being separated from a parent in an unfamiliar situation

For the first time in Connecticut all a childs medical needs may be met in one facility devoted exclusively to pediatrics All the equipment is childsized All the staff specializes in childrens health Bright colorful playrooms and waiting areas are stocked with toys and games

A recent survey indicates that 9 out of 10 families who use Connecticut Childrens Medical Center would recommend it to friends whose child needs hospitalization Families from every city and town in the state have taken comfort in discovering that they no longer have to go outside Connecticut for specialized medical or surgical care for their child It is available right here at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center

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History

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History
The Legacy Newington Childrens Hospital and Connecticut Childrens Medical Center

The history of Connecticut Childrens Medical Center parallels the development of many childrens hospitals across the country It had its roots in the care of children with chronic handicapping conditions In an era before handicapped accessibility and a barrier free society many children with disabilities lived for years at Newington Children with cerebral palsy spina bifida and polio who for the most part were confined to wheelchairs literally grew up in the hospital attended school there and participated in on campus scout troops Some learned manual trades in shop facilities

1898 The Newington Home for Incurables founded at the base of Cedar Mountain It was established by the Connecticut Childrens Aid Society under the leadership of Virginia Thrall Smith to provide a refuge for children with disabilities The first 10 patients were called inmates and they lived in an old farmhouse The 56 acre property was a working farm and the staff and patients raised all their own food including vegetables meat eggs and milk

1901 A second house is built and 41 children are patients Virginia Thrall Smith helps enact a Connecticut law which removes physically disabled children from alsmhouses and places them in the home at Newington

1913 A hospital is built on the grounds for orthopaedic surgery

1917 Constance Leigh begins her 30 year stewardship as executive director and changes the name of the institution to Newington Home for Crippled Children More than 120 children are in residence at the home and a physical therapy department is formed

1929 Maurice Pike MD a wellknown orthopaedic surgeon becomes the first resident doctor A new hospital building opens in 1930 and Franklin Delano Roosevelt then governor of New York and afflicted with polio is the keynote speaker at the dedication of the hospital

1941 Burr H Curtis MD joins the medical staff as an orthopaedic surgeon beginning a relationship with the hospital that spans more than 50 years

1945 Name changed to Newington Home and Hospital for Crippled Children and the facility is the first in Connecticut certified to train orthopaedic resident physicians More than 75 percent of the inpatient cases are children with polio In one week in September 1943 56 children with polio were admitted to the hospital during a severe polio epidemic

1950 The Isidore Wise Pavilion an oncampus school wing opens

1956 The development of the polio vaccine spurs a significant change in the focus and direction of the hospital Dr Burr Curtis becomes surgeon in chief and conducts a far reaching study of the care of children in childrens hospitals His paper changes the direction of the hospital from one which primarily concentrated on orthopaedics and children with disabilities to a hospital which provided care to the total child

1963 Frederick J Flynn MD is appointed Clinical Director of Pediatric Services as the hospital begins to add more pediatric specialty programs

1967 Ground is broken for a new West wing and the name is changed in 1968 to Newington Childrens Hospital The building is opened in 1970 and is dedicated and named after Dr Burr H Curtis who by then is the Medical Director and Executive Director

1970s Pediatric specialty services in radiology neurology pathology and ophthalmology are added and the dental department becomes affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Dentistry Special programs to evaluate child development and learning are added and an inpatient psychiatric service opens

1976 Dr Curtis steps down as Executive Director and is succeeded by John Menichetti as President and CEO

1978 Dr Curtis is succeeded as Medical Director by Robert A Kramer MD

1981 The Gait Analysis Laboratory the first of its kind in the nation opens at Newington

1986 In October Newington Childrens Hospital signs a memorandum of understanding with Hartford Hospital to develop plans to consolidate pediatric services and build a new childrens hospital in Hartford

1989 Newington Childrens Hospital and Hartford Hospital file an application with the state Commission on Hospitals and Healthcare to construct a 157bed childrens hospital in Hartford

1990 The Hartford chapter of the American Leadership Forum conducts a forum on pediatric needs for Hartford and recommends that an independent study be commissioned to examine the CON application for the new childrens hospital

1990 The Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce commissions Lewin Associates to conduct the study The final report validates the need for a new comprehensive childrens hospital in Hartford with some key revisions it scales back the number of beds to 138 recommends psychiatry be moved to the IOL campus insists that UConns School of Medicine and pediatric beds at John Dempsey Hospital be included and changes the focus of the proposed childrens hospital to include greater emphasis on primary and preventive care It recommends that St Francis Hospital and Medical Center be a party to the CON discussions and that both St Francis and UConn and representatives of the community have seats on an expanded board of directors for the new hospital It also recommends establishment of the Childrens Fund to be endowed with a 15 million contribution from Newington Childrens Hospital Today the Childrens Fund has a corpus of 23 million with contributions from area corporations and foundations

1992 Newington Childrens Hospital submits a new CON application with the majority or recommendations from the Lewin Report included The Commission issues a CON in 1993 after lengthy hearings Newington begins a payment schedule to endow the Childrens Fund Psychiatric beds are moved to the IOL and the new bed count is 123

1994 In November ground is broken on Washington Street in Hartford for construction of a 90 million childrens hospital John Menichetti had stepped down as President and CEO in August and taken medical leave He died in January of 1995 of cancer

1995 Scott Goodspeed is named President and CEO of Newington Childrens Hospital In June the hospital announces the name for the new childrens hospital will be Connecticut Childrens Medical Center

1996 Connecticut Childrens Medical Center officially opens on April 2 Patients from Newington Childrens Hospital Hartford Hospital and UConn Health CenterJohn Dempsey Hospital are moved in on March 30 and pediatric services at those three institutions are closed Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is the only freestanding independent hospital in Connecticut which exclusively serves children It is also the new home of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine pediatric residency program In November 1996 Larry Gold is named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer In March 1997 Scott Goodspeed resigns and Larry Gold is named President and Chief Executive Officer