Newsroom

Waterbury Hospital announced that it has received accreditation under the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) becoming the third hospital in Connecticut to receive this accreditation.

The pharmacy team at Waterbury Hospital was awarded the Connecticut Society of Health-system Pharmacists (CSHP) Meritorious Team Achievement Award, along with teams at Manchester and Rockville hospitals for “team effort to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack on patient care.”

Waterbury Hospital Chair of Pediatrics and Medical Director of the Neonatal ICU and Newborn Nursery Dr. Brooke Redmond has been named Physician of the Year by Connecticut EMS Advisory Board.

Executive Director of VNA Health at Home Jennifer Gallo, RN was honored with the Judith Hriceniak Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership by the Connecticut Association of Healthcare at Home.

Waterbury Hospital started a successful 10-month internship program, modeled after the Internationally Recognized Project Search Program, which helps differently abled adults train for careers in healthcare.

Waterbury Hospital was ranked a high performing hospital by U.S. News and World Report for quality treatment of patients suffering from Heart Failure and Diabetes in recently released 2024-25 Best Hospital Edition.

Waterbury Regional Chamber will honor Waterbury HEALTH colleagues at the 19th Annual Health Care Council Awards on Aug. 20.

Congratulations to the following Waterbury HEALTH colleagues:

Organizational Excellence Award: Behavioral Health, Addiction Services, and Crisis Intervention team at Waterbury HEALTH.

Unsung Hero: Dr. Marc Raad.

Waterbury Hospital hosted its second career development program for high school students this summer. The one-week job shadowing and hands on learning program is a healthcare internship shadowing program in partnership with Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. Nine students from three Waterbury Public Schools participated in the program.

Waterbury Hospital hosted nine area public school students as part of the 2024 Summer Bridge Program providing students an opportunity to learn while exploring potential career options in healthcare.

VNA Health at Home has achieved a 4-star rating for both quality and patient satisfaction from CMS Care Compare.

VNA Health at Home, an affiliate of Waterbury HEALTH, is one of the largest and oldest visiting nurse associations in the area, serving the Greater Waterbury region for over 80 years. The star rating is from Centers for Medicare Services Care Compare, a tool that helps patients and their caregivers choose quality nursing home care.

American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines^® and Mission: Lifeline^® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

By achieving IAC Echocardiography accreditation for 20 years, Waterbury Hospital has received a Bronze Milestone Recognition for demonstrating its long-term commitment to continuously improving patient outcomes and safety. Every three-year cycle, accredited facilities undergo an intensive application and review process to re-earn accreditation, with an assessment conducted by a panel of medical experts. The IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.

Local young adults with disabilities may now gain real-life work experiences at Waterbury Hospital, thanks to a 10-month internship program that will launch this fall through the hospital and Ability Beyond. 

Waterbury Hospital honored dozens emergency medical service during its Annual EMS Awards Banquet on Wednesday at Waterbury Hospital including Waterbury’s newest service Hatzalah Ambulance and Geralyn Hoyt, Southbury Ambulance Association Chief and longtime leader.

Waterbury Hospital is the first Connecticut hospital to have been accepted into a national initiative to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates and decrease racial inequities in hospital breastfeeding rates.

Waterbury HEALTH recently participated in its first Day of Caring, a day of volunteering to help those in need. As part of this new initiative, we helped God Provides Ministries International at the Spring 2024 Giveaway. This event was held at the North End Rec Center in Waterbury and served several thousands of individuals and families with free food, clothes, and household items.

Waterbury HEALTH primary care locations in Middlebury, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Watertown and Pediatric location in Middlebury have achieved Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

This program highlights clinicians who demonstrate they provide high-quality patient-centered primary care. Waterbury HEALTH locations and providers have been recognized as Patient-Centered Medical Homes for the past several years.

Waterbury Hospital Auxiliary Inc. is hosting artist Chace Bogues, a fifth grader art protégé from Rotella Magnet School.

Though Chace is only 10 years old he shows great promise as an artist. His art focuses on sketching, largely landscapes, some of which come from his imagination.

Open Access has resumes starting Monday 4/8/24

Open Access Walk-In Hours for adults (18 or older): Monday - Friday between 7:45-8 AM for an evaluation of mental health symptoms and/or substance use disorders. 

Adults will complete a brief screening and if the presenting problems are within our scope of services, same day evaluations and treatment recommendations are made.

On behalf of the Medical Staff Executive Committee, we would like to recognize and congratulate the members of the Waterbury Hospital staff on the hospital’s recently awarded certifications for quality standards.

Deborah Weymouth, currently serving as the CEO for Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN), was named President and CEO for Prospect Medical Holdings Connecticut operations, including Waterbury HEALTH. Weymouth assumed the Waterbury HEALTH President and CEO role on Feb. 9 following Dr. Justin Lundbye’s announcement that he is leaving the organization, effective March 8, to become President of Good Samaritan Hospital in Long Island, New York.

While ambulance services have been around in some form or fashion since the days of horse and carriage, emergency medical services (EMS) as a highly skilled profession only came to be in the 1970’s nationally.

Long before Los Angeles Firefighters Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto introduced the world to the “Paramedic” and “EMT”, in the popular TV show “Emergency”, there was a group of black men from Pittsburgh paving the way for the EMS system as we know it.

Waterbury Hospital was recently awarded certification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. The certification is valid through November 2025.

Waterbury Hospital recently awarded a nurse and a psychiatric technician with the DAISY and BEE awards for their exceptional work caring for patients.

Access Rehab Centers, a Waterbury HEALTH affiliate and greater Waterbury’s largest therapy provider celebrated its 25^th anniversary and remarkable growth.

Waterbury Hospital Behavioral Health is now offering Spravato® therapy, a new and highly effective treatment for patients suffering with depression.

Spravato® (esketamine) is the first prescription nasal spray, taken with an oral antidepressant, which is FDA-approved for adults with treatment-resistant depression. 

The Waterbury Hospital Pastoral Care staff is holding its annual Blessing of the Animals event on Sunday Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. in the Main Courtyard of the hospital at 64 Robbins Street.

Waterbury Hospital has expanded its award-winning cardiovascular program adding a permanent heart implant that reduces stroke risk in certain cardiac patients. The hospital is the only one in the greater Waterbury area to offer a heart implant used as an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem.  

The Greater Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce honored the Waterbury Hospital Cardiology Department and Dr. Brooke Redmond at its annual Health Care Council Awards breakfast on Aug. 15.

Waterbury Hospital hosted ten students from two Waterbury Public Schools as part of the first Career Development Program in partnership with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board.

The program is part of a larger initiative of the Northwest Healthcare Regional Sector Partnership, in collaboration with local and regional hospitals and healthcare providers, to encourage interest in healthcare careers amongst high school students.

The American College of Cardiology has recognized Waterbury Hospital with Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

Waterbury Hospital is the only hospital in Connecticut to hold this accreditation delivering excellent cardiovascular patient care, including:

• Faster treatment
• Better prognoses
• Better quality of life

Waterbury Hospital has a new Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center that will serve more patients in greater Waterbury meeting an increasing need. The newly renovated space more than doubles the size of the Cardiopulmonary rehab space at Waterbury Hospital. The space is bright with large windows, has a separate waiting room and private changing rooms. The number of patients who can exercise in the space went from 8 to 12, providing better access to the medically supervised program that optimizes the physical, psychological, and social functioning of patients with cardiac and/or respiratory issues.

Waterbury Hospital became a leader in the field of robotic guidance and navigation through the addition of the latest state of the art system to help spine and cranial surgery patients.

Waterbury Hospital is sponsoring an Author Talk and Book Signing Event with Dr. Kristaps Keggi, professor emeritus and long-time member of the Waterbury HEALTH medical staff. Dr. Keggi’s new book My Century is a memoir including about his time as an orthopedic surgeon in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

What: Author Talk and Book Signing by Dr. Kristaps Keggi author of My Century

Date: Dec. 8.

Time: 3 pm to 5 pm

Where: Bizzozero Conference Room, Waterbury Hospital, 64 Robbins Street, Waterbury

Waterbury HEALTH Breast Cancer Center is sponsoring the Third Annual Pink Mask Campaign to raise awareness about Breast Cancer and the importance of prevention and early detection.

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) and Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. (Prospect) today announced the execution of definitive agreements for YNHHS to acquire two Connecticut health systems from Prospect. The agreement also includes the health systems’ related businesses, real estate assets, physician clinic operations and outpatient services, and it is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The Waterbury Hospital Pastoral Care staff is holding its Annual Blessing of the Animals event on Sunday Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. in the Main Courtyard of the hospital at 64 Robbins Street.

A new interventional radiology suite with the latest technology was recently added at Waterbury Hospital making less invasive, very sophisticated procedures, including for treatment of liver cancer and prostate conditions, available for patients close to home.

Waterbury Hospital was ranked a high performing hospital by U.S. News and World Report for quality treatment of patients suffering from stroke, heart failure and kidney failure in recently released 2022-23 Best Hospital Edition.

Waterbury Hospital ICU Technician Raquel "Rocky" Robinson is running the New York City Marathon in November to support the American Lung Association’s COVID-19 Action Initiative to end COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory virus pandemics.

Waterbury Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. This is the highest level of achievement for this award.

Dozens of first responders and some civilians were honored by Waterbury Hospital during the EMS Awards Banquet on Wednesday. Among those honored were teachers, nurses and administrators at Maple Hill Elementary School in Naugatuck who saved the life of third grader Abel Hernandez, Jr. who collapsed in class last month.

Abel and his father Abel Hernandez, Sr. also handed out Life Saving awards to Naugatuck Ambulance and Naugatuck Police officials.

When a 10-year-old Maple Hill Elementary School student collapsed in the classroom his classroom teacher sprang into action performing CPR and shocking the student until Naugatuck Police and ambulance service members could take over. He was taken to Waterbury Hospital for treatment and later transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital.

The student will once again meet those who saved his life and present them with EMS awards during the EMS Week Awards Banquet, in the Bizzozero Conference Room at Waterbury Hospital on May 18, in the Bizzozero Conference Room at Waterbury Hospital at 6 pm.

Waterbury HEALTH and Diagnostic Radiology Associates have teamed up to bring the latest technology in open MRI to Southbury.

The ground-breaking Oasis Velocity Open MRI provides the latest technology and highest imaging quality in less time with the comfort of a wide-open design. Currently, this is the only MRI of its kind in New England and the second one in the country.

Waterbury Hospital will begin its daily pollen count on April 4. The daily pollen count is performed by the Waterbury Hospital Hematology Laboratory and sponsored by the Center for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The data is made available to the public daily during the workweek, and the pollen count will run through September.

Dr. Greta Boynton, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Waterbury HEALTH network effective today.

Dr. Boynton has extensive experience in physician leadership, more recently as a Regional Chief Medical Officer with Sound Physicians, providing both clinical and financial oversight for their core service lines in the Atlantic Region. Dr. Boynton replaces Dr. Justin Lundbye who became President and CEO of Waterbury HEALTH in November 2021.

Waterbury Hospital has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), through January 9, 2025. This achievement recognizes the hospital’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) and Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. (Prospect) today announced the signing of an agreement for YNHHS to acquire two Connecticut health systems from Prospect. The agreement also includes the health systems’ related businesses, real estate assets, physician clinic operations and outpatient services, and it is subject to customary regulatory approvals, with both organizations targeting completion of the transaction later this year. 

Waterbury Hospital is the recipient of the Healthgrades 2022 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™, among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation to receive this distinction, and a Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack in 2022, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems. 

The Waterbury Hospital Pastoral Care staff is holding its Annual Blessing of the Animals event on Sunday Oct. 10 at 12 p.m. in the Main Courtyard of the hospital at 64 Robbins Street.

Waterbury Hospital Director of Pastoral Care Deacon Neil Culhane and Rev. Paul Hibbard will be hosting the event, which commemorates the Feast of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. Prizes will be awarded.

A patient who received treatment using Waterbury Hospital’s newest surgical robot has earned the honor to name the robot.

The tradition of naming the surgical robots at Waterbury Hospital began several years back when the hospital added its first ever robot.

Waterbury Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality in the greater Waterbury area.

As of Sept. 30, 2021, COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all Waterbury HEALTH healthcare workers and staff (including employees, medical staff, volunteers, students, contractors and traveling staff). This mandate is effective at all Prospect Waterbury HEALTH locations.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates knee replacement surgeries are expected to increase a staggering 180% between now and 2030 in United States¹. In Connecticut alone, an estimated 22 percent of adults over 25 are at high risk for osteoarthritis and may need surgical intervention.

Waterbury Hospital has expanded its award-winning cardiovascular program with the addition of an advanced, less-invasive surgical procedure to repair damaged aortic valves. The hospital is the only one in the greater Waterbury area to offer this surgical alternative to traditional open-heart surgery – known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) – for people with severe aortic stenosis, a potentially fatal condition in which the opening of the aortic heart valve narrows, blocking the flow of blood to the body.

Waterbury Hospital will begin its daily pollen count on May 3^rd. The daily pollen count is performed by the Waterbury Hospital Hematology Laboratory and sponsored by the Center for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The data is made available to the public daily during the workweek, and the pollen count will run through September.

Stroke remains the No. 5 killer, and the leading cause of disability in the United States. The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, is again hosting CycleNation Waterbury to raise awareness about that fact – and to raise the funds to change the statistic.

Waterbury HEALTH -- a local network anchored by 357-bed Waterbury Hospital that offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient healthcare services as well as primary and multispecialty physician services and home health care -- has acquired a minority ownership interest in Waterbury Surgery Center, a free-standing multispecialty facility providing high-quality ambulatory surgical services.  Waterbury HEALTH began managing the facility Dec. 31, 2020.

The policy change comes as the number of COVID-19 positive patients in the hospital continues to increase and hospital officials are being proactive in protecting patients and colleagues.

The hospital continues to test all patients and follows strict guidelines for screening of all employees.

As the number of COVID-19 positive cases increases in the state, effective Thursday Nov. 5 at 8 am Waterbury Hospital is limiting visitor access for inpatient and outpatient care to:

One visitor per patient, per day for hospital patients (all medical/Surgical, ICU)

One support person in Family Birthing Center patients

Waterbury Hospital is 5-star rated for Coronary Interventional Procedures (PCI) outcomes according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

Waterbury HEALTH has launched “Ask the Doctor,” a live informational series that connects doctors of different specialties with the community to answer questions about a variety of topics and address concerns regarding changes in care due to COVID-19. The Facebook Live event is held every other Thursday and is hosted by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Justin Lundbye.

Waterbury Hospital has received the Lifeline^® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Waterbury Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Waterbury HEALTH welcomes Dr. David DeLucia, MD, Dr. Hector Pun, MD and Eileen Knox, APRN to Alliance Medical Group in Waterbury.

Waterbury HEALTH welcomes Dr. Cara Pittari, MD to Alliance Medical Group in Middlebury.

Dr. Pittari is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology for the specialty of neurology and is also board certified in clinical neurophysiology.

Waterbury Hospital has partnered with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, a nonprofit community milk bank, to offer donor human milk to premature babies.

“We are pleased to be the only hospital in the area to offer donor human milk to our premature and sick infants” said Michelle Jose RN, IBCLC.

As the number of Coronavirus cases has decreased in the past several weeks, Waterbury Hospital officials have decided to allow visitors back to the hospital with some restrictions. Starting today, one visitor will be allowed per patient in all acute and ambulatory areas with some restrictions:

Like you, we have taken notice of the recent incidents taking place across our country. These are disturbing events that demonstrate that much work remains to build societies that provide equal justice and respect for all regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any other form of discrimination.

Waterbury HEALTH welcomes Dr. Elizabeth C. Riordan, MD, FACS to Alliance Medical Group’s Women’s Health Center in Southbury.

Waterbury Hospital and Connecticut Health Care Associates District 1199, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employers (CHCA/NUHHCE), the labor union that represents the hospital’s nursing staff and technical positions including respiratory therapists, and radiology and surgical technicians, today hailed the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that has enabled them to work effectively together to care for the community during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

As the number of Coronavirus cases increases in the state, Waterbury Hospital officials have decided to allow no visitors on the premises in order to protect patients and employees.

Waterbury HEALTH is excited to announce the Partnership with Drs. Sagar Phatak and Michael Flanagan to expand our clinical offerings to now include Comprehensive Urology Services to our multispecialty practice, Alliance Medical Group, a Waterbury HEALTH affiliate.  

In order to increase testing volume for patients suspected of having Coronavirus, Waterbury Hospital opened the state’s second Department of Public Health approved drive through Coronavirus Sampling Station for patients. Our colleagues worked very hard to get this station up and running by early Friday afternoon. The sampling station will be open seven days a week, from 8 am to 4 pm.

Dr. David Knight a Waterbury Hospital surgeon begins his 21^st medical mission to Liberia on Saturday. Dr. Knight and doctors Sepehr Kamini and Mohammad Ali, surgical residents at Waterbury Hospital, will spend two weeks performing surgeries and teaching medical residents and students at John F. Kennedy Medical Center and Hospital, the main hospital in Liberia.