Hartford Hospital Will Devote Annual Fundraiser to Mental Health

The call to action regarding mental health awareness and treatment, which intensified in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders a year ago, now has a strong local voice for the New Year.  Hartford Hospital is kicking off a campaign to end the stigma of mental illness at the annual Black & Red Gala on January 25, 2014 at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford. The goal is to obtain 5,000 pledges, spreading the message that changing attitudes can begin to change minds.

Proceeds raised at this year’s Black &Red will benefit the Institute of Living (IOL) at Hartford Hospital. The IOL will be better able to respond to this national call to action with improved access to mental health care for adolescents and young adults –a critical need not only in Connecticut, but throughout the nation. Support will help carry out critically needed research, offer increased services and treatments, and provide much needed education to those impacted by mental illness.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

Mental health stigma can be divided into two distinct types, according to the Hartford Hospital website:

• social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given.
• perceived stigma or self-stigma, is the internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination and perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatment outcomes.

The annual gala – Hartford Hospital's lead fundraising event - will feature entertainment by Barenaked Ladies, winner of two American Billboard Music Awards and two Grammy nominations.

Individuals attending the event will be asked to sign a “pledge” to...

• Show compassion by reaching out to those in need of help. I will not let anyone suffer in silence.
• Have the courage to speak up and challenge stereotypes and attitudes. I will not tolerate or perpetuate stigma.
• Teach by sharing my own experiences with mental illness and encouraging others to share their stories with me. I will learn in order to change.
• Demand a change in how we view and address mental illness. I will help lead the way.

The pledge, and additional information about mental illness and the Hartford Hospital initiative, is now available on a new webpage on the Hospital’s website, at www.stopthestigma.org   Individuals do not need to attend the event in order to sign the pledge – that can be accomplished directly on the website.

 “We will be looking to our employees of Hartford Hospital and across the Hartford HealthCare system to take the pledge. As a healthcare leader in the community and the state, it is our duty to set the example and stop the stigma associated with mental illness. Together, we can do it,” said Stuart Markowitz, M.D., President Hartford Hospital and Hartford Region, Senior Vice President Hartford HealthCare.

Harold (Hank) Schwartz, M.D., Hartford HealthCare Regional Vice President, Psychiatrist in Chief, Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital, says for some people, a mental illness may be a lifelong condition, like diabetes. “However, as with diabetes, proper treatment enables many people with a mental illness to lead fulfilling and productive lives. By helping combat the stigma associated with mental illness, we can help increase the number of people that seek treatment.”

Examples of common mental illnesses include bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, OCD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD, autism and Asperger’s.  CT by the Numbers has previously reported on research underway at the Institute of Living.

A year ago, over $1,000,000 in net proceeds was raised at the Black & Red gala for Hartford Hospital’s transplant services.

Yale-New Haven is Connecticut's Only Hospital with Nationally Ranked Medical Specialties

Yale-New Haven Hospital is Connecticut’s best-performing hospital according to the annual list released this week by U.S. News & World Report, which analyzed hospitals across the nation.

Yale-New Haven Hospital is ranked nationally in 10 adult and 5 pediatric specialties. It was also ranked as high-performing in 3 adult specialties, according to the magazine’s analysis.  It placed 6th in the country in diabetes and endocrinology, 11th in psychiatry, fourteenth in gynecology and #18 in gastroenterology.  It was the only hospital out of the eleven ranked in Connecticut to be nationally ranked in any specialty category.

Yale-New Haven performed 15,340 annual inpatient and 22,559 outpatient surgeries, and ts emergency room had 137,911 visits last year. Yale-New Haven Hospital covers 1.9 million square feet, employs more than 7,000, and is affiliated with 3,600 physicians and 600 resident physicians practicing over 100 medical specialties, U.S. News reported.  In pediatric specialties, Yale-New Haven ranked #4 nationally in diabetes and endocrinology.

Hartford Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center took second and third place, respectively in Connecticut, with St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport ranked #4 in the state, followed by Middlesex Hospital at #5, Norwalk Hospital ranked sixth, Danbury Hospital and Waterbury Hospital, tied at #7, Bridgeport Hospital and Lawrence and Memorial Hospital tied at #9, and Stamford Hospital ranked eleventh.

Hartford Hospital, ranked#1 in Greater Hartford, “performed nearly at the level of nationally ranked U.S. News Best Hospitals” in 9 adult specialties, U.S. News reported.  The hospital had 36,841 admissions in the latest year for which data are available. It performed 11,828 annual inpatient and 20,955 outpatient surgeries and had 95,567 emergency room visits.

At #3 statewide, Saint Francis “performed nearly at the level of nationally ranked U.S. News Best Hospitals” in 8 adult specialties. The hospital had 29,113 admissions, performed 9,178 annual inpatient and 10,482 outpatient surgeries and its emergency room had 71,446 visits.

St. Vincent’s, top-rated in Bridgeport and Western Connecticut, “performed nearly at the level of nationally ranked U.S. News Best Hospitals in 6 adult specialties. The hospital had 21,019 admissions, performed 4,521 annual inpatient and 5,138 outpatient surgeries and its emergency room had 74,177 visits.

Among 87 children’s hospitals across the nation that made the rankings in at least one specialty, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford was nationally ranked in six pediatric specialties. It is a 166-bed children's general facility with 6,096 admissions in the most recent year reported, performed 2,036 annual inpatient and 8,062 outpatient surgeries. Its emergency room had 53,488 visits.  Connecticut Children’s is national ranked at #25 in pediatric urology, #35 in diabetes and endocrinology and #39 in pulmonology.