[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 31341-31342]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING GRIFFIN HOSPITAL AS IT CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2009

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today 
to join all of those gathered to celebrate the centennial anniversary 
of Griffin Hospital. On December 9, 1909, Ralph Colonna, a worker at 
Ansonia Brass was the first patient admitted to Griffin Hospital and 
thus began its distinguished history of providing quality health 
services to the communities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.
  When Griffin Hospital first opened its doors, it held just twenty-
four beds. Today, Griffin Hospital has grown into one of the most 
respected health institutions in the country. Its facilities cover 
hundreds of thousands of square feet and include the Griffin Imaging 
and Diagnostics Center, the Hewitt Ambulatory Pavilion, the Center for 
Cancer Care, the Yale Griffin Prevention Research Center, Childbirth 
Center, as well as the only hospital based hospice service in 
Connecticut. From Charles E. Clark, the hospital's first president, to 
today's President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Charmel, the 
unique vision of its strong leadership has allowed Griffin to expand 
its services to meet the changing needs of its patients and the 
community. In fact, in 2005,

[[Page 31342]]

much in part because of Griffin's growing industry leadership position, 
Pat was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research 
and Quality.
  Perhaps most important is the culture of care that surrounds Griffin 
Hospital. In 1992, Griffin adopted the Planetree patient-centered care 
philosophy--promoting the development and implementation of innovative 
models of healthcare that focus on health and nurturing body, mind, and 
soul. Just last year, Griffin became a ``Designated Planetree Patient-
Centered Hospital'' which is the formal recognition of the hospital's 
achievement and innovation in fostering an organizational culture that 
prioritizes patient comfort, dignity, empowerment, and well-being. In 
following this patient- centered care philosophy, Griffin has also 
created an extraordinary work environment for all Griffin employees--
reflected in its recent celebration of its tenth consecutive year on 
FORTUNE Magazine's ``100 Best Companies to Work For'' list.
  Griffin Hospital not only provides outstanding care to its patients 
but also devotes programs and resources to benefit the greater 
community as well. The Valley Parish Nurse Program, which today serves 
thirty-five churches throughout the Lower Naugatuck Valley, provides 
health education, screening and referral services to a total of thirty-
five thousand parishioners with a primary focus on outreach efforts to 
the underserved, minority, and low-income populations. Griffin also 
founded and sponsored the Healthy Valley project--the goal of which is 
to make the Valley a better place in which to live, work, raise a 
family, and enjoy life by measurably improving the quality of life and 
health of the community and its residents. Healthy Valley also focused 
on enhancing regional economic development by making the community a 
better place for businesses to relocate and expand as well as for their 
employees to live.
  An industry leader in providing quality patient-centered care and 
understanding that their involvement is fundamental to the continued 
growth and prosperity of its surrounding communities, there are 
innumerable ways in which Griffin Hospital has made a difference. I am 
proud to stand today to congratulate the Board of Directors, 
administrators, and staff alike as they celebrate this very special 
occasion. Today, as they mark their centennial anniversary, they not 
only celebrate their past accomplishments but, as they have for the 
last one hundred years, they look to the future--to ensure that they 
continue to provide the best possible care to their patients and meet 
the ever-changing needs of our community. I wish them all the best for 
another century of success.

                          ____________________