Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington to offer free medical services on ‘Medical Mission’ day

The Register Citizen – Thursday, October 31, 2024
By Emily M. Olson

TORRINGTON — Residents are invited to take advantage of Hartford HealthCare’s “Medical Mission at Home,” on Nov. 2, where people of all ages can get a medical exam, speak to specialists, and receive winter clothes and a meal.

Hartford HealthCare teams will visit sites around the state, offering services from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Torrington, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital is participating, with staff working at Vogel Wetmore School on Church Street.

Adapted from a practice launched in 2015 at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, before it joined Hartford HealthCare, the Medical Mission day is free and no insurance is required.

Statewide, in 2023, the event had 2,239 participants who were assisted by 1,862 volunteers from the participating medical centers.

Services offered during the day will include behavioral health screenings, community services, food and clothing, eyeglasses, haircuts, lab tests, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, nutrition counseling, pediatric services, prescriptions and vaccinations.

Other participating health care organizations include Backus Hospital at Norwich Free Academy, Norwich; Windham Hospital at Windham Community and Senior Center, Willimantic; Hartford Hospital at Hartford Public High School, Hartford; Hospital of Central Connecticut, at John Barry Elementary School, Meriden; MidState Medical Center at Roosevelt Early Learning Center, New Britain; and St. Vincent’s at Cesar Batalla School, Bridgeport.

Patty Sullivan, senior director of operations at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, said this is the second year the hospital has been involved in the day of services.

“We’re expecting about 250 people from the community; last year we had about 180 people,” Sullivan said. “We get a mix of people, but the majority of what we do is geared mostly toward families.”

Those who attend, she said, are people who don’t use a local physician, and who are in need of medical care and support services from the community. “It’s for people who don’t have the ability to see a physician regularly,” she said.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s day at Vogel Wetmore will also be attended by members of a dozen community partners, whose expertise ranges from behavioral health to substance abuse, food insecurity, homelessness and job training.

Those partners include FISH of Northwest Connecticut, Friendly Hands Food Bank, the Susan B. Anthony Project, Greenwoods Counseling, the Gathering Place homeless drop-in center, Brooker Memorial, Community Health & Wellness, New Opportunities, the McCall Center for Behavioral Health, the Diaper Connection, and the Center for Health Aging, which is part of Hartford HealthCare.

“By the time people leave the event, if they need to make appointments, they can,” Sullivan said. “It’s not just about the day of giving, but to connect people with the right services and people who can help them.”

Lunch is being provided by Charlotte Hungerford’s food service company, Morrison, and a local Dunkin’ is providing coffee all day. About 250 volunteers are scheduled to be at Vogel Wetmore on Nov. 2.

Sullivan attended last year’s event, and said it was “wonderful.”

“It was one of the most heartwarming, rewarding experiences, realizing the impact you can make on people, and finding medical equity for those in need,” she said. “It’s hard for people to show up at those events, but for us, it’s all about caring and being respectful.”

For information, go to https://rb.gy/nuglj4, call Patty Sullivan at 860-601-9166.

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