Griffin Hospital celebrated its 100th birthday Saturday by opening its doors to the community for a day of fun, family ‑friendly activities.
Guests could take a tour of the hospital and see the new emergency room, which will be opening later this year, as well as the new laboratory which opened Tuesday.
“Everyone that works here or comes here says they don’t feel like they’re in a hospital,” said Information Services Department employee and tour guide Joe Lamacchia, 27, of Hamden.
Lamacchia is referring to the Planetree ambiance at Griffin Hospital. The Planetree affiliation, meant to humanize health care, was started in 1992 at Griffin Hospital to support patients who wanted to learn about and have an active role in their health care.
Part of Planetree care includes complimentary therapies such as canine therapy.
Two dogs from P.A.W.S (People and Animals Working in Spirit) program were at the birthday party greeting visitors.
The program, which began in 1996, brings certified and trained dogs into the hospital to visit patients and cheer them up, said program coordinator Ruth Tuccio, 55, of Waterbury.
The hospital was also collecting baby pictures of patients who were born there over the last hundred years.
There were many programs for children to participate in throughout the day. In the Resource Center stories were read to groups of children. Also, at the Childbirth Center nurses taught children how to put diapers on stuffed animals and swaddle them with blankets like you would a newborn.
Daun Barrett, Director of Community Outreach and a Registered Nurse at Griffin Hospital, ran the “Germbuster” table at Griffin. Germbuster is a program that teaches people how to wash their hands properly.
Barrett said adults are usually the worst offenders because they think they’re washing their hands properly, but they’re not. The hospital usually starts the Germbuster program in full force around August and September in time for the flu season.
“Griffin Hospital has been here for 100 years and I don’t think the transformation has been as powerful as it has been in the last 20 years with Planetree coming in, the cancer center, the new lab, and imaging center at Ivybrook,” Barrett said, “We’re no longer this little tiny community hospital, we’re a force to be reckoned with. “
Throughout 2009, Griffin Hopsital is asking community members to share their experiences at the hospital over the years. To do so you can contact the Griffin Hospital Development Fund at (203) 732‑7504.
