The Valley Health and Human Services Council honored Griffin Hospital’s Department of Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program with its Agency of the Year Award at the Council’s annual conference on Dec. 3 at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby.
The Agency of the Year Award goes to a nonprofit whose staff and volunteers exemplify excellence in the community and whose services have made a significant and lasting contribution to the health and well-being of the residents of the Valley.
Valley Council Chair Pamela Mautte said the Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program earned the award for its more than 24 years of service to the Valley, especially the tireless work for the well-being of local parishioners by the program’s extremely dedicated group of volunteer nurses and Health Care Cabinet teams. Through their one-on-one services and group programs, parish nurses provide vital education, support, and service referrals that improve the health of Valley citizens of all ages, Mautte said.
Griffin’s Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program serves as the hub of Griffin Hospital’s outreach activities, accounting for more than 40,000 community contacts each year. These contacts include fitting bike helmets, training adults and children in CPR, and providing health education and information at senior centers, shopping centers, neighborhoods, companies, and community events and fairs. The program also conducts more than 7,500 health screenings each year to help individuals identify problems when they are most treatable, resulting in approximately 11,000 referrals for follow-up care.
The program enhances Griffin Hospital’s mission to promote community health and wellness while closing racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic gaps in health status. With the support of the program, the hospital collaborated with community partners to create new initiatives such as the Valley Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the Health Initiative for Men (HiM), and the Valley Initiative to Advance Health & Learning in Schools (VITAHLS).
For more information about Griffin Hospital’s Department of Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program, visit griffinhealth.org.