PUTNAM — Day Kimball Hospital’s emergency department and inpatient behavioral health unit’s mental health worker Kyle Cimochowski was named the Employee of the Month in January.

In Cimochowski’s role he assists the hospital’s behavioral health nursing staff with providing direct patient care and creating a safe healing setting. The team follows the therapeutic milieu model, which believes that every interaction between patient and provider provides potential for personal discovery and learning of new ways of interacting with others in healthy ways. His duties include monitoring patient vital signs; facilitating admissions, transfers and discharges; orienting new patients to their surroundings and the policies of the inpatient unit; and transcribing physician orders and completing necessary administrative forms.

Certified by Crisis Prevention Institute in non-violent crisis intervention Cimochowski also instructs other staff at DKH in proper practices to manage crisis situations. “Kyle makes both the patients and staff feel safe. He is intuitive to the patients and in turn knows how and when to insert himself before an issue escalates,” said Vario.

Cimochowski is also certified by Connecticut Association of Non-Profits Center of Professional Development, Justice Resource Institute in Suicide Awareness Prevention, University of Maryland in Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support, and Providers Council in Supervision. He is also East Thompson, CT Assistant Fire Chief, having served as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician since 1997, for which he was honored in 2011.

He previously worked with autistic, cognitively disabled children with mixed disorders and diagnosis, eventually opening three therapeutic group homes for young adults with the same disabilities. He is the father of twin daughters, avid fisherman and lives in Pomfret Center. 

 

 

 

Lillian Rhodes joined the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut as director of Development effective Jan. 5. She comes to CFECT from Natchaug Hospital where she served as the Director of Community Relations, managing the hospital’s marketing, development and community outreach. Prior to working at Natchaug, Lilli served as the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s first Communications Officer and worked in marketing positions with the Travelers Insurance Company and Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. 

Lilli chose to make Eastern Connecticut her home and has lived here since 1974, after having resided in many parts of the country.  

 

Scholarships 

expanded

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, with branches in Dayville and Putnam, announced it will expand its scholarship program, to more than 35 college-bound students in high schools throughout eastern Connecticut. Each student will receive one $2,000 scholarship to be used towards their fall 2015 tuition.

One high school senior from each high school in New London and Windham counties will be selected as a scholarship winner. Applications are due by April 1. For more info, go to CharterOak.org/community.