PUTNAM — Martin Durtschi, MD, FACS, has been named vice president of Medical Affairs and Quality at Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH). The appointment was made on Nov. 16, 2021.
Dr. Durtschi brings nearly 40 years of healthcare leadership and clinical experience to Day Kimball, including prior clinical and executive leadership positions at healthcare organizations throughout the country, most recently as attending surgeon and director of Acute Care Surgery at Valley Medical Center at the University of Washington, in Renton, Wash. Prior to that, he was a trauma surgeon at the University of Washington, spent three decades in private practice of general and thoracic surgery, and was among the first to perform major laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery in Seattle.
“Martin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in clinical services and administrative leadership to Day Kimball, and he is a welcome addition to our executive leadership team,” said Kyle Kramer, chief executive officer, Day Kimball Healthcare. “His impressive credentials combined with his leadership skills make it easy for him to engage with team members at all levels of the organization. In the short time he has been with us, he is already making a tremendous impact on the strength of our organization.”
In this position as vice president, Dr. Durtschi is responsible for serving as the liaison between the DKH medical staff and executive staff within the DKH system of care. He oversees the medical staff office, quality improvement/risk management department, and the medical staff directors of eleven areas of care.
“I am excited about the opportunity to support Day Kimball’s legacy of consistency in providing high-quality, compassionate, patient-centered care, with a focus on patient safety,” Dr. Durtschi said. “Day Kimball is an excellent community hospital with remarkable quality distinctions and a top notch medical staff and leadership team. I look forward to continuing to build on the terrific success of this organization and meeting the healthcare needs of the people of northeastern Connecticut.”
Dr. Durtschi is a graduate of both the School of Medicine and the General Surgery Residency at the University of Washington, and completed his post-doctoral fellowship in Burns and Trauma at the University of Washington’s National Institute of Health. He has been a co-founder, partner, and board member in private medical enterprises including ambulatory surgical centers, multispecialty and single specialty clinical groups and medical office buildings.
Dr. Durtschi is a fellow of the American College of Surgeon, and was formerly a board examiner for and certified by the American Board of Surgery.
He has won many awards and honors. Originally from Idaho, Dr. Durtschi now lives in Portsmouth, R.I., with his wife Kitty, and they have two grown sons. He enjoys fly fishing, photography, travel and sporting clays shooting in his spare time.
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Woodstock Elementary/Middle
Everyday: Fruit. Monday: Baked potatoes, broccoli. Tuesday: French toast sticks, red potato, turkey sausages. Wednesday: Chicken tenders, brown rice, black beans. Thursday: Rigatoni, meatballs, green beans. Friday: Pizza, carrot sticks.
Putnam Elementary/Middle
Monday: Chicken sandwiches, carrots, fruit. Tuesday - elementary: Mozzarella sticks, marinara sauce, broccoli, fruit. Tuesday - middle: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, fruit. Wednesday: Pasta, meatsauce, corn, sherbet. Thursday: Stuffed-crust pizza, salad, fruit. Friday: No school - Professional Development Day.
Putnam High
Monday: Pasta bar or spicy chicken sandwiches. Tuesday: General Tsos chicken or bacon cheeseburgers. Wednesday: Clipper Burgers or three-cheese quesadilla. Thursday: Roast chicken or calzone pizza boli. Friday: No school - Professional Development Day.
Pomfret Community
Everyday: Fresh fruit and veggies. Monday: Sausage, egg and cheese on bagels. Tuesday: Beef and cheese nachos. Wednesday: Chicken patties on rolls. Thursday: Turkey and cheese sandwiches. Friday: Pizza.
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Legal Notice
Abington Cemetery Association
2022 Annual Meeting
A meeting has been called for
Thursday, March 24th at
6:30 p.m. at the
Pomfret Senior Center
All lot owners are invited to attend,
wearing of masks is optional,
please remove winter
decorations, perennial plantings
and plastic
arrangements by April 15th
or they will be disposed of by
the Cemetery Association.
The cemetery opens April 1st
Tim Morrarty, President
March 17, 2022
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Recently, I have discovered that using the term unpack when having a conversation with someone does not reference the actual taking out and putting away of the clothing and toiletries I took with me on a recent trip. A literal definition of the word unpack classifies the word as a verb, meaning to remove the contents of… SOMETHING. However, in considering a more concise definition of the word unpack, it can also be described as a verb meaning unburden or, in an even more complex singular word definition, meaning reveal.
In my rather historic and consistent use of the word unpack, I do not consider that I am unburdening my suitcase when I remove its contents. It is, after all, a suitcase which is designed for the purpose of effectively transporting whatever contents I place in it. And when the suitcase is finished its transportation containment duties, if it could talk, I’m guessing it would say “thank you for choosing me to accompany you and please choose me to accompany you again the next time you go somewhere.”
Similarly, when I unpack a bag filled with groceries, I am not actively working toward revealing the bottom of the bag, I am simply REMOVING ITS CONTENTS. However, as previously mentioned, my somewhat historic definition and use of the word unpack differs from how it is used today as most people consider the term unpacking in reference to … an unburdening of feelings or a revealing of emotions.
Last week I watched a celebrity interview wherein the interviewer referenced some major topic around the actor’s life, like a recent divorce from his wife of several decades due to his infidelity and secret love child (or something like that), and then said, “Okay. We have a lot to unpack here…” Ummmmm… I’d say! Regardless of which unpacking definition the interviewer is considering, how can you effectively remove all the emotions of this situation to unburden the interviewee from his emotional baggage so that he reveals his deepest and most exposed feelings within the short time frame available before the next commercial break? I think you can’t. Likewise, when I asked a friend how she was coping with her child’s college search, she responded “Oh. We have a lot to unpack there”, leaving me feeling perplexed about what it is, exactly, that we just packed up?
I unpack things, not feelings. I like to talk about my feelings but not in a manner of needing to efficiently put them away, one at a time, so that each one of my thoughts and emotions is addressed, leaving me feeling unburdened and fully revealed.
Feelings are messy and often jumbled together making them challenging to distinguish between one over another. Sometimes, in a moment, I feel anxious about an experience but yet, when I talk about it at a later time (i.e. “unpack”), I have happiness and pride. It can be confusing to know exactly which shelf these feelings belong on. In the end, for me, unpacking feelings feels a little superficial and too mechanical AS IF I can grab a whole pile of my stress and angst and dump it on the floor of the laundry room, close the door and “wash” it later…
Empty! Empty!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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