PUTNAM — Day Kimball Hospital achieved 100 percent compliance in 2016 for every clinical core measure used by The Joint Commission in granting the hospital Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center. Day Kimball Hospital has held the certification since 2013, with the most recent two-year recertification granted in 2016. Evaluation of the hospital’s performance in these measures was part of a recent mid-cycle certification review by The Joint Commission. Day Kimball Hospital also maintains the fastest response rate to strokes among all hospitals in Connecticut, as well as compared to the nearest hospitals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The achievement of 100 percent compliance in clinical measures means that every patient who was treated for stroke as an inpatient at Day Kimball Hospital in 2016 received the following six recommended components of care: prophylactic treatment to prevent venous thromboembolism (a potentially fatal blood clot), anticoagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation, antithrombotic therapy by the end of the second day in the hospital, assessment for rehabilitation, and continued antithrombotic therapy as well as statin medication upon discharge from the hospital. A total of 173 strokes or presumed strokes were treated at Day Kimball Hospital in 2016; 49 of those cases went on to become inpatients.

There is a seventh core measure not related to clinical care that The Joint Commission uses in reviewing Day Kimball Hospital’s certification status in which the hospital did not achieve 100 percent compliance. That measure requires monthly community outreach and education about stroke. Although Day Kimball Hospital did provide stroke education on 14 occasions in 2016, that outreach did not occur in even monthly increments and so there were three months in which no outreach occurred.

DKH Emergency Department Clinical Educator and Stroke Coordinator Andrea Blythe says the near-perfect scores in these measures speak to the excellence of stroke care provided at Day Kimball Hospital.

“The expectation from The Joint Commission to maintain certification is 80 percent compliance with these measures, so for Day Kimball to have achieved 100 percent in every clinical measure for over a year now is incredible,” Blythe said.

 

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Clockwise from top left: Psych Asylum. Samantha Cudworth of Putnam. The Wall of Angels. Julia O'Neill-Correira of Woodstock painting and Gracelyn Rennick. 

 

PUTNAM — Hundreds of local residents and families came out to Main Street June 10 for the 11th Annual Particle Accelerator: A Day of Music and Hope, an annual benefit concert that raises awareness for suicide and depression and funds for United Services. More than $8,000 was raised.

Funds raised go toward local community behavioral health support, as well as Mental Health First Aid trainings, a public education initiative that helps the public identify people in the midst of a mental health crisis more readily and get them the resources and professional help they need before they harm themselves or others.

The second event goal is to provide information and support for depression and suicide prevention, while promoting music and civic engagement as a healthy alternative to drug and alcohol abuse among young adults.

Since 2007, the Particle Accelerator concerts have raised more than $50,000 for local mental health services.

The free, all-day music festival featured 15 bands playing music of all genres and for all ages. The concert began at noon and continued until 9 p.m. This was the first year the event has been held on Main Street.

Putnam resident and concert organizer Eric Gould said the venue change did not deter the audience, as crowds of people filled the street throughout the day.

“Just looking out into that crowd and seeing so many smiling face, so many people putting their problems and worries on hold if only for a little while just to enjoy themselves and really soak in the sun rays and listen to the awesome music,” Gould said. “It’s enough good vibes to last us until next year!”

The festival started in 2007 by family and friends of Putnam resident Jack Young Jr., who died by suicide on his 27th birthday that year.

The annual benefit concert has two main goals, organizers said. The first is to raise funds and awareness to support United Services, Inc., one of Connecticut’s most comprehensive private, non-profit behavioral health centers, providing mental and behavioral health education, prevention, treatment and social services to the children, adults and families of northeastern Connecticut since 1964.

“Particle Accelerator continues to be an important outlet for our community to talk about suicide and depression and celebrate recovery and hope,” said United Services President/CEO Diane L. Manning. “We are grateful for the work organizers do throughout the year, to the sponsors and businesses that support the event and the people that come out to enjoy the day each year.”

Performers Saturday included: Kala Farnham, Adam Trudel, Llama Tsunami, The Papa Joe Show, Jason Bleau, Shane Hall, Sidestep Complex, Charlie Farren, Fleet and more.

In addition to the music, the event also featured information on local resources from United Services, Putnam PRIDE (Partnership to Reduce the Influence of Drugs for Everyone), the Norwich Vet Center, and the Windham County chapter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Representatives from the Open Arms LGBT Support Group as well as SeizeTheFacts.com and Preventing Teen Tragedy also provided information and resources at the event.

Putnam’s Artique studio painted four murals live during the concert, which were auctioned to support the event. 

Particle Accelerator’s Wall of Angels, a moving tribute to friends and family members lost the suicide, honored 253 people this year with photos on the wall and the lighting of luminaria at dusk.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for Americans in 2014, with 42,773 suicides reported. (For comparison, in 2014 approximately 40,000 Americans lost their lives to Breast Cancer.)

 

 

The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs.  The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 963-0000.

May 27

Tyler Sasinowski, 21, Lyon Street, Putnam; failure to drive right. Operating under the influence.

Benjamin Brissette, 21, Fairway Drive, N. Grosvenordale; failure to drive right, operating under the influence.

Nikki Mucaski, 33, Roosevelt Street, Putnam; traveling fast.

David Hetu Jr., 25, Cheney road, N. Grosvenordale; traveling fast.

Doreen Herlihy, 55, Center Street, Thompson; speeding.

Michael Beaulac, 48, Myers Street, Putnam; operating unregistered motor vehicle, insufficient insurance.

May 28

Ben Champany, 49, Ray Road, Pomfret; operating unregistered motor vehicle, insufficient insurance.

June 1

Thomas Goyette, 34, Mill Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct.

Colleen Warren, 30, Mill Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct.

June 3

Alicia Lucey, 22, Quinebaug Road, Danielson; two counts of failure to pay or plea, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics, failure to carry narcotics in their original container.

Robert Nicholas, 31, Bates Avenue, Putnam; disorderly conduct, assault on public safety personnel, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree failure to appear.

June 4

Albert Bruso Jr., 49, Fremont Street, Putnam; third-degree assault, disorderly conduct.

Destiny Nathan, 41, Buck Hill Road, Canterbury; disorderly conduct, third-degree assault, violation of a protective order.

Dustin Rodio, 21, Farrow Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct, third-degree assault.