PUTNAM— Renee M. Smith, RN, MSN and executive director of In-Home Care at Day Kimball Healthcare, has been elected to the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home (CAHCH) Board of Directors. CAHCH represents all in-home care providers in Connecticut, including skilled home healthcare, hospice, and private-duty agencies.

The Board oversees the many committees and activities of CAHCH that work to shape the future of in-home healthcare services in the state of Connecticut. These committees develop best practices for providers of skilled and un-skilled home care agencies by developing policies, providing education, and providing legislative and regulatory advocacy for in-home care providers. Smith will join the Board and begin her two-year term in January 2017.

There are currently 17 members on the Board, including home health agency leaders and industry financial and quality experts, including Qualidigm, Connecticut’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization. 

Openings on the Board are announced to all CAHCH members, and nominations are received and voted on by Board members. Smith was nominated by Jennifer LeDuc, Quality & Reimbursement Manager at Day Kimball HomeCare and Hospice, and will serve as the only member elected for the upcoming term representing Windham County.

“I felt compelled to nominate Renee because I know she is such a strong advocate for in-home healthcare services here at Day Kimball. She has worked incredibly hard and helped our agency accomplish monumental changes over the past two years. I felt that she would be just as passionate about making sure the voices of in-home care patients and providers here in our Northeast Corner are heard. There is so much change, happening at lightning speed, in home health and hospice care. I know Renee has the knowledge and the passion to keep us moving forward,” LeDuc said.

When asked about having been selected as a Board member, Smith said, “I believe I was chosen for the Board of Directors because of the strong commitment and enthusiasm I have for home care as an integral part of our current healthcare system. My ongoing passion and sense of excitement is at the heart of the decision I have made to remain in home care for nearly my entire professional career. I am very excited and truly honored to have been nominated and selected by my peers for this Board. I will actively contribute and provide guidance to CAHCH, advocate for the value of homecare, and represent Day Kimball Healthcare and northeastern Connecticut at the federal and state level. I am looking forward to being a loud voice for the value of the work that we at do at Day Kimball In-Home Care,” said Smith.

In her role as Executive Director of In-Home Care at Day Kimball Healthcare, Smith oversees the non-profit health system’s HomeCare, HomeMakers and Hospice and Palliative Care divisions, which provide both medically and non-medically based home care services for the residents of northeastern Connecticut. 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC sporty shoutout is sent along to Putnam resident Russ St. Jean.  In his younger days St. Jean was a standout athlete who was part of the Putnam Hawks softball team that traveled New England and entertained some of the best softball teams at Murphy Park.  Today St. Jean can be found walking the River Trail and other areas of Putnam.

Coach Jim Calhoun, who led the UConn men’s basketball fortunes for 26 seasons and captured NCAA National Championships in 1999, 2004 and 2011, was the honored guest and featured speaker at the YMCA Celebrates Champions annual event.  The gathering, which drew a crowd of more than 500, was held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

Calhoun, who along with his wife Pat, served as honorary chairpersons for the recently concluded Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center $15 million capital campaign, held the large audience rapt as he related stories from his childhood and coaching days.  Every story had a moral and motivational theme.

“The fact that all of you are here this evening is evidence that you are people who care.  You not only care because you are supporting the Y financially, but you also care about helping others.  Those kids who’ll be the beneficiaries of your generosity are not known to you but you are helping to change and improve lives with your presence here this evening,” said Calhoun.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member spoke of the effects his dad had on him as a youngster despite the fact that he died when Calhoun was only 15 years of age.  He related how his father taught him respect.  That lesson carried through in life as Calhoun didn’t want to disappoint people because he wanted to make them proud of the things he did every day.  

He spoke of the love he had for each of the players he coached over the years, referring to them affectionately as “my kids.”  Noting that by giving some young players with tough backgrounds the opportunity, he was allowing them to prove themselves, learn respect and have the ability to make people proud of their accomplishments as individuals and teams.  

Calhoun’s 873-380 career record is proof that his players bought into his methodology and philosophy of respect and responsibility.  That fact was further borne out by the 28 former UConn Calhoun-coached basketball players who enjoyed careers in the National Basketball Association.

“People are a very important part of everyone’s lives.  All of us are important in how we affect others.  By being supporters of the YMCA you’re all winning the day for others,” he concluded.

A contingent of folks from northeastern Connecticut was on hand for Calhoun’s presentation.  Those in the audience included Betty Hale, Mally Cox-Chapman, Jim and Blake Zahansky, Lee Konicki, Brian Murphy, Hale YMCA Director Amanda Kelly and Membership Director Danielle Trubia.  Mrs. Hale was among three 2016 YMCA Champions who were recognized.  She was the “Social Responsibility” awardee.  The award was given in recognition of her visionary effort in bringing a YMCA to Putnam and northeastern Connecticut.  The award was presented by Harold Sparrow, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford.

Fox 61 television news anchor Tim Lammers served as the moderator for the program.  He’s Channel 61 morning news anchor and the host of Good Day Connecticut.

Cross Country Champion…

The Eastern Connecticut Conference recently crowned its girls’ conference, division and individual champions following the cross country competition, which was held at the Norwich Golf Course.  Woodstock Academy placed third overall behind the winning East Lyme team and second place Norwich Free Academy.  The Lady Centaurs finished second in the ECC Division II standings based on its 10-4 overall and 8-2 division regular season record.  Stonington finished ahead of Woodstock in Division II.

In the conference championship meet, the Academy’s Sylvia Lawrence outpaced the field, capturing the individual 2016 title.  Lawrence, who was outstanding all fall, crossed the finish line in a time of 20:42.  She beat her closest competitor Kaitlyn Stevens of Killingly by a full 20 seconds.

Other runners who placed for Woodstock were 11th-place finisher Hannah Matsas (22:33); 17th Stasia Czernicki (22:58); 29th Aria Gianfriddo (23:47); 30th Shai-Lin Gothreau (23:53); and 50th Megan Gohn (25:30).

Killingly finished ninth overall as a team and Tourtellotte was 12th.  The Redgals were fourth in Division II during the regular season, while Tourtellotte finished third in Division III.

The conference also released its all stars for the recently completed season.  Lawrence and Matsas highlighted the Division II team, while Czernicki was accorded honorable mention.  Killingly’s Stevens and her teammate Angie Rafter were also Division II all star selections.  Jordan Sroczenski of Tourtellotte was selected as a Division III all star.

Get Well Wishes…

Get well wishes go out to two of Putnam’s finest gentlemen and good sports, my younger brother Maurice “Moe” Coderre and my good friend and former Putnam Deputy Mayor Bob Garceau.

Coderre is home rehabbing following successful surgery for a hip replacement.  The new hip will enable him to get around almost as well as he did when he was a three-sport star at Putnam High School.  It will also make him more comfortable as he performs the National Anthem at Putnam High School and Putnam Science Academy basketball games.  Send Moe get well wishes at his home, 11 Pleasant St., Putnam 06260.

Garceau, who is also a Putnam High School grad, is one of the community’s most active people.  He serves in a number of political roles as well as devoting his time to worthy charitable causes.  Garceau was a patient at St. Francis Hospital recently.  Send him a speedy recovery card at his home, 110 Breault St., Putnam 06260.

RPC sends along best wishes to this well deserving pair of good sports.

High School Football Stats 

Update…

Killingly High School under coach Chad Neal and thanks to its miracle comeback 14-12 victory over Windham continues its move up the ladder in the CIAC Football Playoff Points standing in Class M.  The Redmen moved up two spots, from 8th to 6th this week thanks to the big win.  They currently sport a 5-1 record and have 98.33 points.  Valley Regional/Old Lyme occupies the top spot with 113.67 points.  The top eight teams get into the State playoffs.

In the individual passing touchdown race three area quarterbacks are tightly bunched.  Killingly’s senior signal caller Kyle Derosier is on top with nine aerial touchdowns.  He’s followed by Woodstock’s junior quarterback Jared Bouten with seven tallies through the air, while Plainfield’s Marcus Robinson has six.

The Centaurs Kameron Janice, who has rushed for 1,155 yards in six games, leads the way with 14 rushing touchdowns.  Spencer Lockwood of Killingly has eight TD’s on the ground and has rushed for 1,083 yards.  The versatile Bouten has seven rushing touchdowns.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “We are all like one-winged angels.  It is only when we help each other that we can fly.”  Luciano de Crescenzo 

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By Ron P. Coderre

Less than two weeks prior to the start of the 2016-2017 basketball season the Putnam Science Academy Mustangs announced the late addition of big man Malik Ondigo to the roster.  The 6-foot, 10-inch, 210-pound Ondigo hails from El Mirage, Ariz.

The addition of Ondigo gives the Mustangs of coach Tom Espinosa additional strength in the middle as the team prepares for a run at the National Prep School Championship.  Ondigo, who played for coach Mark Schommer at Dysart High School last year, appears to be the final piece of the puzzle for this year’s edition of the Mustangs.

Ondigo comes to the Maple Street campus with impressive statistics.  As a senior at Dysart he averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds per game.  In addition he had four blocks a game to go with three steals a contest, proving his all-around ability at both ends of the court.

“We’re very excited to have Malik join our school.  He’s a good student, who is a hard worker on the basketball court.  We’re projecting a good deal of time for him in the ‘five slot’ for this year’s team,” said coach Espinosa.

This summer Ondigo, who carried a 3.8 GPA in the classroom as a senior, played AAU basketball for the Arizona Magic Elite team.

“Since arriving at the school, Malik has fit in well with the other members of the team.  He’s hitting the books and working hard in practice, as he adapts to New England,” added Espinosa.