President Eric continues to surprise. With B.T. impatiently leaping . . . August 14, 2014

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                 August 14, 2014

 

President Eric continues to surprise.  With B.T. impatiently leaping into the Pledge before Eric could get started, Eric felt obliged to chastise B.T. while appearing to ask the blessing.  Apparently a devious Methodist presditigitation.

 

Following an uneventful, but tasty meal, and the discovery that we had no Visiting Rotarians or guests in our midst, John Marlow informed the audience that next week's meeting will be about all things exchange.  An important event as we look to re-start our exchange effort.  Then Chris Snyder, standing in for the absent Fireman Fred, explained that he was looking to make up two person teams, one sales type and one "dignified" type, to storm the second floor businesses on Main and Elm, those businesses who are never solicited, in a search for year-around sponsors of NC Rotary Club events.  While the sales types are certainly doable, there was some consternation regarding the availability of dignity in the Club.

 

Lobsterfest Chair Rob then repeated his litany of concerns regarding ticket pickups, sales and collections; posters, partners and publicity.  Pastor Eric reported that he was holding the line on charging list price for a chicken dinner, but that Carolyn would negotiate the price of a hot dog at the door.

 

Standing in for Sergeant Scott, Corporal Bill Walbert got a strong positive reaction to his celebrity answers to the age old question "Why did the chicken cross the road?"   He then collected happys from Chris N. for a birthday; B.T. for a daughter's birthday and the return of his prodigal Dudley son; Laura a confetti demonstration and $20 for her new job as head of the Center for Contemporary Printmaking; Magoo for a couple of weeks with Suzanne on a Viking River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with several hookups with former exchange students from Austria; Frankie the Claw rose as if to entertain the membership with one of his beloved tales only to make change and return silently to his seat; and Bill paid himself a ten for welcoming daughter Joanie home from Finland and the Republic of Georgia before heading off with the whole famned damily to the Jersey Shore.  Shades of Snookie and the Situation!

 

Our program for the day was presented by NC resident Patrick Russell and Stephanie McLaughlin from the Stamford Hospital Foundation talking about the impressive addition, alteration and re-purposing of the Hospital building and campus.  At a cost of $450,000,000 they are building a giant new patient tower which will include separate entrances for different patients, a welcoming atrium and lobby, three emergency rooms, one for children only, a 52,000 square foot Emergency and Trauma Center capable of handling Level 1 traumas serviced by their rooftop helipad and more than doubling the number of beds, 12 state of the art operating rooms all larger than the existing and equipped with the latest technology, a 29,000 square foot ICU space with 24 beds up from 16, and five floors of 36 private rooms each [total 180 beds].  The goal of the

 

exercise, aside from adding capacity and technology is to personalize, humanize and de-mystify the hospital experience.  Stamford Hospital, because of its many-faceted approach to patient-centered care has been awarded The List of Distinction by the Plane Tree Organization, one of only 19 hospitals in the country to be even recognized by Plane Tree.  A glimpse of the scope of the enterprise reveals 441,237 annual visits with 14,986 admissions in 2013 as well as $85,000,000 in uncompensated indigent care.  Clearly Stamford Hospital is currently a vital asset of the Fairfield County community and about to become even more so.

 

Mehmet Oz