Connecticut
Connecticut to receive $154 million for rural health
Connecticut is set to receive more than $154 million aimed at improving health care in rural communities.
The funding comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, according to a community announcement.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services will lead the initiative, partnering with other state agencies to implement projects across four core areas: population health outcomes, workforce, data and technology, and care transformation and stability, according to the announcement.
The program will include several innovative projects, such as a mobile clinic pilot with four primary care and four dental vans, a health workforce pipeline through the Area Health Education Center and UConn Health Center, and community health navigators.
“Rural Connecticut has unique challenges, and its residents deserve the same access to high-quality care and support as anyone who lives anywhere else,” Lamont said. “This investment allows us to tackle those challenges head-on – from expanding mental health services and building a stronger health care workforce to modernizing our technology infrastructure and connecting residents to the services they need. This is about making sure every corner of Connecticut has the opportunity to thrive.”
The program was developed through extensive public engagement, including more than 250 written comments, meetings with health care providers, local government officials and community organizations, as well as in-person and virtual listening sessions held across the state, according to the announcement.
Andrea Barton Reeves, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services, highlighted the program’s long-term vision.
“This program reflects our commitment to building systems that work for rural residents over the long term,” she said in the release. “We are excited and grateful to CMS for this opportunity to make sure that our investments are coordinated, impactful, and built to last.”
The program aims to bring health care closer to rural residents while supporting the workforce that provides care, said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health.
“Every person in rural Connecticut deserves good health care close to home, and the people who provide that care deserve real support too,” Juthani said. “This funding helps us bring care to where people are and build the healthcare workforce our communities need. When we invest in both, we give everyone a better chance at staying healthy.”
Additional information about the Rural Health Transformation Program, including opportunities for public engagement, will be made available as implementation proceeds.
For more information, visit the Connecticut Department of Social Services website at ct.gov/dss.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
Connecticut
Man killed in Glastonbury crash
A man is dead after a crash in Glastonbury on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. in the area of Hebron Avenue and Glenwood Road. First responders were called in response to the report of a crash with injuries.
When police arrived at the scene, they found an 84-year-old man driving one of the vehicles. He was unconscious and was rushed to an area hospital. A passenger in the same vehicle was also taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Police said that, according to an investigation, the 84-year-old driver was traveling east on Hebron Avenue when he turned left onto Glenwood Road. As he turned, he drove into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The crash redirected the 84-year-old’s vehicle into a third vehicle.
Police said the man later died at the hospital. He hasn’t been identified at this time.
Connecticut
‘Changed everything:’ Double knee replacement transforms quality of life for Connecticut woman
MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A Connecticut woman dealt with debilitating knee pain for years before she said she found a surgeon who listened to her needs and successfully replaced both of her joints.
“I was totally incapacitated,” Gail Rogers Hopkins told News 8.
Going up and down stairs was impossible for her just a couple of years ago.
“I could hardly move because the pain was just that excruciating,” she explained.
Before the pain consumed her, however, she shared her knees just weren’t her top priority.
“You just push it away because there’s kids to take care of and husbands to take care of and houses and work,” she said.
Rogers Hopkins tried all sorts of remedies like cortisone and CBD before exploring surgery.
“Finding the right doctor was key. I fired four orthopedists before I got to Dr. Lahav, because they, because of my weight, they did not want to do the surgery, and they dismissed me.”
The “right” doctor, she said, is orthopedic surgeon Dr. Amit Lahav at Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford Campus.
“Somebody was actually listening to me and that’s, you know, that was the start of it and so I did everything I was told,” Rogers Hopkins explained while fighting back tears.
Lahav helped her develop a weight loss plan in preparation for surgery. Her first knee was replaced in April and the second in June of last year.
Just about a year later, she said, “I didn’t feel like I had a life prior to this, you know, having the surgery done was just incredible, it just has changed everything.”
Lahav is familiar with Rogers Hopkins’ path to surgery, saying, “functional impairments or mechanical symptoms such as arthritis sometimes takes a backseat.”
While he doesn’t discount a hip or knee replacement being major surgery, he added, “a lot of the total joint replacement you do now are same day, you go home, same day, you’re walking just a couple of hours after surgery, full weight-bearing.”
Lahav also emphasizes that recovery isn’t one size fits all.
“It’s a new joint, it does take some work on there, but if you get that work done earlier on and you maximize where you can get, especially over the first few weeks, you can be walking into my office at two weeks saying, I already feel a difference,” Lahav said.
To those struggling with pain like Rogers Hopkins’, she said, “don’t give up.”
She wants others to know, “it was worth the wait.”
Lahav said consider all your options for joint pain, both surgical and non-surgical. If surgery is the option you choose, make sure you understand the process from prep to post-surgery and prioritize quality communication with your medical team.
Connecticut
Body recovered from Connecticut River identified as missing Massachusetts man
LYME, Conn. (WTNH) — A body found in the Connecticut River earlier this month has been positively identified as a missing Massachusetts man, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Somebody had reported seeing a body in the Connecticut River near the Chester-Lyme Ferry on May 9 around 12:23 p.m., according to DEEP.
Fire crews and police were able to recover the body, where the man was pronounced dead.
Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) investigators were able to match known records to 63-year-old Donald Plasse, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, who was reported missing on Jan. 13.
According to DEEP, his disappearance followed an incident near the Connecticut River in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
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