Message From The Medical Staff of Waterbury Hospital

This full-page paid advertisement was published in the June 30, 2019 edition of The Sunday Republican. I have typed it exactly as it appeared in the newspaper, except that the names of the doctors were separated into four columns in the interest of space; I added the links.

A MESSAGE TO THE GREATER WATERBURY COMMUNITY FROM THE MEDICAL STAFF OF WATERBURY HOSPITAL

As members of the Medical Staff of Waterbury Hospital, we would like to provide some additional information and context to several stories published about Waterbury Hospital in the last few weeks - stories that have presented a misleading and incomplete picture.

As members of the Medical Staff, we represent the medical practitioners, doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, who work in this community. While we are appreciative of the significant financial investments in recent years into the hospital, most of us are not “employed” by the hospital, rather we treat our patients at Waterbury Hospital. Many of us have worked in this community for more than 20 years and most of us have worked at both hospitals in town. We live here, raise our families here, and we are proud and honored to take care of you and your families. More than 2,000 of your neighbors are employed at Waterbury, working hard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help us treat you and your loved ones.

As at any other hospital, the staff at Waterbury Hospital work hard to ensure patient safety and quality, but sometimes unfortunate events occur. We would NEVER allow safety issues to go unaddressed or be “hidden” as several articles have implied.

Despite what you may have heard or read regarding recent incidents at Waterbury Hospital, both The Joint Commission, the independent organization that reviews hospitals nationally, and CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid), have accepted all plans and indicated they are satisfied with the hospital’s policies and improvements. The hospital did not lose its Medicare/Medicaid certification, nor is it at risk of losing it, and will continue to serve Medicare/Medicaid patients as it has always done. Furthermore, the relevant medical staff have thoroughly reviewed the cases involved and made appropriate recommendations, all of which have been implemented. Within the limits of patient confidentiality, the process has been transparent and disclosed to all the appropriate authorities and regulatory agencies.

We do not know exactly whose agenda this misinformation serves. Please do not allow innuendo, half-truths and speculation to denigrate the fine work done by the staff and physicians at the hospital.

Finally, we would like to express our disapproval of the malicious treatment some employees of Waterbury Hospital have received in the press, including publication of identifying information. Our talented nursing staff are some of the most compassionate and caring individuals you will meet, and we value their contributions greatly. Each and every employee is committed to a culture of safety. You have our assurance that this remains unchanged. We offer state of the art treatment locally, with care that comes from being an integral part of the community.

Let’s embrace the ties which bind us together as we look forward to another 100 plus years of working with you.

SEC (Staff Executive Committee) on behalf of the Medical Staff of Waterbury Hospital

Ijeoma Akunyili, MD
Duncan Belcher, MD
Earl Bueno, MD
Joanne Cosgriff, MD
David DeLucia, MD
William Flynn, MD
Geetha Gangu, MD
Yeisid Gozzo, MD
J. Diego Holguin, MD
John Kaczmarek, MD
Anthony Kim, MD
Scott Kurtzman, MD
Justin Lundbye, MD
Richard Manzo, MD
Robert McDonald, MD
Joseph Morley, MD
Neil Petersen, MD
David Pizzuto, MD
David Podell, MD
Joseph Podolski, MD
Mark Schiffmiller, MD
Robert Schwartz, MD
Carl Sherter, MD
Marco Verga, MD