News from Wheeler

A Community Baby Shower for expectant families and new parents living in Norwich, New London, Mansfield, Colchester, Killingly, Stonington, and surrounding areas will take place on April 25 from 3 to 6 pm at the UCFS Healthcare Community Room at 47 Town Street in Norwich, Connecticut.

What do glitter jars and classical music have to do with occupational therapy? As it turns out, quite a bit. This is according to Adrianne Smith, Wheeler’s Northwest Village School (NVS) occupational therapist who has served students for 22 years after graduating from the University of New Hampshire. Working collaboratively with a team of transdisciplinary professionals, Adrianne develops traditional and out-of-the-box strategies to help students perform necessary tasks throughout their school day and beyond.

Wheeler’s Extended Day Treatment (EDT) program offers comprehensive, intensive therapeutic afterschool services designed to support youth aged 6 to 17 and their families.

Wheeler has announced it has earned the 2025 USA TODAY Top Workplaces award. Issued by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces, the Top Workplaces program has a 15-year history of surveying more than 20 million employees and recognizing the top organizations across 60 markets for regional Top Workplaces awards. 

From “Poopons” that incentivize patients to do colorectal screenings, to deep dives into the patient check-in process, Wheeler staff routinely work across disciplines in continuous quality improvement (CQI) teams to improve health outcomes in our patients.

Dru Breslav, LCSW, senior director of community-based family services, and Elisabeth Cannata, Ph.D., vice president, community-based family services and practice innovation, are among the authors of a chapter in a new book by the Child Welfare League of America, entitled "Child Neglect, Inequity, & Poverty. Volume II: Practice Innovations, Concrete Resources, and Justice."

Dozens of attendees honored an anniversary in Bristol for two decades of a highly successful model of home-based behavioral health treatment. Wheeler was intimately involved in the development of the Multisystemic Therapy – Building Stronger Families model in 2004-2005 and continues to be a leading provider around the state.

For more than 16 years, Wheeler’s Mobile Crisis Intervention Services (MCIS) program has served children and youth in the Greater Hartford region, right in their homes, schools, and communities. This approach helps to divert unnecessary visits to the emergency room or inpatient hospital stays.

From operating his own family medical practice in New Hampshire, to leading improvements in the quality of care for more than 15 million Americans as national medical director of Cigna HealthCare, Richard (Dick) Salmon, MD, PhD, has seen firsthand the complexity, challenges, and potential of America’s health care system. He now brings his decades of knowledge to Wheeler Health, joining our volunteer board of trustees in January.

Here are links to recent news stories highlighting federal-level funding developments and short- and longer-term impact on community health centers in Connecticut.

Garrett entered his senior year of high school with the goal of attending college. However, the track-and-field athlete needed assistance in getting over some hurdles to reach his goals. He was referred to LifeSet, which is called Transitional Supports for Emerging Adults (TSEA) in Connecticut.

With a new $250,000, multiyear grant, The Cigna Group Foundation is expanding access to health care in Hartford through a partnership with Wheeler Health.

Every day, across the state, dozens of Wheeler clinicians step out of their cars, ring a doorbell, and change lives in the most intimate setting, a family’s home.

A short video with Sharon Pendleton-Ponzani, director, Wheeler Foster Care Programs, highlights the need for loving foster homes in Connecticut and what individuals and families can do to help.

Maybe it’s a field trip to a food industry conference. Or time spent in the onsite automotive garage. Or a regular shift at the school store. Whatever the setting, students at Wheeler’s Northwest Village School (NVS) have plenty of opportunities to acquire skills and experience that prepare them for the world of work through comprehensive prevocational programs.