News from Wheeler

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

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.

Sharon Pendleton-Ponzani, director, Wheeler’s Foster Care program, was a guest on Connoisseur Media’s “For the People Radio” show on November 17, where she highlighted Wheeler’s foster care programs and discussed the significance of National Adoption Month.

To provide same-day assessments and rapid access to follow-up care, Wheeler Health has been awarded a $600,000 federal grant as part of a $4.2-million funding package distributed to seven community health centers across Connecticut.

November is National Adoption Month, which is designed to raise awareness about the critical need for adoptive families for children and youth in foster care. It’s also a time to consider the urgent need for foster homes for hundreds of children and youth in Connecticut.

Wheeler Health has announced a $110,000 grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. The funds will support the “Walk With Me” program at its Family Health & Wellness centers in Hartford, New Britain, Plainville, and Waterbury, Connecticut, and extend the program and its services to Wheeler’s Bristol, Connecticut, center.

Wheeler Health has begun its first residency program for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, designed to cultivate clinical leaders in community health.

Daniel Melchor, LCSW, integrated care supervisor at the Wheeler Family Health & Wellness Center in Waterbury, recently sat with NBC Connecticut and Telemundo to discuss how to manage anxiety and stress in these turbulent times.

Four years ago, Amy Borg’s empty nest in a central Connecticut suburb offered an opportune time to become a foster parent. But her desire to help youth, especially girls, began long before then.

A Community Baby Shower for expectant families and new parents will take place on October 24 from 3 to 6 pm at The River Baldwin Recreation Center in the Gymnasium, 135 East Liberty Street, Waterbury

Wheeler Health is a 2024 Top Workplaces recipient by Hartford Courant Top Workplaces, based on confidential employee feedback.

Wheeler’s 39th Annual Golf Classic at the Country Club of Farmington netted about $60,000, thanks to the generosity of more than 150 golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and friends. Proceeds will support Wheeler’s Basic Needs Fund.

Rita Demo, MPH, LMFT, has been named vice president of Community, Crisis, and Prevention Services for Wheeler, providing clinical and administrative supervision for more than 25 programs.

Wheeler Health has announced today that it is a 2024 Top Workplaces INDUSTRY winner for Healthcare through a process conducted by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces.