News from Wheeler

Wheeler’s Family Health & Wellness Center at 43 Woodland Street in Hartford was the site of a visit this morning from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) where he asked sports betting companies to stop targeting problem gamblers with promotions and ads, and to make it easy for problem gamblers to remove themselves from online gaming platforms.

For the first time, Wheeler is launching a unique residency program for nurse practitioners and physician assistants designed to cultivate clinical leaders in community health.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the challenges of problem gambling and remind individuals and families that hope and recovery are possible through Wheeler’s Bettor Choice Gambling Treatment Program, funded by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).

Camila Rubino, MBA, MSN, BSN, RN, of Southington has joined Wheeler Health as senior director of nursing, overseeing all nursing and medical assistant operations at Wheeler’s five federally qualified health centers, congregate care settings, and Northwest Village School.

A five-year, $2-million federal grant will help individuals with behavioral health and substance use disorders returning to their communities in central Connecticut after incarceration.

Wheeler Health has exceeded its original four-year fundraising campaign goal for its new Bristol health center and administrative headquarters two years ahead of schedule and is extending its goal to celebrate and honor its 55th anniversary in 2023.

Wheeler’s Tiffany Hubrins, LCSW, director, Children's Outpatient & Community-based Services, was part of a June 15 WFSB-TV Channel 3 story, in which she discussed our Mobile Crisis Intervention Services program for youth who experience a mental health crisis.

Connecticut’s National Prevention Week Planning Committee, including state and local organizations, and communities, are marking this observance (May 7 – 13, 2023) with a K-12 student art campaign and a statewide event on May 13, among other activities, reflecting the theme, “A Celebration of Possibility.”

Wheeler's new Mobile Family Health & Wellness Center is offering primary medical care and COVID vaccines for patients of the Root Center for Advanced Recovery in New Britain.

Two new services being offered at Wheeler’s Hartford and New Britain community health centers will help patients find relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety.

"I used to play drug dealers and drug buyers instead of cops and robbers," stated Ryan Poudrier as he recalled painful childhood experiences. He speaks of his mother's substance abuse, years in the custody of the Department of Children and Families, frequent moves, and the psychological effects of unstable living conditions.

A public open house will take place at Wheeler’s New Britain community health center at 40 Hart Street on October 26, 2022, from 2 pm to 4:30 pm, to celebrate the expansion of behavioral health services for youth and the renovation of unfinished space, made possible through $2.1 million in funding from the State of Connecticut.

Moving ahead to help anchor the downtown Bristol Centre Square development with professional jobs and accessible health care for the entire community, Wheeler Health has chosen a construction management firm for its planned 46,000-square foot community health center and administrative headquarters on Hope Street. It also has reached 80 percent of its $500,000 fundraising goal for the project, six months after its public launch, thanks to the support of dozens of community- and Wheeler-connected donors. Philanthropic investments in the project now provide for a comprehensive teaching kitchen, allowing Wheeler to expand its nutrition program into Bristol.

Kalisha Yopp, LMSW, supervisor, Wheeler’s Community Support for Families (CSF) program, has an unwavering commitment to the New Britain community, and she has dedicated her life and career to serving its most vulnerable families. Read more about Kalisha’s 100 Women of Color recognition at an event in late June.

Substance use disorders, patient treatment options, and the need for a skilled workforce were highlighted on WNPR’s “Where We Live” program today. Wheeler’s President and CEO, Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA, as well as Senator Saud Anwar and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, were part of the discussion.