Trumbull Man's Road Race to Benefit CT Food Bank

Second Annual road race to Benefit Connecticut Food Bank during Hurricane Sandy Recovery and Upcoming Holiday Season

Three longtime friends have created a 5K and 10K road race and food drive to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank.  During the time of year when giving means so much to so many, Big Boy Racing is making an effort to raise funds and collect food for those in effected by hurricane Sandy.

Jack Schlechtweg, Christopher Capodicci, and Robert Pezzulo, three friends and runners, wanted to create an event that would encourage people to give while providing a fun and healthy experience in return.

“With the recent storms and the holidays coming up, this can be a difficult time for families.”  Says Jack Schlechtweg of Big Boy Racing.  “We know that when times are hard, donations can be difficult to come by.  That’s why we wanted to have an event that calls on the running community and those interested in outdoor activities, for support.”

5K and 10K races are popular charitable events and welcome both novice and experienced runners.  Big Boy Racing promises this race will keep an emphasis on fun by having DJs playing music along the course as well as raffle prizes, T-shirts and gift bags with items donated by local small and corporate businesses, and awards for top finishers. 

The event is the Harvest Hustle and takes place on Sunday November 25, 2012 at 10AM, in Stratford, CT at the Short Beach Pavilion.  For more information visit www.bigboyracing.net.

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St. Vincent’s Medical Center Receives the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award

The award recognizes St. Vincent’s commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.

To receive the award, St. Vincent’s Medical Center achieved  85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.  

These measures include aggressive use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients. 

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Stroke Gold Plus Award demonstrates St. Vincent’s Medical Center commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care,” said Stroke Medical Director Srinath Kadimi, MD.  “The Gold Plus award confirms our commitment for quality of care for stroke patients and the team effort at St. Vincent's. We will continue with our focus on providing care that has been shown in the scientific literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols.” 

“St. Vincent’s Medical Center is to be commended for its commitment to implementing standards of care and protocols for treating stroke patients,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.” 

Get With The Guidelines–Stroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance.  Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.

Through Get With The Guidelines–Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles.  The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish. In addition, the Get With The Guidelines Patient Management Tool gives healthcare providers access to up-to-date cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care. 

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States.  On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.