Veterans Day events begin Thursday with DAR program at Bristol Historical Society
The Bristol Historical Society will present a special event featuring David Brennan, author of “An Airman’s Letter Home,” who will share the highlights of his military service as a K-9 sentry dog handler, on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. The program is sponsored by the Katherine Gaylord Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Members free, $5 for non-members of the historical society.
The Annual Luminary Service will be held on Friday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on Hooker Court.
Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Nov. Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in The Rockwell Theater at BAIMS. The ceremony will include the Missing Man Ceremony, Ringing of the USS Kidd Bell by Iwo Jima survivor Joe Caminiti. This ringing will be part of Bell for Peace ceremony. American Legion, Post 2 along with the Department of Connecticut Honor Guard will post colors. A local dance group will perform. There will be a rifle volley following the ceremony. American Legion Post 2 is planning something afterwards at the American Legion Hall.
Tentatively scheduled is a Bristol Veterans Council dedication ceremony when the WWI cannon will be returned to Memorial Boulevard.
Wheeler receives Federal quality recognition for health care services
For the second year in a row, Wheeler earned six Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, tied for the most in the state, it was announced Tuesday in a release from Wheeler.
CHQR badges recognize health center program awardees and look-alikes that have made notable quality improvement achievements in the areas of access, quality, health equity, health information technology, and COVID-19 public health emergency response.
In nearly every case, the awards received by Wheeler for 2023 placed it in the top 30 percent of centers nationally, according to data at https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-centers/chqr
Categories for which Wheeler was recognized include:
- Health Center Quality Leader (Bronze) recognizes achievement of the best overall clinical quality measure performance among all health centers through the following tiers: Gold (top 10 percent), Silver (top 11-20 percent), or Bronze (top 21-30 percent). Wheeler was among 31 percent of health centers nationally to receive this award.
- Access Enhancer acknowledges increases in the total number of patients served and the number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance abuse, vision, dental, and/or enabling) by at least 5%. Wheeler was among 23 percent of health centers nationally to receive this award.
- Health Disparities Reducer recognizes health centers that demonstrate improvements in selected clinical quality measures in consecutive UDS reporting years, 2021 and 2022, for at least one racial/ethnic group(s); or meets established benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year. Wheeler was among 21 percent of health centers nationally to receive this award.
- Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality is awarded to health centers that meet all criteria for optimizing HIT services, such as adopting an electronic health record (EHR) system, offering telehealth services, exchanging clinical information online with key providers health care settings, engaging patients through health IT, and collecting data on patient social risk factors.
- Addressing Social Risk Factors recognizes health centers that screen for social risk factors affecting patient health and are increasing access to enabling services. Wheeler is among only 27 percent of community health centers nationally to receive this award.
- Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition is awarded to health centers with patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition in one or more delivery sites.
Interfaith coalition readies for Thanksgiving with poem and annual service
The Bristol Interfaith Coalition has two events leading up to Thanksgiving, the first benefiting rescue animals and a second, this year’s Annual Bristol Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.
The first is the offering of a Thanksgiving poem, by local holy man, Nighthawk Flying, available with a donation from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Stafford Avenue. Copies of the poem, printed and formatted in Bristol, are placed in an acid-free cover with backing board.
Proceeds from the donations for the poem, offering thanks to the Creator for the blessings of creation, will benefit horses and rescue animals under the care of Nighthawk Flying.
The poems may be picked up before or after 10 a.m. services at Good Shepherd or by emailing linkhullar@gmail.com.
In addition, the annual Bristol Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held at St. Joseph Church, Queen Street, as well as livestreamed on the Bristol Interfaith Coalition Facebook page (click here), on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
A collection will be taken for Prudence Crandall Center, a leader in reducing the devastating impacts of domestic violence in the lives of survivors, their children, and our communities.
For more information, check the coalition’s Facebook page or email BristolInterfaith@gmail.com.
Connecticut Energy Assistance Program accepting applications
The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is now accepting applications through May 31, 2024. CEAP helps Connecticut residents afford to heat their homes. Applications for CEAP typically take 30-45 minutes. Basic benefits towards heating bills range between $180 and $530. Benefits are usually paid directly to the utility company or fuel supplier. Households that heat with deliverable fuels like oil or propane may be eligible for additional free tank fills.
Connecticut residents that meet the following may be eligible: already receive food stamps (SNAP), SSI, TANF or other benefits from the Department of Social Services and have an annual household income falls at or below 60 percent of the state’s median income.
In Bristol, CEAP applications are available at HRA, 55 South St., (860) 356-2000. Email: energyapp@hranbct.org.
Fall leaf bag collection runs through Dec. 1
Fall Leaf Bag Collection will run through Friday, Dec. 1., Public Works announced earlier this week.
The release asks residents to bring leaf bags curbside as soon as they are filled and to leave them curbside until collected. Leaf bag collection is available to all city residences eligible for curbside rubbish and recycling services.
Leaves are only collected in brown, recyclable, paper leaf bags that are available at most home and garden stores. There is no maximum limit to leaf bag collection at a residence.
Leaf bags containing dirt, sand, rocks, sod, or materials other than leaves will not be collected.
Leaf bags must be placed curbside and not within the residence’s property for proper collection. Loose leaf piles will not be collected.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
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Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.