Care for the Underserved

Beyond free and under-reimbursed care, Bridgeport Hospital provided a number of healthcare services to low-income and underserved patients and families on a regional and even statewide basis. Following are some leading examples.
  • The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only dedicated burn center in Connecticut. Recognized for meeting the highest standards of care by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association, it is one of only 44 verified adult burn centers in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2010, the Burn Center treated 305 inpatients, 35.1% of whom were Medicaid or uninsured.
  • The Bridgeport Hospital Emergency Room provides a health care safety net for thousands of people each year by serving as the primary care provider for uninsured and underinsured patients. In FY 2010, the total number of Emergency Room visits were 75,672 including both treated and admitted and treated and discharged patients. The treated and discharged patients make up 86 percent of the total with nearly 9,250 of those patients identified as not having insurance and another 33,000 identified as Medicaid beneficiaries.
  • The Bridgeport Hospital Primary Care Center is an essential component of the Hospital’s commitment to community service. The Primary Care Center has three components: Medical/Surgical, Pediatric and Obstetrics/Gynecology. In addition, there are a total of 20 adult and pediatric subspecialty clinics, including ones for cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, neurology, orthopedics and pulmonary diseases. The Primary Care Center provides outpatient treatment to individuals who are sick, complete care for pregnant women and immunizations and well care for adults and children. In FY 2010, there were 35,602 visits to the Primary Care Center, 83% of which were by Medicaid or uninsured patients. The Hospital provides an outpatient account advocate based in its primary care clinic. This resource is dedicated to assist the self pay population at the primary care clinic to enroll in public programs. In FY 2010, 156 individuals were assisted with all aspects of the enrollment process including pre-screening and application review.
  • In addition to operating its own Primary Care Center, the Hospital partners with the two Bridgeport based Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHC), Optimus Health Care and Southwest Community Health Center. Bridgeport Hospital is the primary inpatient facility for both FQHCs. More than 1,267 inpatient admissions were referred directly to Bridgeport Hospital from physicians at these two centers in FY 2010, 76% of whom were uninsured or Medicaid patients.
  • The Hospital funds a State of Connecticut Department of Social Services employee to work on site at the hospital to help patients enroll in Medicaid and other state assistance programs. Medicaid benefits in the State of Connecticut include acute care services, Federally Qualified Health Center services, clinical services, mental health services, dental services, optometrist services, prescription drugs and medical equipment and supplies. The cost to provide this service was $56,260 for FY 2010.
  • The Hospital’s Community Prescription Assistance Program assists uninsured and underinsured patients to obtain expensive prescription medication and therapies for a variety of conditions through existing pharmaceutical patient assistance programs. A full-time dedicated coordinator for the program assisted 59 patients in the community in FY 2010, achieving an out-of-pocket cost savings for these patients of more than $493,222.
  • The Hospital continues to sponsor a Lead Safe Program, including Fairfield County’s only Lead-Safe House, a temporary residence for children undergoing treatment for lead poisoning and their families. The program also provides health education and social services support. In FY 2010, the cost of running the program was $50,400, which is partially offset by a HUD grant.
  • Through its subsidiary, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, the Hospital provided more than $431,000 in care to 463 uninsured women in the Bridgeport community. Services included mammography and other diagnostic screenings, physician visits, wigs and prosthetics, and many other types of care for women and their families including breast cancer education and support programs.
  • The Oncology Social Worker in the Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute assists patients with requests for referrals or assistance from outside agencies. These requests are for a variety of community resources including transportation, financial assistance, support services and head coverings. Through these referrals in FY 2010, 143 individuals received nearly $40,000 in financial grants from organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Cancer Care, Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Brain Tumor Association, CHAIN Fund, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, and Take A Swing Against Cancer.
  • Bridgeport Hospital’s ChildFIRST is an early childhood mental health initiative that identifies at-risk children and arranges the appropriate intervention and support. Supported by grants from a coalition of funding partners, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ChildFIRST served more than 700 children and 250 families during the year. The cost of running the program in FY 2010 was $907,300, which is partially offset by the grant funding.
  • The Hospital offers the Nurturing Connections Parenting Program for first-time parents who live in Bridgeport. The support program focuses on infant health and good parenting, and covers a variety of developmental newborn subjects such as establishing routines, ways to promote development in newborns’ brain, eye and motor areas, and proper nutrition. The program also helps to connect families with helpful community resources.
  • The Hospital has partnered with the City of Bridgeport Health Department to place an RN in the senior housing clinic at Harborview Towers. The nurse provides screening and education service to the residents, triages acute care issues and also conducts ongoing health education and screening programs at all of the city’s senior centers. The Hospital also employs Board Certified Geriatricians and APRNs who conduct home visits for homebound seniors, care for residents who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities and provide a variety of community health education.