UConn Health

May 10, 2012 | Jim Walter

Health Center Receives Business of the Year Award

Farmington Chamber of Commerce recognized the Health Center for its efforts during the October 2011 snowstorm.

Farmington, Connecticut Chamber of Commerce

Farmington, Connecticut Chamber of Commerce

The UConn Health Center received the Farmington Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year award during its annual dinner at the Farmington Club Wednesday.

The award was in recognition of the Health Center’s “heroic efforts in assisting the residents of Farmington and neighboring towns during and after the October, 2011 snowstorm.”

The Health Center staff was recognized for going above and beyond to ease the burden on those without power or heat.

  • Hospital staff opened a comfort station in the Onyiuke Dining Room which offered warmth, wi-fi connection and electrical outlets.
  • Food court employees served an estimated 9,000 extra meals that week – a nearly 60 percent increase in weekly business.
  • Emergency Department staff worked diligently with community resources to help local residents find the care and assistance they needed.
  • Lyman Maynard Stowe Library – a free resource for the community – played host to visitors of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, providing a quiet, warm place to relax and read.
  • Facilities, Public Safety and the grounds crew worked day and night to ensure that the campus remained safe and the sidewalks and roads clear and passable.

Dr. Frank Torti, executive vice president and dean of the School of Medicine, accepted the award on behalf of the Health Center

The dinner was also highlighted by a keynote address given by Charles E. Hewett, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory. He commented on the anticipated economic and scientific impact of Jackson Lab’s $1.1 billion research facility that will be constructed on the Health Center’s campus.

“It’s an exciting opportunity and we’re starting to generate some buzz. We’ve just hired one of the world’s leading genomicists who is doing pioneering work to understand and mitigate cancer. I’m looking forward to working with the economic development leaders in the Farmington Valley,” Hewett said.

He explained the new lab will be working to identify clinical targets using the human genome to treat and ultimately cure a variety of human diseases.

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