News Update & Featured Stories

Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
Stay safe at home and in the workplace
Proper ladder setup will help prevent slips and falls whether at work or home. Ladder safety may seem simple, but too many injuries continue to occur every year. Keep yourself in control of your safety and follow these tips:

St. Vincent's men’s health initiative will enhance our already successful prostate cancer institute as it adapts to the changing landscape of health care.

The shelves of the St. Vincent’s Family Health Center (FHC) food pantry have received a generous boost, courtesy of the Connecticut Credit Union League.

It’s Official! St Vincent's has been voted #1 Best Hospital and Best Urgent Care Centers for the fifth year in a row in the 2013 Best of Fairfield County Readers’ Poll conducted by Fairfield County Weekly newspaper. St. Vincent’s was also voted #2 for Best Midwife Group.

Second annual Cancer Survivorship Symposium at St. Vincent's Medical Center - Thursday, June 20th, 2013, Please join us for an informative evening with experts in the area of cancer survivorship. Spouses and partners are also welcome.

St. Vincent’s MultiSpecialty Group is proud to welcome Anna Pankratov, MD to Westport Medicine, its new primary care office. Westport Medicine is located at 225 Main Street, Suite 101, in downtown Westport CT - 203-222-0902

For the second year in a row, St. Vincent’s has received an “A” Hospital Safety Score ™ from the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. St. Vincent’s is one of only two hospitals in Fairfield County, and one of only four out of 26 rated hospitals in the state to meet the criteria required for the “A” safety score.

In addition to his responsibilities in educating medical students, Dr. Pippim will be in charge of the residency rotation within the ICU. Dr. Pippim is a recognized educator

St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s Listen and Learn lecture series continues on Thursday, May 16th at 5:30pm with a free talk titled “Midwifery, Mammograms and Menopause: The NEED to know if you’re a woman,” featuring Certified Nurse Midwife Sarah Najamy, Radiologist Kelly Harkins, MD, and OB/GYN Daniel Gottschall, MD. The lecture will take place May 16th from 5:30 – 7 PM at Cinzano’s Restaurant on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. Light refreshments will be available at 5:30pm.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center has installed the first-in-the-state Aquilion Premium Multidector CAT Scanner System from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc

CT Magazine has announced the winners of their TOP DOC Awards for 2013. St. Vincent's congratulates these fine physicians and thanks their entire team of colleagues and staff for their continued hard work and dedication to excellence.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is flying the Donate Life flag through the months of April and beginning in May, will be flying the flag for every organ or tissue donation in recognition of the life saving fit to others.

Lyn McCarthy recently joined the team at St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation as the new executive director. In this new role, she will lead the Foundation team as they continue to raise funds for and awareness of St. Vincent’s.

We’ve found a NEW way into your heart! St. Vincent’s Medical Center welcomes back it’s Listen and Learn lecture series with a free talk titled “A New Way Into Your Heart: TAVR,” on April 18th from 5:30 – 7:00PM at Cinzano’s Restaurant, 1920 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield

We love our St. Vincent's Nurses and we know our patient's do too. If you have a story you'd like to share about a "St. Vincent's" nursing experience during your or your families time of need, please share it with us

In recognition of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, St. Vincent’s Medical Center will hold a Free Head & Neck Screening on April 15th

Patients and families can now experience yet another measure of convenience when they need to stop for medications following a hospital stay. St. Vincent’s recently opened a new outpatient retail pharmacy, which came about through the vision of its Patient-Family Advisory Board.

Accomplishing a “first in Connecticut” isn’t unusual for St. Vincent’s. Consider the hospital’s Patient-Family Advisory Board (PFAB), whose membership is made up of patients and family members of patients.

We are thrilled to be seeing some new smiling faces in the Medical Center and in the Cancer Center. Eleven Lay Volunteer Resource Navigators, or LVNs, started training in late November and most have now advanced into the shadowing phase of the program.

Traumatic spinal injury is an all-too-common occurrence today, when roadway accidents and high-impact injuries associated with sports and various occupations are part of our way of life. Such injuries can be complex and life threatening, leaving effects ranging from temporary or chronically debilitating pain to a lifetime of total impairment.

Join us for the 9th Annual Diabetes Symposium - This free event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th and includes programs for both professionals and patients, providing insight into nutrition, treatment and common concerns for patients with diabetes.

Building a da Vinci Thoracic Surgery Program in a Community, Cardiothoracic Practice
Presented by Al Dimeo, MD, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Wednesday, March 13th, 2013
6:00PM Eastern Time.

Do you or a loved one have aortic stenosis? Learn more about St. Vincent's revolutionary non-surgical heart procedure for aortic stenosis repair called TAVR

St. Vincent’s Medical Center recently cut the ribbon on its new “3-dimensional” breast tomosynthesis unit, a new technology recently FDA-approved, used to detect breast cancer

On Tuesday February 5th, members of St. Vincent’s Medical Center leadership and staff gathered to celebrate nursing’s highest honor and to recognize the great achievement of earning the Magnet designation.

At 9:00pm on Wednesday, December 12th, Jim and Jennifer Gengo found out they would get to be parents again, and it’s all thanks to Elaine Fiorillo and Dolores Miele from Administration and Mario Forte from IT!

TAVR, or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, a new, non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure, brings hope to cardiac patients suffering from aortic stenosis who are not candidates for traditional open heart surgery.

St. Vincent's Medical Center will hold its 7th Annual Heart Health Fair at Westfield Trumbull on Saturday, February 16 from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the shopping center’s 5065 Main Street location, on the upper level in the Lord and Taylor Courtyard.

St. Vincent’s Elizabeth M. Pfriem Regional Center for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Disease is sponsoring a month-long series of activities to celebrate National Heart Month and to raise awareness of heart disease and ways to prevent it. The slate of activities is part of St. Vincent’s ongoing commitment to keeping area residents healthy and helping them develop wellness strategies.

Usually, surgery is a therapy employed when other, less aggressive treatments have failed or cannot be tolerated for different reasons. Now at St. Vincent’s, that concept has been turned upside down with the advent of hybrid ablation for A-fib.

Powerful therapies that treat serious diseases are subject to continued studies as a safety procedure.

Many Americans today are dealing with high stress on a daily basis. Family, job and financial problems shake even emotionally strong adults, while issues such as bullying and abuse often block the growth of self-esteem in our youth.

Pet therapy can help in many ways, from lifting a person’s mood to increasing joint movement and helping to maintain motor skills.

FEMA Disaster Assistance Information for Sandy Storm Relief

FEMA Disaster Assistance Information for Sandy Storm Relief

Available as a FREE DOWNLOAD for mobile smart-phone users from your app store, the St. Vincent's Mobile app. offers physician contacts & health services information resources at the touch of a button.

Joseph John Tiano, MD, has been appointed Medical Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) Laboratory at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Dr. Tiano is an electrophysiologist specializing in non-surgical electrophysiology procedures to correct cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heart rhythms.

St. Vincent's Medical Center is thrilled to report that through this initiative we collected and distributed just over 10,000 lbs (5 tons) of food. This exceeded last year’s total of 4.5 tons. With a standard 40 pound food box feeding a family of four for 3-5 days, our contributions will assist many in the surrounding area.

St. Vincent's Medical Center has been named the only hospital in Fairfield County and one of only three hospitals in Connecticut to achieve Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

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

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is experiencing a high volume of patients in its Emergency Department due to storm-related issues and power outages throughout the area.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital, in collaboration with the Primary Care Action Group joined with Connecticut state agencies and the City of Bridgeport to create the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport. The program, which opened on March 21, 2011, provides prescription medicines at no cost to uninsured, low-income residents of Greater Bridgeport.

BRIDGEPORT, CT - October 29, 2012 - In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, St Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport CT has its Emergency Operations Center activated and is making preparations to handle the storm challenges

St. Vincent’s Medical Center today announced that it has received a 5-star rating for coronary interventional procedures for the 2nd year in a row by Healthgrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital.

Nella Viesta, St. Vincent's Medical Center Awarded HR Professional of the Year Award

St. Vincent’s Parish Nurse Program extends healthcare services through local churches and congregations as part of its commitment to care for the sick and poor in the community.

Widely respected hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeon Randall Zuckerman, MD, FACS, has joined the Lebo-DeSantie Center for Liver and Pancreatic Disease at the St. Vincent’s Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care.

Robotic Surgery For CABG Advantages: The advantage of using the da Vinci® Robot is that the surgery can be performed minimally invasively without splitting the sternum or breast bone, as is necessary in standard CABG procedures.

The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University earned two important endorsements this week as it moves closer to offering its first classes to students who aspire to become primary care physicians.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Aquarion Water Company are launching the 2nd Annual “House of Hope” Food Drive, running from September 17 until November 16 to reduce hunger throughout the Greater Bridgeport area.

“Our participation in National Health IT Week highlights our organization’s commitment to ensuring health information technology is integrated, interactive, interoperable and intelligent,”

On Tuesday, September 11, 2012, youngsters from Fairfield Little League, Fairfield Girls’ Softball, and the Fairfield Chapter of the Challenger Softball Program presented a check to St. Vincent’s President Stuart Marcus, MD, and St. Vincent’s Foundation President Dianne Auger in the Medical Center’s main lobby.

The House of Hope food donation shed, located in the front of the Medical Center will be open to accept donations beginning September 17th. The drive will run from through November 16th.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced today that the State will provide a $1.8 million grant to St. Vincent’s College for the expansion of the College’s facilities

It’s Official, St Vincent's has been named Best Hospital four years in a row and Best Urgent Care Centers for the second year in a row in the 2012 Best of Fairfield County Readers’ Poll conducted by Fairfield County Weekly newspaper. St. Vincent’s was also named the 2012 Winner for Best Midwife Group.

On Monday July 30, 2012, a section of the park at St. Mary’s By the Sea in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport was dedicated as “Ron Bianchi Way” in honor Ronald J. Bianchi and the way in which he served those in the community of Bridgeport for more than 37 years.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center has applied to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the prestigious designation of Magnet. The Magnet designation recognizes excellence in nursing services.

“We are thrilled that our community leaders are recognizing Ron Bianchi for his unmatched dedication and commitment to residents of this area,” said St. Vincent’s Health Services CEO Susan L. Davis, EdD, RN.

Sponsored by CHA and the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the 2012 Connecticut’s Hospital Community Service Award recognizes St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital.

June 27th, St. Vincent’s Medical Center recieved the CHA’s (Connecticut Hospital Association's) 2012 John D. Thompson Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Healthcare Through the Use of Data - Our second safety award in less than month.

Hematologist/oncologist Kenneth Dressler, MD, received the St. Vincent de Paul Mission Award as St. Vincent’s 2012 Physician of the Year in ceremonies held recently at Tashua Knolls in Trumbull before a gathering of physicians, administrators and guests.

BRIDGEPORT, CT, June 19, 2012 — An anonymous donor left a diamond engagement ring along with a wedding band in the chapel at St. Vincent’s Medical Center last Wednesday, June 13. The ring and band were secured with medical tape to a note that was written on a piece of a bandage wrapper.

The first robotic coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in Fairfield County was performed on a Bridgeport woman on May 22 at St. Vincent’s Medical Center by cardiothoracic surgeon Albert DiMeo, MD using the da Vinci Robot.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center was honored with an “A” Hospital Safety ScoreSM by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The Hospital Safety ScoreSM was calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. U.S. hospitals were assigned an A, B, C, D, or F for their safety.

Preventing patients with cancer from falling is a particularly important strategy for avoiding serious patient harm. Patients with cancer often fall as a result of overestimating their abilities as they adapt to the onset of fatigue and diminished functional status or muscle strength.

The Imaging Department at St. Vincent’s Medical Center performs more than 130,000 imaging procedures a year. The multi-modality department includes x-ray, ultrasound, digital mammography, CT, MRI, PET, and SPECT. All of these sophisticated exams, as well as an array of interventional procedures, are conducted by a highly specialized group of board-certified clinicians and radiological technologists. Moreover, the department is accredited in every modality by the American College of Radiology.

On Saturday, May 12, Susan L. Davis, RN, EdD, FACHE, Ministry Market Leader, New York/Connecticut/Gulf Coast/Florida, and President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Vincent's Health Services, Bridgeport, Conn., received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the 46th annual Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. She also delivered the keynote address to the graduates and their families and friends.

Lawrence S. Schek, MD, FACC, has been named Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Dr. Schek will also remain as chairperson of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and medical director of the Elizabeth Pfriem Regional Heart & Vascular Center at St. Vincent’s.

St. Vincent’s has partnered with Circle for Life Midwifery in Shelton, whose staff of two certified nurse midwives, Sarah Najamy, CNM, and Paula Cate, CNM, have obstetrical privileges at the Medical Center

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Early Stage Lung Cancer. St. Vincent’s Elizabeth M. Pfriem Center for Radiation Therapy is now offering patients a new non-invasive option for early stage lung cancer referred to as stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT (equivalent to the cyberknife).

Christopher Iannuzzi, MD, has been appointed to the position of chairman, Department of Oncology at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

On Thursday, April 5, Christine Toni, RPh, was honored at the annual American Red Cross Heroes of Lower Fairfield County event.

Sean R. Kelly, MD, MS, has been appointed medical director of the Acute Rehabilitation Unit located on 10 East. The announcement was made by Chairman of the Department of Medicine Mitchell Fogel, MD.

From flu and pneumonia shots to bites, sore throats, fevers, sprains, cuts, broken bones and more—your local Urgent Care/ Walk-In is close and here when you need it most.dizziness.

St. Vincent’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Department (located on 1M) has added a new tool to their vestibular balance program. New infrared goggles can clearly show nystagmus, a condition of involuntary eye movement resulting in severe dizziness.

At St. Vincent’s Medical Center, women’s heart health has been a major focus since 2004, when the Regina L. Cozza Women At Heart (WAH) program was initiated. The program is funded in memory of Regina Cozza, who passed away from heart disease. It is a free heart care program, which reflects St. Vincent’s commitment to heartrelated diagnosis, education and treatment for women.

The Business Council of Fairfield County recognized St. Vincent’s Medical Center as a GOLD winner of the 2012 Healthy Workplace Award for our successful efforts to promote employee health and wellness.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raise awareness about the nation’s fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is sponsoring a free talk open to the general public entitled “Taking a Deep Breath: Treatments for COPD,” as a part of their 2012 Spring Listen & Learn Lecture Series. The talk will take place on Thursday, April 19, from 5:30 – 7:00 PM, at Testos’s Restaurant

According to the Autism Society, about one percent of the population of children in the U.S. ages three to 17 have an ASD. St. Vincent's now offers a new comprehensive new autism program through our Behavioral Health Services, Westport Campus.

Connecticut Magazine recently announced their Top Docs list for 2012 and St. Vincent's Medical Center physicians are front and center, reciving many top honors!

Stuart G. Marcus, MD, FACS, has been named president of St. Vincent’s Medical Center. He succeeds Susan L. Davis, RN, EdD, who remains CEO of the Medical Center ...

St. Vincent’s is one of 11 Connecticut hospitals to have welcomed the non-profit group and its mission of making free books available to all children

Listen and Learn is a free lecture series offered by St. Vincent's Medical Center physicians to promote wellness in members of our community.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center named a recipient of the 2012 HealthGrades® Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™.

Hundreds of area residents visited the St. Vincent's Medical Center’s 6th Annual Heart Health Fair at Westfield Trumbull this past Saturday, February 11th.

The Quinnipiac University School of Medicine has selected St. Vincent's Medical Center of Bridgeport as its principal clinical partner, according to a joint announcement made today by Dr. Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of the School of Medicine, and Susan L Davis, RN, EdD, president and CEO of St. Vincent's Medical Center.

St. Vincent’s is pleased to announce the launch of its new website at www.stvincents.org. The new user-friendly site features more than 1,000 pages of important and engaging health and medical information.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation has been awarded a grant of $15,000 from the Fairfield County Community Foundation on behalf of the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport.

When his heart stopped beating for 32 seconds, then miraculously restarted itself,

The newly implemented Continuous Regional Block Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center is having a positive impact

Dr. Illuzzi joined St. Vincent's in 2002, serving most recently as Vice Chairman of

For the third consecutive year,

St. Vincent's Medical Center has been ranked # 1 in Fairfield County for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)

Forewarned is forearmed, the saying goes and there are few parents today who have not heard...

As anyone who has received health care in Connecticut—and that's pretty much all of us—can attest

Every day you make a difference in our patients' lives. You care for patients and their

St Vincent's Medical Center announces it's 7th Diabetes Symposium to be held Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Some people have no symptoms of diabetes, while others may gradually experience them.

The Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D., Bishop of Bridgeport, blessed the new "Virginia O'Brien Fortin Chapel" at St. Vincent's Medical Center on February 24.

t. Vincent's Medical Center will hold its 5th Annual Heart Health Fair on Thursday, February 17th

All lectures are jointly sponsored with the SVMC Healthy Hearts Club.

The Primary Care Action Group (PCAG), a collaboration of area health service organizations,

St. Vincent’s as been ranked #1 in Connecticut for cardiac surgery, and in the top 5% nationally

The 30-bed unit, located on the entire 8th floor of the Medical Center, brings together the latest unit design and monitoring technology to safeguard the lives of those in intensive care.

Remember when a visit to the Emergency Room of a hospital meant long waits in crowded rooms

St. Vincent's Medical Center recently unveiled its new $18 million, 27,000 square foot surgical suite.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center has earned “Breast Center of Excellence” accreditation from

When you step into St. Vincent’s Family Birthing Center (FBC), you are struck by the calm, peaceful environment.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center of Bridgeport is sponsoring a free Diabetes Symposium for the 6th consecutive year.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center will hold its 4th Annual Heart Health Fair on Thursday,

St. Vincent’s will unveil its Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care by providing the

St. Vincent’s Medical Center announced today it will no longer sell water in plastic bottles

The SWIM Women's Imaging Center at St. Vincent's Medical Center has just introduced its newest

St. Vincent’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery is among the first hospitals in Connecticut

St. Vincent’s Medical Center has received its first State of Connecticut designation as a

Otolaryngologist Douglas A. Ross, MD, FACS, has been named chairperson of the department

St. Vincent’s Medical Center recently implemented the use of the RF Surgical Detection

St. Vincent's SWIM Across the Sound will host its annual WALK/Run for Cancer and

An analysis to be released to the public this summer by the Centers for Medicare and

When the American Heart Association released guidelines for treating heart attack victims

St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport and The University of Connecticut School