St. Vincent's Honors Physician and Employees of the Year; Foundation Celebrates Volunteers of th

BRIDGEPORT

Dr. Jared Selter accepts the 2015 Physician of the Year Award from Stuart G. Marcus, president and CEO, St. Vincent's Medical Center. (Contributed photo)

Recognizing outstanding service by its physicians, associates and volunteers, St. Vincent's Health Services is proud to announce its Physician of the Year and Employees of the Year while St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation celebrates its Volunteers of the Year for 2015. Each year, all St. Vincent's employees celebrating a milestone anniversary with the organization are recognized for their dedication. This year, associates were recognized for five to 40 years of service.

Dr. Jared Selter accepts the 2015 Physician of the Year Award from Stuart G. Marcus, president and CEO, St. Vincent's Medical Center.

2015 Physician of the Year

Fairfield resident Jared Selter, MD, a cardiologist, is the 2015 Physician of the Year. Dr. Selter was nominated for his dedication and compassion when caring for his patients. He goes above and beyond, spending an extraordinary amount of time caring for vulnerable patients at the St. Vincent's Family Health Clinic.

After receiving his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Selter completed an Internship and Residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. He went on to complete a fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Yale New Haven Hospital. Board certified in Interventional Cardiology and Nuclear Cardiology, Dr. Selter has offices in Trumbull and Fairfield, CT.

2015 Employees of the Year

St. Vincent's Medical Center Employee of the Year:

Constance "Connie" Gabriel

Connie, a resident of Naugatuck, is a Clinical Support Associate for the Short Stay Center. Her reverence for her position and those she serves is demonstrated by her ability to soothe nervous patients and family as well as her dedication to the staff RNs, who depend so much on her wisdom.

St. Vincent's MultiSpecialty Group Employee of the Year:

JoAnn Flickman

Since joining St. Vincent's MultiSpecialty Group (MSG) in 2011, JoAnn's scope of responsibility has grown significantly. JoAnn, a Data Quality Analyst, is recognized by her colleagues as a hard working team member who embraces every opportunity to contribute to projects and initiatives. It is for these reasons JoAnn was chosen to be the first MSG Employee of the Year. JoAnn is a resident of Monroe.

St. Vincent's College Employee of the Year: Antoinette Surrusco

Anet Surrusco, a resident of Trumbull, is the Director of Information Technology for St. Vincent's College. In this hectic environment, Anet is always ready for a challenge, offering a warm and cheerful attitude and addressing all situations with kindness and patience. She works hard and always tries to lift the spirits of those around her with her positive attitude.

St. Vincent's Special Needs Services Employee of the Year:

Sarah Zopfi

Sarah Zopfi, also of Trumbull, is celebrating her 21st anniversary with St. Vincent's Special Needs Services. She has the unique distinction of being certified in both Speech and Language Pathology and Special Education. Sarah is guided by compassion and the desire for students to achieve their fullest potential and quality of life.

St. Vincent's Behavioral Health Services Employee of the Year: Matthew Markelon, RPh

Matt has been a Pharmacist Coordinator for St. Vincent's Behavioral Health Services in Westport since March 2013. Matt regularly leads the daily Safety Huddle and started the "Med of the Month" newsletter, which provides clinicians with information on medications that are either low or high risk. Matt always has a positive attitude, treats his coworkers with respect and exhibits the values of St. Vincent's. Matt is a resident of Middlebury.

"Our Employees of the Year represent a network of inspired associates who are committed to our mission and values," stated Stuart G. Marcus, MD, President and CEO, St. Vincent's Health Services. "Amazing things happen here every day - from saving lives to supporting families, our community, and each other. Without doubt, it is our individual talents and perspectives that together define what makes St. Vincent's special."

St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation Volunteers of the Year

Mary Wheeling, Volunteer of the Year

(L-R) Dianne Auger, president, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation; Stuart G. Marcus, MD, president and CEO, St. Vincent's Medical Center; Mary Wheeling, of Milford, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation 2015 Volunteer of the Year; Lyn McCarthy, executive director, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation; and Frank Scifo, MD, chairman, St. Vincent's SWIM Across the Sound.

Mary Wheeling, of Milford, is a St. Vincent's employee who has volunteered for the Foundation since 1991. During that 24 year span, she has often used her vacation time to support various events from the Breast Cancer Luncheon and Swiss Army Sale to the Golf Tournament and the SWIM Across the Sound. Not only does she donate her time, she also has volunteered to deliver leftover food to local shelters on her way home from events. She can always be counted on to jump in to assist wherever the need is greatest.

Paul Fitzgerald, Corporate Volunteer

of the Year

Paul Fitgerald, of Shelton, has been employed at Coca-Cola for 33 years and embodies the meaning of partnership. Coca-Cola has been a major sponsor of SWIM Across the Sound and the Medical Center Foundation for over 20 years. He consistently contributes Coca-Cola products for events including the SWIM Across the Sound Marathon, Aquathon, and golf tournaments.

(L-R) Dianne Auger, president, St. Vincent's

Medical Center Foundation; Frank Scifo, MD, chairman, St. Vincent's SWIM Across the Sound;

Paul Fitzgerald, of Shelton, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation 2015 Corporate Volunteer of the Year; Stuart G. Marcus, MD, president and CEO, St. Vincent's Medical Center; and Lyn McCarthy, executive director, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation.

Most recently, the Foundation sponsored its first Medical Mission at Home. An urgent need for bottled water arose and, once again, Paul and Coca-Cola stepped up to the plate and met the needs of the community.

"We consider Mary and Paul like family," explained Lyn McCarthy, executive director, St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation. "Both are committed to making a positive difference in the community and deserve to be celebrated for their contributions."

About St. Vincent's Health Services

St. Vincent's Health Services (SVHS) is a member of Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic and largest non-profit healthcare system. SVHS offers regional centers of excellence in cardiology, surgery, cancer care, orthopedics, diagnostics, women's and family services, behavioral health, senior health, and an array of specialized services. SVHS comprises St. Vincent's Medical Center, a 473-bed community teaching and referral hospital with a Level II trauma center, providing a full range of inpatient and outpatient services with more than 500 affiliated physicians in more than 50 medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties; St. Vincent's College, which provides an education in nursing, allied health and the liberal arts and sciences; St. Vincent's Special Needs Services (SVSN), a major provider in Southern Connecticut of specialized lifelong education and therapeutic programs for children and adults with multiple developmental disabilities, and St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, which sponsors St. Vincent's SWIM Across the Sound, offering cancer prevention and patient support programs for un- and under-insured area residents. St. Vincent's Medical Center has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in its "Best Hospitals" Report as a Best Hospital in Fairfield County and Western Connecticut for the third consecutive year (2013-2016) and is ranked High Performing in Gastroenterology and GI Surgery. Recently the recipient of the "A" Hospital Safety Score" from the Leapfrog Group for the third year in a row and eighth consecutive time, St. Vincent's Medical Center is currently the only hospital in the state to hold both the Leapfrog "A" and Nursing Magnet ® Recognition, the highest national award for nursing excellence. In 2013 St. Vincent's Medical Center was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®, by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, and has been recognized by both the Joint Commission and OSHA as a model of a highly reliable organization. As a certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, St. Vincent's is utilizing MD Anderson Cancer Center's renowned clinical standards and expertise to elevate the quality of patient care with one clear, shared mission - to end cancer. St. Vincent's serves as the principal clinical partner for the new Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. St. Vincent's is also a teaching affiliate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and of New York Medical College. St. Vincent's MultiSpecialty Group, an affiliate of St. Vincent's Medical Center, is a clinically integrated network of primary care and specialty care providers in the community and in the hospital. St. Vincent's Health Partners (SVHP) is a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) comprised of St. Vincent's Medical Center, member physicians, skilled nursing centers, and home health agencies. The goal of the network is to render necessary care to patients in an efficient manner with the best possible outcomes regardless of patient care setting. For referral to a St. Vincent's physician or more information on programs and services, call the toll-free Care Line at 1-877-255-SVHS (7847) or visit www.stvincents.org or follow us on www.facebook.com/pages/St.VincentsCT, www.twitter.com/StVincentsMC, and www.youtube.com/StVincentsMedCenter