JANUARY 2022
CELEBRATING LIFELONG RELATIONSHIPS... On Friday, December 17th, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address for the inaugural Katherine Harris White Coat Ceremony at Quinnipiac University. This event was the first ever white coat ceremony for the QU PT program and it was a tremendous success. I was honored to have been invited to participate.
IN THIS ISSUE
Clinician’s Corner by Shradha Rana, Lock Street Physical Therapist Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain HR Buzz
Kathy Harris was a colleague and friend of mine. Unfortunately, she became ill in 2020 and passed away a few weeks before her 61st birthday. Kathy joined QU in 2003 and eventually became the Chair and Program Director of the PT department. Kathy was active in the PT profession both locally and nationally. She was a passionate advocate for the profession and beloved by her students and peers.
2022 Holidays, Three Payroll Months, & Mileage Rate
In 2018, Kathy met with Juliann Chacko, Sandy Wickman Mason and me to formalize the ICE (Integrated Clinical Experience) program between QU and PTSMC to be an annual program.
Techy Tips Automatically Open Your Most Used Websites
I currently serve on the Advisory Board for QU’s PT program. I was with Ken Kosior, the current Department Chairman, a few months ago, and he asked if PTSMC would consider the lead sponsorship of the event. Given my personal history with QU, along with our organizational history, the answer was an easy “yes!” Ken is also a part time clinician for PTSMC – he has been with our Wallingford clinic for over 10 years! He is aware that I and two of my brothers are graduates of the Quinnipiac PT program, along with a number of past and current PTSMC clinicians. He appreciates that PTSMC has a strong and long-standing relationship with QU.
UGLY SWEATER CONTEST WINNER: GUILFORD!
2021 W2s Open Enrollment and more!
Wellness Program Booster Shot Raffle and CDC Booster Guidelines LifeBeat - New Year, Same You
I am proud to be a Quinnipiac PT program alum and that, as PTSMC’s 2021 Ugly Sweater and Food Drive Photos leader, we regularly welcome QU students into the organization. PTSMC has hired many who have helped us as physical therapy aides, students, clinicians, professors, leaders and partners. In my opinion and in my heart, sponsoring the event was a way to honor Kathy for who she was and what she accomplished, as well as a way “From my intake interview with Shradha to celebrate and continue a “lifelong relationship” with Quinnipiac. (Rana), and my subsequent sessions with Kailey (Hanks) and Natalie (Swanson), I've found everyone to be courteous and very helpful. Shrada especially brings creativity and Thanks, enthusiam to the work. She's been committed to altering my program based on my week-to-week condition in order to bring about the best results.” - Lock Street Alan
StriveHub Fab 5
Patient Trends
“Very clean environment. The staff goes above and beyond to make sure you’re greeted right when you enter and make sure you’re okay in between exercises. My son and myself are happy to have joined there and feel relaxed and welcome.” - Shelton “My PT, Cody (Morrissey) was informative about my foot condition and what he could do to help alleviate my pain. He worked with me and watched as I performed the exercises to be sure they were being done correctly. He always followed up on my next visit to assess how I felt. Before leaving, I was always asked if I had any questions or concerns.” - East Hampton
Visits per Month Congratulations and way to take the creativity to the next level! This is Guilford's 4th ugly sweater victory to date.
Check out all the entries on page 11.
“Brianne (Dwyer) is wonderful. All appointments have been so easy to make. She has been working with our daughter and truly cares about all aspects of her healing. We would highly recommend Brianne.” - Southington “Ann (Hall) is the best - she is very knowledgable and explains things to you so that you understand what the issue is that you are being treated for. She also makes sure that you understand the at home exercises and that you are doing them properly.” - Essex
CLINICIAN’S CORNER CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES (CPG) FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN By Shradha Rana, PT, DPT Lock Street Physical Therapist What is Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG)? CPGs are evidence-based practice guidelines created by the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to help clinicians better manage patients with musculoskeletal impairments that is described in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Ste standout purposes of these clinical guidelines are to: • Classify and define common musculoskeletal conditions as well as describe evidence-based physical therapy practice musculoskeletal disorders commonly managed by orthopaedic physical therapists • Identify interventions/treatment and appropriate outcome measures supported by current highest grade of evidence • Provide description to payer and policy makers regarding the musculoskeletal condition and physical therapy practice and create an educational reference to all providers and patients Please find a detailed aim of the guidelines and statement of intent in the CPG (link provided in the reference). 2021 CPG recommendation were made for specific subgroups *2012 CPG did not have specific/separate recommendations for acute and chronic LBP 1. Acute or chronic LBP • Acute - symptoms for less than or equal to 6 weeks • Chronic - symptoms > 6 weeks 2. LBP with Leg pain • LBP, buttock pain, and/or symptoms extending into the leg (above or below knee) 3. LBP in older adults • Age 60 years old with LBP 4. Postoperative care • S/p surgery for LBP or hx of surgery for LBP
Grades of recommendation based on strength of evidence Grade A - Highest level of evidence; should be used Grade D - Lowest level of evidence; should not use Classification system of Low Back Pain • ACUTE LOW BACK PAIN Physical therapists may use of Treatment -based classification - Grade B Physical Therapist can use Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) - Grade C • CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN Physical Therapists may use MDT, prognostic risk stratification, or pathoanatomic-based classification - Grade B Physical therapists can use TBC, cognitive functional therapy, or movement system impairment - Grade C (*Cognitive functional therapy not considered in 2012 CPG)
Intervention: Exercises *2021 CPG is more focused on intervention • Acute low back pain Specific trunk muscle activation exercises Grade C • Acute LBP w/leg pain Centralization and Directional Preference Exercises and Procedures - repeated movements, exercises or procedures for centralization - Grade A Trunk muscle strengthening, endurance and specific trunk muscle activation - Grade B • Chronic low back pain Centralization and Directional Preference Exercises and Procedures - repeated exercises in a specific direction for chronic LBP with mobility deficits Grade A Trunk muscle strengthening and endurance, multimodal exercise interventions, specific trunk muscle activation exercise, aerobic exercise, aquatic exercise, and general exercise - Grade A
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Endurance and fitness activities - Moderate to high intensity exercise - Grade A Trunk muscle activation and movement control for patients w/movement control impairment - Grade A Movement control exercises or trunk mobility exercises - Grade B • Chronic LBP with Leg pain Endurance and fitness activities - Progressive, low-intensity, submaximal fitness and endurance activities - Grade A Trunk muscle activation and movement control - Grade B • Chronic LBP in older adults General exercise training - Grade A Flexion exercises for patient with radiating pain (older patient) - Grade C • Combined with manual and nerve mobilization and strengthening exercises. • S/p surgery for LBP or hx of surgery for LBP General exercise training - Grade C
LBP is one of the most common reported pain and reasons to seek health care and is associated with the highest overall costs. According to CDC (2022), 25% of adults in the United States reported LBP in the last three months.
Intervention: Manual and Other Directed Therapies *2021 Update Manual and other directed therapies were categorized as thrust/non thrust joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, dry needling, neural mobilization and traction.
Delitto, A., George, S. Z., Van Dillen, L., Whitman, J. M., Sowa, G., Shekelle, P., Denninger, T. R., & Godges, J. J. (2012). Low Back Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 42(4), A1–A57. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2012.42.4.A1
• Acute low back pain Thrust or non thrust joint mobilization - Grade A Soft tissue mobilization - Grade B • Chronic low back pain Thrust or non thrust joint mobilization - Grade A Soft tissue mobilization conjunction w/other treatments - Grade B Dry needling in conjunction with other treatment - Grade C (dry needling not considered in 2012 CPG) • Chronic LBP with Leg pain Thrust/non thrust mobilization and soft tissue mobilization - Grade B Neural mobilization in conjunction with other treatment - Grade B Mechanical traction Grade D Intervention: Patient Education Acute low back pain • Active education strategies such one to one education on the biopsychosocial contributors to pain and self-management techniques - Grade B Chronic low back pain • Standard education with active treatment - Grade A • Pain neuroscience education - Grade A (not considered in 2012 CPG) • Standard education strategies advice to stay active and related to exercises - Grade B Postoperative Low back pain • Lumbar spine surgery - discectomy or decompression surgery - use general education regarding post surgical precautions, exercise, and resuming physical activity - Grade B • Spinal fusion - no specific recommendation due to lack of evidence
Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) provide excellent resources and evidence based recommendations for physical therapists to improve quality of care for LBP and provide evidence-informed treatment options. The 2021 LBP CPG update is not intended to be construed or serve as a standard of medical care. References: Acute Low Back Pain | Acute Pain. (2021, June 17). https://www.cdc.gov/acute-pain/low-back-pain/index.html
George, S. Z., Fritz, J. M., Silfies, S. P., Schneider, M. J., Beneciuk, J. M., Lentz, T. A., Gilliam, J. R., Hendren, S., & Norman, K. S. (2021). Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health From the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 51(11), CPG1–CPG60. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2021.0304
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHANNING HARWOOD PTSMC’s new Clinical Excellence Coordinator! In his new role, Channing will work closely with Danielle Dunn, Director of Clinical Excellence & Residency program to meet PTSMC’s clinical excellence goals to deliver a top notch DOCs program, support the Residency program and delivery of clinical education programs. Channing is a Plainville Physical Therapist, PTSMC Orthopaedic Residency graduate, and a Board Certified Orthpaedic Specialist.
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE Upcoming Courses INTERNAL COURSES
EXTERNAL COURSES
Cervicothoracic
Myopain Dry Needling 3: Advanced
March 5, 2022 6 hour course Location TBD Instructor: Danielle Dunn DOCS Requirement
March 18-20, 2022 Quinnipiac University, North Haven Campus *Myopain DN-2 prerequisite required
Email Mallory Mason at ConEd@ptsmc.com for all sign ups or questions.
STUDENT PROGRAM UPDATE AND 2021 RECAP The PTSMC Student Program is off to a strong start in 2022! Twenty-five placements are confirmed for the year and it’s only January! This month, we welcome six students: Student Brian Boehme Glen Foreman Hailey Guarracino Brittany Kearney Alexa Olko Emily Pelz
School QU SUNY QU QU AIC Springfield
CI Kristina Lipeika/Lindsey Scianna Kendra Lennon Emily Searle Erik Schmitt Matt Baranowski Vlad Smolgovskiy
Clinic Watertown Waterbury Branford Westbrook Avon West Hartford
Here’s a recap of 2021 along with participant feedback: A total of 26 students successfully completed clinical affiliations with PTSMC in 2021 • All 26 were DPT students • More than 60% of students were on final clinical experience; an increase of 10% from 2020 • 2021 placement goal exceeded by 30%; PTSMC hosted 6 additional students • 6 students hosted in 2021 joined PTSMC following graduation (23%) A very special “THANK YOU” to our Clinical Instructors and their clinics! 2021 was another challenging year. Your hard work, flexibility and belief in our PT for Life culture is what keeps our Student Program strong, growing and offering unmatched experiences for our students. Read what some of our 2021 SPTs had to say: “I feel as if I grew as not only a clinician, but also a person. Every individual I encountered was encouraging, yet constructive and eager to teach. Being the first student for my CI, there was some unknowns and uncertainties, however, he fulfilled every request I could have asked and was an exceptional teacher.” “It confirmed me wanting to pursue outpatient orthopedics “ “Fantastic mentor and CI. He really took the time to refine my skills during our time together, and it was obvious he wanted me to succeed and do well. His mindset, as well as the mindset of PTSMC, of what physical therapy can and should be very much resonated with me.” “Positive work environment, built up appropriate case load, able to practice skills when not seeing patients, CI always available by phone/email, open communication and willingness to teach, allowed me as therapist to treat in my own style” “Excellent learning experience with excellent staff.”
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE COURSE TYPES
External Courses: These are courses held outside of PTSMC that clinicians travel to and attend on their own. Clinicians will pay for these courses and receive reimbursement or will obtain payment information from clinic Partner/Director. PTSMC Sponsored Courses: These are courses taught by outside instructors that PTSMC brings in house. PTSMC is invoiced at negotiated rates and the cost per clinician is allocated to the clinics. Medbridge now falls under the Sponsored umbrella. PTSMC clinicians receive a discounted rate for a Medbridge account. Reach out to Mallory Mason if you are interested in utilizing this resource! PTSMC Internal Courses: These are taught in house by qualified PTSMC clinicians. Any PTSMC clinicians and students are welcome to attend. These courses are geared toward clinicians with less than 5 years of clinical experience. Attending these courses are also a requirement for clinicians completing the Development of Clinical Success Program (DOCS). Attendance for all types of courses must be approved by the clinic Partner or Director. You can find the list of upcoming Sponsored and Internal Course opportunities on the clinical page of the PULSE, and the list of all 3 types of courses from this link (also always in the PULSE): https://ptsmc.egnyte.com/dl/mcbFLYwFkg/2021_Clinical_Excel-lence_List_of_Courses.xlsx_ If you have any questions, please reach out to Danielle Dunn or Mallory Mason.
Clinical Continued Education Continued education dollars are budgeted annually. All courses must be pre-approved by the Director. Employees are allocated a maximum of two paid business days of continuing education per calendar year for courses attended during the employee’s regular work week. Weekend courses are excluded. Paid time is prorated based upon employment status. Unused continued education hours are not carried over to the following year. Employment Status FT PT 30 - 39 PT 20 -29
Hours Per Calendar Year 16 hours 12 hours 8 hours
HUMAN RESOURCES
2022 RECOGNIZED HOLIDAYS New Year’s Day (observed) Memorial Day Independence Day (July 4th) Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day (observed)
Friday Monday Monday Monday Thursday Monday
December 31st May 30th July 4th September 5th November 24th December 26th
The holiday schedule is located in the forms library under Company Documents and Links in ADP.
To start a claim for CT Paid Leave click on the link below and follow instructions. Link: https://ctpaidleave.org When asked to provide your employer and contact person see below:
2022 THREE PAYROLL MONTHS There will be three payrolls in the months of June and November. These payrolls will not have medical, dental or Colonial deductions.
2022 MILEAGE RATE Beginning on January 1, 2022, the IRS standard mileage rate has been increased to 58.5 cents per mile. Updated expense reimbursement forms will be emailed to employees and available under Company Documents in ADP by January 10, 2022.
IS AROUND THE CORNER MARCH 1, 2022 All eligible employees be on the lookout for information regarding open enrollment. We have scheduled the following mandatory meetings. Choose one and block your schedule. Monday, January 24, 2022 Tuesday, January 25, 2022 Wednesday, January 26, 2022 Thursday, January 27, 2022 Friday, January 28, 2022 RSVP information coming soon!
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to the following PT Aides who have completed the SIPTA (Skills Introduction for PT Aides) Program: Noah Tedeschi, Newington Angela Riehl, Groton Alexander Morton, Wallingford Ryan Wills, Guilford Clare Gagliano, Essex Kayla Sturges, Southbury Emma Farrell, Westbrook Jacob Rooney, Orange Matthew Turo, Glastonbury
HUMAN RESOURCES
UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION
Do you need to update any of the following information in ADP for 2022? Federal or State Taxes Click on 1. Myself 2. Pay 3. Tax Witholdings
REMINDER: HOLIDAY TIME OFF POLICY IS CALENDAR YEAR, JANUARY - DECEMBER Full Time (FT) Part Time 30 (PT 30) Part Time 20 (PT 20)
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56 hours (48 holiday and 8 personal) 42 hours (36 holiday and 6 personal) 28 hours (24 holiday and 4 personal)
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Holiday hours can be used on the actual holiday. Personal hours must be used during the calendar year, January – December.
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For eligible employees, Holiday hour balance is located under: 1. Myself 2. Time Off 3. My Time Off
Address, Cell Phone and Emergency Contact Information Click on 1. Myself 2. My Information 1 3. Profile
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2021 W2S All employees will receive a paper copy of their 2021 W2 mailed to their home address by January 31, 2022. Be on the lookout in your ADP account for your 2021 W2 around January 15th. To locate it: Click on 1. Myself 2. Pay 3. Pay & Tax Statements On this page, look for the Tax Statements section.
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EMPLOYEE NEWS
NEW EMPLOYEES
Brianna Annunziato, Branford PT Aide
Collin Casey, Wallingford PT Aide
Mikele Cokani, Waterbury PT Aide
Caidyn Galovich, East Hampton PT Aide
Ana Jahrstorfer, Avon PSC
CURRENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES Athletic Trainer Westbrook
Emma Montero, Fairfield PT Aide
Daniel Sauve, Naugatuck PT Aide
Physical Therapist Assistant Groton Naugatuck/Watertown Patient Services Coordinator Fairfield (part-time) Middletown Naugatuck Orange Waterbury (part-time) Watertown (part-time) Westbrook
Sal Sinsigalli, West Hartford Patient Care Coordinator
Kristen Tolo, Windsor PSC
NOT PICTURED
Nathan Panico, Westbrook Patient Care Coordinator Nico Rosa, Watertown PT Aide Robyn Vuilleumier, Westbrook PT Aide Alessandro Zabalza Newington PT Aide
Authorization Coordinator Admin
Physical Therapist Fairfield (per diem) Groton Lock Street New Haven New London Newington Orange Shelton Wallingford Waterbury (per diem) Watertown
Essex PT Aide Groton New Haven New Milford Orange Southbury Southington Watertown Westbrook
Content Coordinator Admin
Check www.PTSMC.com/job-openings for our most up-to-date postings, and feel free to share! Call Jenn or email at Jenn.Detlefsen@ptsmc.com for PT Aide positions. Call Karen or email at karen.havlicek@ptsmc.com if you are interested in another position.
CONGRATULATIONS TO NICOLE SKIRKANICH
Promoted to Patient Services Administrator in Orange! Nicole joined the Orange staff in October 2018. Prior to her PTSMC days, Nicole attended Gateway Community College, completing her Associate’s degree in Business Administration and her Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a Human Resources focus. She did this while holding two positions, one in retail and the other in a fitness center where she focused on establishing and maintaining great customer relationships. During Nicole’s tenure, Orange has seen phenomenal growth. Back in October 2018, Orange saw just under 60 patients/day. In November 2021, the visits/day number is just north of 80 visits/day. She participated in the move across the parking lot to a bigger location, including a front desk that has capacity for 3 workstations. Nicole has been a mainstay at the Orange front desk. Patients look forward to her smiling face ~ even behind the mask, you can tell she is smiling! Patients also rely on Nicole to provide accurate insurance information. Her attention to details and service are two excellent qualities that earned Nicole her promotion. Partner Anthony Ciaburri described her: “Nicole does so much for our staff, for our patients and for me! We all rely on her to manage our schedules and pay attention to the details. In addition to doing all of that exceptionally well, she truly understands the importance of building positive relationships with our patients. She has demonstrated the skills needed to oversee our front desk operations and staff. I look froward to working with her in the new role and her continued development.” Nicole is recently engaged, having been with her now fiancé for almost eight years. In her free time she spends lots of time with her dog, Sansa, or watching reruns of Law & Order or Friends. Nicole is excited that she gets to keep working alongside everyone in Orange. They have been like a family to her over the last three years. She is also looking forward to challenging herself even further in this new role and to keep learning new things!
TECHY TIPS AUTOMATICALLY OPEN YOUR MOST USED WEBSITES Imagine this... you log in to your computer at the start of your day. You click on the browser (such as Chrome), and BAM BANG BOOM! WeptPT, Kno2, World Pay, ADP, Egnyte (all the sites you need for your day) magically open at the same time without any extra clicks! Amazing, totally convenient, and simple to set up: 1. Open the web pages you want on separate tabs. 2. Click the Chrome menu button (three dots) in the upper-right corner of the window. Select Settings. 3. In the “On startup” section, select “Open a specific page or set of pages.” 4. Select “Use current pages.” See visuals below for each step!
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS Carole Pimenta Kyle Fuerst Ken Kosior Sal Sinsigalli Collin Casey Nic Sauerbrunn Khamille Turnage Tatiana Papuashvili Brianne Dwyer Dylan Murray Katelyn Mogelnicki Drew DaSilva Sue Ginsburg Christina Mogelnicki Dylan Park Danielle Dunn Jacky Severance Nicole Brissette Nolan Freeman Kelly Cozzolino Mary Grace Wyatt Kasey Bascetta Kristina Lipeika Mike Sanon Tatyana Vega Jane Rosadini Kristen Forster Natalie Peterson Shelby Pocius
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Guilford Westbrook Wallingford West Hartford Wallingford Windsor New Haven Fairfield Southington Avon Glastonbury Watertown Guilford Newington New London Wallingford Middletown Lock Street New Milford Plainville New London Windsor Watertown Newington Waterbury Guilford Admin Plainville Admin
JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES
Katherine Picone Justin Delgado Matthew DaCosta Natalia Pereira Sierra Gelsomini Jaclyn Lomanno Madison Moran Ken Kregling Karin Larsen Sydney Houseworth Kailey Hanks Erik Wagner Alina Lisowitch
PT Aide PT Aide PT Aide PSC PT Aide PT Aide PT Aide Physical Therapist PSC Physical Therapist Physical Therapist PT Aide Customer Service Representative
Southbury Guilford Naugatuck New Milford Wallingford Wallingford New London Wallingford Groton Danbury Lock Street Lock Street Lock Street
PTSMC Happenings! Plainville continued their tradition of participating in and fundraising for Connecticut Children’s Pajama Day.
New Haven hosted a spirit week and raised money for Leap, Inc. Left: Disney Day Top Right: Sports Day Bottom Right: Pajama Day
Naugatuck enjoyed a holiday get together and holiday-themed day with Partner Joe Caligiuri dressed as Santa and the staff dressed as reindeer.
Watertown enjoyed the holiday season together! Left: Elf Themed Day Center: Partner Pete Catuccio as Santa for the Town of Watertown Right: Holiday get together at Uncommon Grill
The Avon staff donated gift items/gift cards to create Holiday Cheer Bags for families in need.
Kasey Adinolfi (left), Wethersfield Partner & Director, welcomed baby boy Calum with her wife Annie.
Sam Ostrowsky, Guilford PT, got engaged to her partner Brandon.
The LMDP Group met in the Administrative office. Pictured from left to right Back Row: Alan Balavender, Sandy Wickman Mason, Tyler Naef, Zack Currie, Mike Durand, Tom Kirsch, Sam McMullen Front Row: Andrew Kalach, Meghan Blanusa, Kelley Cahill
Engagement & Wellness Calendar January
Booster Shot Raffle Now- February 25
Booster Shot Raffle
Are you boosted? Are you planning to get boosted? Submit your name & booster date to wellness@ptsmc.com and be entered into a raffle drawing on February 25th. 4 winners will each receive $50.00 gift cards!
Life Beat
CDC Booster shot guidelines If you received: Pfizer-BioNTech Who should get a booster: • Adults 18 years and older When to get a booster: • At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series Which booster can you get: • Teens 16–17 years old can get a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster • Adults 18 years and older can get any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States If you received: Moderna Who should get a booster: • Adults 18 years and older When to get a booster: • At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series Which booster can you get: • Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States If you received: Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Who should get a booster: • Adults 18 years and older When to get a booster: • At least 2 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination Which booster can you get: • Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States What to Expect during and after Your Booster Shot Appointment • Bring your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record card to your booster shot appointment so your provider can fill in the information about your booster dose. If you did not receive a card at your first appointment, contact the vaccination site where you got your first shot or your state health department to find out how you can get a card. • You may experience side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. These are normal signs that your body is building protection against COVID-19.
Now - February 25
New Year, Same You – Narrow Down New Year Goals We’ve all heard the saying, “New Year, New You.” Every year, we come up with lots of ideas on how to get there: hit the gym, incorporate new methods of relaxation, learn a new hobby, wake up earlier, tackle that organization project, and the list goes on. We always say we want to make all these changes at once, but we have to realize that when we do this, we are trying to change entire aspects of our lives all at once, which is impossible to do and often leads to giving up altogether!
When we want to make change, it’s important to narrow down our goals and take it one step at a time. We can’t just become a whole new person; we are just trying to change certain old habits or develop new ones. Here is a great exercise to organize and reflect on what changes will make the biggest impact and how to take the small steps to get there. Step 1: Grab something to WRITE with. Visualize every goal, habit, and desire you have that will make you the best version of yourself. Write down anything that comes to mind. This is meant to be a brain dump. Ask yourself, what does an ideal day look like? Step 2: Take a breath, it can be overwhelming to see your goals and thoughts all in one place! You might even want to take a break and revisit your brain dump later. Step 3: Next, group similar things you wrote down and identify themes. For example: eat a hearty breakfast, solitary morning time, early start to the day, workout in the morning, and be on time to work. The theme is morning routine. Step 4: Prioritize your categories/themes based on what will help you the most in your life first. Is tackling the habit that will have a significant impact on your work ethic the most important? Your personal and family life? Your overall mental and physical health? Step 5: Now make take these themes and create goals, such as, establish a new morning routine. Most importantly use the S.M.A.R.T method to get clear on the goal: Specific: I wake up at 5 am everyday Measurable: When I start waking up at 5am consistently I will know I have achieved this goal Attainable: I currently wake up at 7am so if I go slow and give myself a goal completion date it is doable Relevant: Waking up early will be my first step towards the morning routine I want. This morning routine will allow more “me” time and I can start my day off right! Timely & Trackable: I want to start waking up at 5am in 3 weeks, so I will wake up a half hour earlier each week to make the transition easier Step 6: Then it’s time to put in the work with focusing on one change at a time. As soon as you feel established with the first good habit then move on to the next one. Remember it’s not how fast we get there it’s about taking it one step at a time. New Year, Same You because YOU have everything you need to become the best version of yourself. You just need to create your gameplan and take it one step at a time!
Mirr Mirr on the wall, who’s the
UGLIEST of them all?
Congratulations to Guilford for winning the 2021 Ugly Sweater Contest! Cheers to all clinics!
Middletown Simsbury
Waterbury Glastonbury
Branford
East Hampton
Wallingford
Naugatuck
Danbury
Admin
Newington
Groton
Shelton
Lock Street
New Haven
Wethersfield
Orange
Plainville
Southbury
2021 Holiday Food Drive! This season’s Holiday Food Drives were an amazing success! Collections of food as well as coats, toys, and money were donated across the state. Our current count of donations is 2574, and believe it or not, there are still more to be counted. The generosity of the PTSMC community is unmatched. Below is a list of all the local collections our clinics were able to support: Button Up CT Coat Drive City of Hartford Toy Drive East Hampton Food Bank Ecumenical Food Bank Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen Gemma E. Moran Food Center Gifts of Love Groton Food Locker Guilford Food Bank Hartford City Hall Toy Drive Loaves and Fishes Masters Manna Middletown Park & Rec Newington Food Bank Orange Food Pantry Plainville Community Food Pantry Simsbury Food Bank Shoreline Soup Kitchen Spooner House Southington Bread for Life St. Vincent DePaul Society Vietnam Veterans Group Waterbury Baptist Ministries Watertown Food Bank West Hartford Food Pantry Wethersfield Food Bank Windsor Food Bank and The Weekend Wheels
2574