Hospital Seeks Signatures For Cardiac Services Petition

DANBURY –– More than ten percent of the people who have signed the petition to support Danbury Hospital’s advanced cardiology plans have done so electronically by signing the petition on the Internet. As the hospital works to complete its state application to bring angioplasty and open heart surgery to the region, this fast, easy, and secure way to show support offers readers the ability to participate right in their own homes or offices.

Last July, Danbury Hospital filed a Letter of Intent with the State of Connecticut Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) outlining its plan to bring the standard of care for treating heart attacks along with cardiac surgery to western Connecticut. As the hospital prepares its formal request for permission to offer these services, it wants the public’s signature of support. To date, more than 18,000 people from 150 towns in Connecticut, New York, and 11 other states have backed the plan by signing petitions that will accompany a Certificate of Need application to OHCA later this fall.

According to Frank J. Kelly, Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems Inc president and CEO, people in greater Danbury and surrounding towns do not receive the same level of care as those in other areas of Connecticut and the United States.

 “Now that angioplasty is the standard of care for treating heart attacks, our patients want and deserve direct access to these services,” said Mr Kelly. “Several widely regarded studies show angioplasty as the most effective treatment for patients suffering a heart attack rather than clot-dissolving drugs. An estimated two-thirds of Americans who have heart attacks annually do not have access to angioplasty, and we don’t want the people of greater Danbury to be among them,” he said.

To access the web petition, visit www.danburyhospital.org to find background on the campaign, as well as the web petition, and printable individual and group petitions, in the right column of the home page. Just look for the red heart campaign logo and the words “Danbury Hospital — Quality Cardiac Care” on the right side of the screen. To “sign” online, click on “Sign the Web Petition,” complete the form and click on “Submit Petition.”

Visitors to the hospital can sign hard-copy petitions available in the Tower and Stroock building lobbies. Signed petitions should be returned to the collection boxes in the lobbies or faxed to 203-830-2093. For general information about the campaign, call Community Relations at 797-7247.