Bigelow funds new patient-family conference room at Bridgeport Hospital

From left, Steve Jakab, president of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, and vice president and chief development officer of Yale New Haven Hospital; Neal Fischbach, assistant professor of medicine, medical oncology and deputy medical director of the Office of Clinical Trials; Eunice Bigelow; Donna Twist, executive director of the Norma Pfriem Breast Center and vice president of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation; Melanie Lynch, director of breast surgery, Bridgeport Hospital and assistant professor of surgery; Anne Diamond, president of Bridgeport Hospital; Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of Bigelow Tea; Karen Gibbs, surgeon-in-chief and chair of the Department of Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital; Pam Scagliarini, COO, Bridgeport Hospital and senior vice president, Yale New Haven Hospital System Administration Operations.

On April 24, Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of Bigelow Tea in Fairfield, has dedicated a conference room at the Norma Pfriem Breast Center at Bridgeport Hospital where patients and their families can meet with doctors and navigators to discuss their diagnoses and the path forward. With the support of the Bigelow family, the Breast Cancer Center will renovate the room to create a more comfortable atmosphere for patients and their families. The donation was made in honor of Bigelow’s late father, David C. Bigelow, who, along with his mother, Eunice, was a generous supporter of the center. A plaque commemorating their donation will also be displayed. 

Cindi Bigelow presented a check for $150,000 to Patient Care Services to support the center’s mission that all people who need it can receive care, regardless of their ability to pay. (The center provides nearly 1,500 uninsured and underinsured women with financial assistance for their patients’ care each year.) A host of friends, employees and supporters were on hand to honor the Bigelows.

“When my father passed away, we learned that he wanted to give back to a specific group of organizations,” Bigelow said. “The Norma Pfriem Breast Center was one of them. But we realize that this is so small compared to all the good work that everyone does here every day. We are proud to support you.

Donna Twist, Ph.D., executive director of the center, thanked the Bigelows. “Your generosity is incredible,” she said. “It’s a very vulnerable time for patients when they meet providers in the conference room. Decor can make all the difference. We are very grateful to you.

One of 500 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the center offers a wide range of care and diagnostic treatments at its hospital locations in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Trumbull, including medical oncology, surgery and chemotherapy, plastic surgery services. , mammography and radiation therapy, genetic risk assessment and participation in clinical trials as well as wellness services such as yoga, nutrition counseling and massage.  

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nonprofit acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed by Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital). The Bridgeport hospital and Milford campus serve patients in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments per year. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the state’s only burn center and one of 64 verified burn centers in the United States.

To learn more, visitwww.bridgeporthospital.org.