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Exciting Updates and Stories in Our Spring Newsletter!

We are thrilled to share some exciting updates and stories in our latest spring newsletter! Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect:

  1. Unveiling Our New Strategic Plan: Learn about our newly unveiled three-year strategic plan, which outlines our mission, vision, and goals for the future. Discover how we’re working to expand our reach and impact in the Greater Hartford community.
  2. Spotlight on Our Partnership with Avangrid: We are grateful for this partnership that allows us to enhance diabetes care to Malta’s patients
  3. Patient Success Story: Read an inspiring patient success story and discover how Malta House of Care is making a difference in the lives of uninsured adults in our community.
  4. Honoring Malta Founding Members: Join us in honoring the founding members of Malta House of Care, whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for our organization’s success.
  5. Introducing “Minute with Malta,” an innovative program exclusively for our staff and volunteers to stay informed about recent healthcare developments started by Malta’s Medical Director Dr. Angela Stein, M.D. FACP.
  6. Birdies for Charity and Upcoming Wonder Women Event: Get the latest updates on our participation in Birdies for Charity and learn how you can support our mission. Plus, find out all the details about our upcoming Wonder Women event, where we’ll be celebrating extraordinary women making a difference in our community.

Don’t miss out on these inspiring stories and important updates! Be sure to check your mailbox for our spring newsletter, coming soon. And for those who prefer digital reading, the newsletter stories are reproduced as news posts for your reference and convenience. Simply click on the links above to read the full articles. Or view the PDF here. 

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Celebrating Two Decades of Dedication: Honoring Malta House of Care Founding Members

On December 7, 2023, the Board of Directors and staff of Malta House of Care joyfully gathered to celebrate the holiday season alongside five of the original founding members of Malta House. The seeds of Malta House of Care were planted in 2004, when a group of Hartford-area community leaders affiliated with the Order of Malta recognized the urgent need to address disparities in healthcare access and quality in the Greater Hartford region. Their unwavering commitment to the mission of serving the sick and poor led to the inception of Malta House of Care. Now, two decades later, their dedication and innovative approach have resulted in over 77,000 patient visits, a testament to their enduring legacy. In the photo, we see five of the visionaries whose mission continues to inspire our work today.

From Left to Right: Brien Horan, Dr. Pauline Olsen, Ronald Jarvis, Peter Kelly, Sr., and Jean-Pierre van Rooy
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Congratulations Dr. Olsen and Dr. Brennan!

We are proud that two of the distinguished individuals honored by the Hartford Medical Society for their contributions to the betterment of the Greater Hartford Area included Malta’s very own Dr. Pauline Olsen and Dr. Tracy Brennan.  Dr. Olsen and Dr. Brennan both received the Distinguished Service Award as part of the Horace Wells Humanitarian Awards which recognizes individuals who better the world and our local community through volunteer efforts, humanitarian support, and exemplary growth as a medical professional, student, or resident.   Both have also been honored with Malta’s Wonder Women award in the past and we are thrilled that their contributions have been recognized in this way. A special ceremony was at the Mark Twain House on May 18th. Congratulations!

Learn more here. 

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For 4th Year Straight, Malta Earns Top Honors from NAFC

For the fourth year in a row, Malta has earned the highest-possible honors for its standards of care from a pre-eminent national group.

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), a highly respected trade organization that represents about 1,400 charitable clinics nationwide, awarded Malta the NAFC 2023 Standards Gold Rating for its quality-of-care standards.

The mission of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics is to ensure the medically underserved have access to affordable healthcare. The NAFC and our members are dedicated to ensuring that our patients receive quality healthcare. Therefore, to quantify and qualify the care provided at the Free and Charitable Clinic network, the NAFC formalized a set of Quality Standards for member organizations.
 
Its quality standards include policies and procedures related to:

  • Planning and managing care;
  • Tracking and coordinating care;
  • Identifying and managing patient information;
  • Measuring and improving performance
  • Enhanced access and continuity of care;
  • Providing self-care support and community resources; and
  • Administration

We are so proud to be recognized with this esteemed honor.

Learn more about Malta’s past honors here.

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Congratulations to Malta’s inaugural Community Partner Award winners!

On Thursday, December 1, 2022 we celebrated the Magic of Magic and presented our inaugural Community Partner Awards to three partners who have gone above and beyond to show care and concern for others. Malta relies on the support from its generous donors and also need partners in our community to help us take care of our patients. Some are obvious partners for health care support … and some not so obvious. Our inaugural Community Partner Awards recognize:

  • Laurence Burnsed, Director of Health and Social Services in East Hartford, in appreciation of your and the Town of East Hartford’s immediate partnership and collaboration with Malta’s staff and our patients, including direct assistance with health care and other needs at our clinic site in East Hartford and your assistance with connecting patients outside of East Hartford to their local social service agencies. (Mayor Michael Walsh was there to present the award along with Malta)
  • Julie Redding, Hartford Public Library’s The American Place AJC Site Manager/Liaiso, in appreciation of your hard work in helping many of our patients who are immigrants access services and information at The American Place that they might otherwise not receive. (accepted by Bridget Quinn, President and CEO of Hartford Public Library on her behalf)
  • Nesti Risto, Pharmacy Manager at a local Stop & Shop Pharmacy, in appreciation of your hard work in going above and beyond in helping our patients access no cost and affordable medications that they truly need. (accepted by colleague Migdalia Ortiz on his behalf)

On behalf of the Malta House of Care board, staff, volunteers and, most importantly, our patients, Executive Director Victoria Veltri expressed deep gratitude to all three of our awardees for being a true partners in our mission. For over 16 years, Malta has provided no cost primary care to the uninsured adults in the Greater Hartford region. Thanks to the efforts of our recipients, Malta has been able to go the extra mile for its patients. 

The Magic of Malta event, hosted by Jocelyn Maminta, Malta Wonder Woman Class of 2013, Former CT News Anchor/Reporter, and Co-Founder of Caroline’s Room, was a huge success. Thank you to our lead sponsors Cigna and Trumbull Family Foundation; silver sponsors Rossmore Private Capital and Liberty Bank; and bronze sponsor CT Health Foundation. Over 70 guests enjoyed a private viewing of a new exhibition at the Connecticut Science Center, “The Forest of Illusion,” enjoyed up-close magic with magician Christopher Hulbert, a cocktail reception, good company, and the premier of a new video featuring Malta’s new clinic in the words of its patients. Thank you to everyone who attended! Help Malta continue to Make Magic by donating today!

Welcome!
Celebrate the Magic of Malta!
Dazzled by the Magician Christopher Hurlbert
Brian Sheehan welcome
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webmaster Community, Donors, Event, Honors, Partners

Up-close private viewing of CT Science Center’s new exhibit at Magic of Malta event

Join us at our Magic of Malta event on December 1st for an up-close private viewing of the not-yet-opened “Forest of Illusions” exhibition opening just days before our special event. We look forward to having you celebrate with us! Tickets on sale now!

Learn more about this special event!

 

The CT Science Center describes the new traveling exhibition:

Follow the winding path through our Forest of Illusions, where your eyes and mind will be put to the test as you encounter some mind-bending optical illusions. Explore color and light in a whole new way as you mix things up on the interactive light wall. Find your way out of the darkness in a true black hallway that will distort your sense of depth… and space. Step inside a human-sized kaleidoscope for an entirely new perspective. Wander into the UV Cave, where the rocks will shine like you have never seen before. This forest holds many dark secrets, all waiting for you to uncover the truth. But one thing is certain in this Forest of Illusions – you won’t believe your eyes.

  • MIXING LIGHT: Mix things up on our interactive RGB light wall
  • UV CAVE: Step inside our cave, where the rocks will shine under various types of UV light
  • TRUE BLACK: Venture into a pitch-black hallway that distorts your sense of depth…and space
  • HUMAN KALEIDOSCOPE: You’re about to see things in a whole new way when you walk into our kaleidoscope that’s taller than a human
  • HEAT SEEKER: Have some fun testing our infra-red camera
  • GREEN SCREEN: Now you see it, now you don’t. Play with different backgrounds and costumes against our green screen for different outcomes.
  • OPTICAL ILLUSIONS: You will encounter all sorts of mind-bending optical illusions as you walk through our forest, can you solve them all?
  • INSECT ILLUSIONS AND BIO-MIMICRY: Nature is playing tricks on you too! See how various insects use illusions to hide from predators and stay safe

 

Join the celebration and Purchase Tickets

 

 

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For 3rd Year Straight, Malta Earns Top Honors from NAFC

For the third year in a row, Malta has earned the highest-possible honors for its standards of care from a pre-eminent national group.

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), a highly respected trade organization that represents about 1,400 charitable clinics nationwide, awarded Malta the NAFC 2022 Standards Gold Rating for its quality-of-care standards.

The mission of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics is to ensure the medically underserved have access to affordable healthcare. The NAFC and our members are dedicated to ensuring that our patients receive quality healthcare. Therefore, to quantify and qualify the care provided at the Free and Charitable Clinic network, the NAFC formalized a set of Quality Standards for member organizations.
 
Its quality standards include policies and procedures related to:

  • Planning and managing care;
  • Tracking and coordinating care;
  • Identifying and managing patient information;
  • Measuring and improving performance
  • Enhanced access and continuity of care;
  • Providing self-care support and community resources; and
  • Administration

We are so proud to be recognized with this esteemed honor.

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Two Volunteers Win 2020 “Heart of Malta” Awards

Longtime volunteers Kathy Corbalis and Bradford Wilkinson, MD, have been named this year’s “Heart of Malta” honorees, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts as non-medical and medical volunteers, respectively. It is the highest honor a Malta supporter can receive.

Corbalis, a resident of West Hartford, has served as a non-medical volunteer for Malta since 2011, following her retirement as a project manager at The Hartford.

“Kathy has poured her heart and soul into Malta, so it was no surprise that she was a unanimous choice for this award,” said Malta Executive Director Michelle M. Murphy. “She volunteers an average of 20 hours per week, helping with all the big and little office tasks that make non-profits hum – and she does it all with a million-dollar smile. We would be lost without her!”

“To say that I am shocked and thrilled (by this award) is indeed an understatement,” Corbalis said. “Malta House of Care is a very special place, and I am pleased to work alongside such talented and caring staff and volunteers.”

Dr. Wilkinson began volunteering for Malta one day per week in 2006, while he was still running a family practice in Durham; after he retired in 2012, he stepped that up to three days per week. And now, two years after he moved to Wellesley, MA, he still comes back to Hartford two days per month to volunteer for Malta.

“Working at the Malta House of Care Mobile Medical Clinic is the most rewarding thing I have done in 35+ years of practicing medicine,” Dr, Wilkinson said. “Seeing the collective happiness, relief, and gratitude on the faces of thousands of patients I have attended when they realize that finally they have found a place where they are not scorned or ignored but rather treated with dignity, warmth, and concern is a magical experience.

“And, to work shoulder-to-shoulder with, and be inspired by, dozens of like-minded volunteer professionals who so freely give of their time, expertise, and humanity is an inexpressible joy,” he added.

“Brad exudes a commitment to Malta in every single thing he says and does,” said Peter G. Kelly, Sr., Chairman of Malta’s Development Committee. “Whether he is treating patients, mentoring medical students and residents, or encouraging other Malta volunteers, he does so with compassion and respect and an utter joy in the beauty of each person he meets.

“We can’t begin to count the number of hours he’s given to our people and our mission,” Kelly continued. “He is a treasure.”

The “Heart of Malta” awards were established three years ago to honor members of the Malta family who embody the values at the heart of the Malta mission and passionately demonstrate a commitment to its goals.

Bob Voight, Malta’s Board Chair and de facto CEO, received the inaugural Heart of Malta award in 2018.

In 2019, the award was given to the parishioners of St. Catherine of Siena Church in West Simsbury and their charismatic pastor, Rev. Michael Whyte, for their constant support and boundless collective generosity to Malta.

In a departure from the past, the 2020 awards were presented at an extremely small, COVID-safe gathering outside the Malta van during its regular Tuesday Clinic hours at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford. Previously, the awards were given during the annual “Heart of Malta Benefactor Reception” held in the late Fall.