UConn Health (formerly known as the UConn Health Center) is the branch of the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
that oversees clinical care, advanced biomedical research, and academic education in medicine. The main branch is located in
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles s ...
, in the US. It includes a
teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...
(UConn John Dempsey Hospital), the
UConn School of Medicine,
School of Dental Medicine, and Graduate School. Other community care satellite locations exist in
Avon,
Canton,
East Hartford
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerospac ...
,
Putnam,
Simsbury
Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670.
History
Early history
At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...
,
Southington
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 43,501. Southington contains the villages of Marion, Milldale, and Plantsville.
Geography
Southington is situ ...
,
Storrs,
Torrington,
West Hartford
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
, and
Willimantic, including two urgent cares in both
Storrs and
Canton. The university owns and operates many smaller clinics around the state that contain UConn Medical Group, UConn Health Partners, University Dentists and research facilities.
Andrew Agwunobi
Andrew Chuma Agwunobi (born 1965) is an American physician and administrator. He has been the CEO for UConn Health since 2014 and was appointed interim president of the University of Connecticut on May 19, 2021. He is the first non-white person ...
stepped down as the CEO of UConn Health in February 2022 after serving since 2014 for a private-sector job. Bruce Liang is UConn Heath's interim CEO and remains dean of the UConn School of Medicine.
UConn Health has about 5,000 employees,
and is closely linked with the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
's main campus in
Storrs through several cross-campus academic projects. UConn Health is part of a plan introduced by Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, called "Bioscience Connecticut," and approved by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2011, to stimulate the economy in the state of Connecticut.
Health Care Services
UConn John Dempsey Hospital
UConn John Dempsey Hospital is a 234 licensed bed university hospital that provides comprehensive clinical and surgical services including for emergency care, heart attack, stroke,
geriatics,
maternal fetal medicine,
cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart d ...
,
cancer care
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
,
orthopaedic
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
s,
dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...
and
neurosurgery
Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...
. The hospital is an acute care facility and operates the only full service
emergency department
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...
in the
Farmington Valley
The Farmington Valley is located along the western boundary of Hartford County in Connecticut, bordering Litchfield County immediately to the west. It is defined by the Farmington River, which runs through it. Physiographically, the valley is lo ...
. UConn Health has an estimated annual impact of $2.2 billion on the local economy. The hospital was named after former
Connecticut State Governor John N. Dempsey
John Noel Dempsey (January 3, 1915 – July 16, 1989) was an American politician who was the 81st Governor of Connecticut. He was a Democrat, and began his political career at the age of 21 serving on the Putnam City Council. He later served as ...
, after he successfully helped acquire funding for the academic hospital.
In the last year with available data, UConn Health had 8,653
admissions, 29,727 patients
emergency room
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...
visits, and its surgeons performed 2,379 inpatient and 7,550 outpatient surgeries.
UConn Health operates 68 medical residency training programs for physicians, as well as eight advanced dental training programs.
Bioscience Connecticut construction began in 2013. It included a new patient care tower on the UConn Health campus, as well as renovations to the existing UConn John Dempsey Hospital. The project was completed in 2016. The building is certified in
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
(LEED).
Outpatient care
With more than 450 physicians in more than 50 specialties, the physicians of the UConn Health form one of the region's largest multi-specialty practice. Outpatient services include primary care,
OB/GYN
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...
,
dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...
. The UConn Center on Aging offers specialized services to aging populations. Clinic sites are located on the Farmington campus, and at satellite offices in West Hartford, East Hartford,
Avon,
Simsbury
Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670.
History
Early history
At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...
and
Southington
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 43,501. Southington contains the villages of Marion, Milldale, and Plantsville.
Geography
Southington is situ ...
.
Through Bioscience Connecticut, a new ambulatory care center began construction in 2012 on the UConn Health campus, part of a $840 million state initiative.
The 300,000-square-foot outpatient ambulatory care center was supported with $203 million in private financing, and will house existing services and support the work of new faculty that will be joining the UConn Health.
Dental care
University Dentists, the group practice based on the Health Center's Farmington campus, provides preventive, corrective and restorative care for patients of all ages. In addition, the student and resident run dental services provide an affordable safety net for patients with little or no insurance.
UConn Health is home to a modern Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry that offers dental implant therapies and is engaged in research into bone growth and augmentation.
Correctional Managed Health Care (CMHC)
UConn Heath's former Correctional Managed Health Care (CMHC) program, a prior longtime partnership with the Department of Correction, transitioned back to the DOC in 2018. The DOC now delivers comprehensive managed health care to State of Connecticut inmates. Medical, mental health, dental and ancillary services are provided by the DOC in all 14 facilities across the state.
Education
UConn Health offers degree programs in medicine (
MD),
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
(
DMD), and biomedical science (
PhD); master's degree programs in
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
and dental science. UConn Health also sponsors
residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
and
fellowship
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
programs that provide specialty training for newly graduated physicians, and
continuing education
Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United ...
programs for practicing health care professionals. Combined degree programs, such as the MD/PhD, DMD/PhD, and MD/MPH are also offered. Each year in Farmington, about 320 students work toward their medical doctor's degree (MD), 160 toward their doctor of medical dentistry degree (DMD), and over 300 towards their doctoral degree (PhD). The dental school is accredited by the American Dental Association.
The MD program is accredited by the
Liaison Committee on Medical Education
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada.''Glossary.'' ACGME website. The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Co ...
.
As the dental and medical schools took shape during the 1960s, their planners took advantage of their simultaneous evolution to forge links between them. Most notably, medical and dental students share an essentially common curriculum during the first two years of their four-year degree programs. During this period they study the basic medical sciences together. This experience provides UConn's dental students with a foundation in the biomedical sciences that undergird the dental profession. UConn Health graduated its first students in 1972. The current dean of the UConn School of Medicine is Dr. Bruce T. Liang, M.D. The current dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine is Dr. Steven Lepowsky, who was appointed in 2020.
Through a variety of residency and fellowship programs, the School of Medicine provides postgraduate training for more than 550 newly graduated MD and DO physicians each year. Training occurs at UConn Health's main campus, as well as community hospitals, such as
Hartford Hospital
Hartford Hospital is an 938-bed acute care teaching hospital located in the South End of Hartford, Connecticut. Hartford Hospital was established in 1854. The hospital campus is located on Seymour Street in Hartford and is directly adjacent to the ...
and
St. Francis Hospital and The Hospital of Central Connecticut.
UConn Health houses and the
Lyman Maynard Stowe Library administers the
Hartford Medical Society
Hartford Medical Society (HMS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit professional association for physicians founded in 1846 and based in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. The HMS developed substantial library and museum collections and, in ...
Historical Library. This history of medicine collection includes 19th century American monographs, serials, pamphlets, manuscripts and artifacts.
Urban Service Track
Urban Service Track is a program that is based at University of Connecticut Health Center. It is designed to produce a cadre of well qualified health care professionals committed to serving Connecticut's urban underserved populations. As Urban Health Scholars, participants come from a select group of students enrolled in the
University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine, Social Work, and Quinnipiac University's Physician Assistant Program. A total of 50 to 52 Urban Health Scholars, eight to ten students per school, are selected each year from among qualified applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to service. Urban Health Scholars gain valuable exposure to the complex and challenging issues of health care in the inner city.
In UST's 2007 pilot program, 24 students enrolled from the four health professions, attending three Learning Retreats and providing service at four community health centers. As of 2013, about 191 students have enrolled in the program.
This program has an 11 competency curriculum. These are: culture and linguistic appreciation; population health; health policy; advocacy; health care financing and management; leadership and interprofessional teamwork; utilization of community resources; and quality improvement and patient safety. It has a formal 2 year curriculum which is delivered through quarterly Learning Retreats hosted in communities that UST serves.
These four hour retreats bring Urban Health Scholars from the five disciplines together for focused training sessions that examine the competencies through the lenses of vulnerable populations. These include: urban children and youth; the incarcerated and ex-offender; the homeless; individuals living with HIV/AIDS; the developmentally disabled; refugee and immigrant populations; the elderly and children; substance abusers; and veterans.
Research
UConn Health publishes research in
neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, development ...
,
molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...
,
molecular pharmacology
''Molecular Pharmacology'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics since 1965. It is indexed in MEDLINE, Meta, Scopus, and other databases.
According to the ''Journa ...
,
biochemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...
,
cell physiology
Cell physiology is the biological study of the activities that take place in a cell to keep it alive. The term ''physiology'' refers to normal functions in a living organism. Animal cells, plant cells and microorganism cells show similarities in th ...
,
toxicology
Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating expo ...
, and
endocrinology
Endocrinology (from '' endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental event ...
, among other fields. The Alcohol Research Center at UConn Health is one of fourteen such federally supported centers in the nation; the Connecticut Clinical Chemosensory Research Center is one of five.
In 2010, the university established the Cell and Genome Sciences building, which includes its new Stem Cell Institute as well as cell biology and
genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...
research in its Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology.
See also
*
American Student Dental Association
The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) is a national student-run organization that is concerned with the rights, interests, and welfare of dental students. It has the aim of introducing students to lifelong involvement in organized dentist ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Bioscience ConnecticutUConn Health CenterLyman Maynard Stowe Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Of Connecticut Health Center
Hospital buildings completed in 1966
Connecticut Health Center, University of
Farmington, Connecticut
Educational institutions established in 1966
Universities and colleges in Hartford County, Connecticut
University of Connecticut
1966 establishments in Connecticut
Teaching hospitals in Connecticut
Medical schools in Connecticut