Anne Diamond, J.D., president
(also executive vice president, Yale New Haven Health)
(part of Yale New Haven Health)
267 Grant St., Bridgeport
203-384-3000
What was your path to becoming a hospital president?
“I began my health-care career as a certified nuclear medicine technologist (CNMT) and radiation safety officer. My first job was at University Hospitals in Cleveland, where I had the opportunity to participate in nuclear medicine research and work with PET, an emerging technology at the time. My first leadership role was at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. I think I got the research ”˜bug”™ working in academic medical centers and decided to leave acute care for a decade to work for an international research and development company. I had the opportunity to travel the world learning about health care and to improve the environment where hospitals care for their patients through research and innovation. When I came back into acute care, my career progressed through a series of promotions leading to the C-suite and three CEO roles. I have a B.S. in nuclear medicine technology from Cedar Crest College, a Juris Doctorate from Purdue University, Concord Law School, and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Bridgeport.”
What makes Bridgeport Hospital distinctive?
“Bridgeport Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health with 501 licensed beds on two campuses in Bridgeport and Milford. The main campus is located in Connecticut”™s most populous city, primarily serving patients from Fairfield and New Haven counties. Burn patients are seen in the Connecticut Burn Center ”” Connecticut”™s only burn center ”” from throughout the state and neighboring states. Bridgeport Hospital has more than 3,000 employees, more than 1,100 active physicians representing more than 60 subspecialties and 230 medical/surgical residents and fellows. We admit over 23,000 patients and provide nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. What makes Bridgeport Hospital distinctive besides the excellence in care is the people who work here. We take care of you like you are part of our family.”
What are its specialties?
“As I mentioned, Bridgeport Hospital has Connecticut”™s only Burn Center. Our cancer program is affiliated with Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Yale Cancer Center, one of only 71 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in the country and the only one in Connecticut. The Yale New Haven Hospital Heart and Vascular Center (HVC) provides general and specialty care for all types of cardiac disease. Bridgeport Hospital is also recognized for its expertise in pulmonary diseases, including sleep medicine; OB-GYN; pediatrics, including a Level 2 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); and other surgical specialties in orthopedics, bariatrics, gastroenterology, neurosurgery and critical-care surgery.”
Increasingly, hospitals are becoming part of health-care systems. What are the advantages of such networks?
“There are many advantages to being part of a health-care system like Yale New Haven Health. One of those is the ability to access national and world-ranked specialists, thanks to our affiliation with Yale New Haven Health and Yale Medicine. Being part of an academic health system means bringing the best research to our patients and providing cutting-edge treatments close to home. The size of our health system also offers economies of scale, enabling us to buy products even when there are supply-chain challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the necessity for scale. The ability to share resources and expertise among the hospitals in the system ensures that our patients are getting the very best care possible, and our patient outcomes have validated that.”
What do you see in the future for Bridgeport Hospital?
“Since the pandemic began, we have made great strides, such as identifying the best treatments and methods for flexing volume up and down and caring for patients with a novel virus. We also have improved our relationships with community and health-system partners, which will continue to benefit the hospital and community well into the future. I see robotics, telehealth and artificial intelligence playing a vital role in the future of Bridgeport Hospital and the health-care industry. Once Covid-19 is behind us, Bridgeport Hospital can soar into the next level of acute care, using technology and innovation to drive excellence in clinical outcomes as well as superior patient-centered care.”
For more, visit bridgeporthospital.org.
