FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2007

CONTACT:	Robert Fraleigh, Director - Corporate Communications, CCMC 860.240.7644
	Jane Baird, Advocacy Coordinator, CCMC (860) 545-8561

"CONNECTICUT FAMILY MEETING WITH WASHINGTON D.C. LAWMAKERS REGARDING CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE "

Simsbury’s Kritzman Family Joins Connecticut Children’s Medical Center As Part of National Family Advocacy Day

HARTFORD, Conn.—For the third straight year, representatives from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center will be in Washington D.C. as part of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions. Family Advocacy Day. This special event was created as a way to provide lawmakers with a clearer perspective on how their local constituents benefit by having expert pediatric health care services available close to home.

Joining the representatives from CCMC will be five members of the Kritzman family from Simsbury, Conn. In December 2005, Sally and Sophie Kritzman were born prematurely at 26 weeks and five days gestation. Sally was two pounds, and Sophie was one pound, 10 ounces, at birth. Both required ventilation support for weeks and were on a continuous positive airway pressure for months. Both girls were born with a patent ductus arteriosus, an abnormal opening between two major blood vessels in the heart.

Sally and Sophie spent their first three months of life receiving care in CCMC's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Today, the girls are at home with their family and are thriving. Both girls are starting to walk, talk and cause trouble, and the Kritzman family could not be happier.

“The progress of Sally and Sophie has been amazing,” said Debbi Kritzman, the girls’ mother. “Thanks to the superb care that was provided by the entire medical staff at CCMC, the girls are doing terrific.”

“The support we receive from lawmakers both in Washington D.C. and Connecticut allows CCMC to deliver high quality patient-centered care throughout the entire state to families like the Kritzmans,” said Martin J. Gavin, CCMC’s president and chief executive officer. “All of us at CCMC are thrilled by the progress that Sally and Sophie are making. They are a shining example of why being able to provide the highest level of pediatric healthcare services is essential to any community.”

As part of their trip to Washington, the Kritzmans will have the opportunity to meet with other families from across the country who are joining them as “citizen lobbyists.” They will also visit with members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, and attend a luncheon on Capitol Hill where several members of Congress will speak about prioritizing the needs of children and children’s health care. Joining Sally, Sophie, and Debbi in Washington will be the girls’ father, A.J. Kritzman, and their grandmother, Jan.

The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions is an organization of children's hospitals that promotes the health and well-being of all children and their families through support of children's hospitals and health systems that are committed to excellence in providing healthcare to children. NACHRI works to ensure all children’s’ access to healthcare and children's hospitals continuing ability to provide services needed by children. Children’s hospitals work to ensure the health of all children through clinical care, research, training and advocacy.