University of New Haven and Bristol Hospital Announce Relationship to Support Continuing Education of Hospital Employees

The University of New Haven and Bristol Hospital have created an affiliation that will provide a 20 percent tuition discount to hospital employees. Approved employees will be able to participate in undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit professional development certificate programs.

"We are pleased to provide this opportunity to employees of Bristol Hospital who are on the frontlines of providing critical care for our community,” said Greg Eichhorn, vice president for enrollment and student success. “We look forward to welcoming Bristol Hospital employees to be part of the programs we offer across our School of Health Sciences, which is highly regarded for its student-centered and progressive curriculum.”

“Building these relationships is critical to increasing the health care workforce in Connecticut and in providing them the patient-centered training and education required to excel,” said Elizabeth B. Francis-Connolly, Ph.D., dean of the University’s School of Health Sciences. “Our new collaboration with Bristol Hospital is a win-win for both parties.”

Bristol Hospital employees who take part in the program will receive personal advisement from a designated University of New Haven success adviser. University representatives will have opportunities to interact with employees of Bristol Hospital through on-site visits, benefits fairs, and lunch-and-learn events.

Among the programs Bristol Hospital employees could pursue include, among other programs, master’s degrees in public health, healthcare administration, or speech-language pathology; graduate certificates in epidemiology, healthcare informatics, or long-term health; or bachelor’s degrees in health sciences, exercise sciences or medical laboratory science.

“A career in medical technology is perfect for those who love science and want to work in the medical field,” said Michele Normandin, MD, a board-certified physician specializing in pathology with Bristol Hospital. “It is an area of medicine that is not well known, and as a consequence is understaffed. Many positions are available now, and the demand for Medical Technologists will only continue to increase. Medical Technologists are the scientists behind all laboratory work performed in a hospital and reference laboratories. We impact every aspect of patient care."