Catholic Medical Center (CMC), a member of GraniteOne Health, gratefully accepted a generous $2,500 gift from the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund (BCAF). The grant honors Deacon Frank Ottaviano, a CMC assistant chaplain who received this year’s BCAF Vita et Caritas Award.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate way to honor my mother’s legacy than to present this grant to CMC’s Health Care for the Homeless program at Wilson Street Integrated Health,” said Julie Ford Bailey, a member of the Board of Directors of the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund and daughter of the late Ruthie Ford, in whose memory the Vita et Caritas Award is given annually. “Deacon Frank has dedicated his life to serving the most vulnerable among us, just as she served women, children and families.”
The money will support the recently-opened Wilson Street Integrated Health, a clinic of Health Care for the Homeless. The clinic is housed at the Manchester Recovery and Treatment Center and offers medical, social, and behavioral support for patients along their substance use recovery journey. At the hospital, Deacon Frank has a special interest in counseling with patients and families who are alcohol or drug misuse.
“Whether it’s at CMC, our Health Care for the Homeless Clinics, or throughout the diocese, we all have the same goal,” said Tim Soucy, CMC Director of Community Health and Mission. “That is to respect the dignity and promote the health of all people, including and especially those struggling with substance use disorder and homelessness.”
In the photo (left to right): Marc Guillemette (CMC), Tim Ford, Patrick Ford, Julie Ford Bailey, Bruce Ford, Tim Soucy (CMC)