Senator Terry Gerratana (D-New Britain) today announced that the State Bond Commission is set to approve $10 million to finance a grant-in-aid to the Center of Special Care, Inc. Hospital for Special Care (HSC) in New Britain to assist with expansion of its inpatient facilities for youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The State Bond Commission is slated to vote on the items at its meeting on Wednesday, July 25 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1E of the Legislative Office Building.
“These funds will allow the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain to expand critical services for children and families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Sen. Gerratana said. “I am proud to support the great work being done at HSC and their mission to meet our community’s health needs.”
“I want to thank Senator Gerratana for her willingness to champion this project on behalf of HSC and those we serve. Her early support was instrumental to this effort and we simply could not have come this far without her commitment,” said Lynn Ricci, President & CEO of Hospital for Special Care. “I am hopeful that the award moves forward next week and that we will soon have the resources needed to expand a highly specialized and effective continuum of care for youth diagnosed with ASD.”
In keeping with the hospital’s history, HSC has been examining the ongoing healthcare needs of a growing segment of our community, namely persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Connecticut, over 9,000 children under the age of 18 have been identified as exhibiting this disorder. That is about 1 in 68 children, and 1 in 54 are boys. Based on current research, it seems the prevalence rate is growing. There are approximately 41,000 individuals living with ASD in Connecticut across the lifespan.
The Autism Center provides Outpatient Services at our Research & Education Center as well as inpatient services in our Autism Inpatient Unit. HSC is the only Patient Centered Specialty Practice for Autism in the country and one out of 10 dedicated inpatient specialty units in the country.
Learn more at hfsc.org/autism.