Hospital for Special Care

02/25/2026

Please help us welcome R. Moses Vargas, Esq. to our Executive Leadership Team as Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Government Affairs!

Moses brings more than 14 years of healthcare leadership experience, having joined us from Connecticut Children’s, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. He has an extensive background in health care law and has authored several pieces in legal publications focused on HIPAA and patient privacy laws. Moses is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law.

We are thrilled to have Moses part of the HFSC team and know that his leadership and knowledge will help guide our future and evolve our care offerings! ✨

Hospital for Special Care (HFSC) has appointed R. Moses Vargas, Esq. as Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Government Affairs. In this role, Vargas is responsible for leading and managing all…

02/24/2026

Please be advised: Due to the winter storm, Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center's classes scheduled for today, Tues, Feb 24, are cancelled. We anticipate resuming regular programming on Wednesday.

We hear that the horses are looking forward to an extra day off frolicking in the snow! 🐴❄

02/22/2026

❄️ Winter weather is on the way — and we’re ready! ❄️

As we prepare for the upcoming winter storm, our top priority is keeping our patients, visitors, team members, and community safe.

🏊‍♂️ Our Aquatic and Fitness Center will be closed on Monday, February 23.

We appreciate your understanding as we take these proactive steps. Please stay warm, travel safely, and keep an eye on our channels for any additional updates. 💙

02/20/2026

We're sharing our gratitude to Kelser Corporation for their incredible gift of $58,000.00 to our Center for Cognitive Health, raised from the proceeds of their annual Kelser Charity Challenge Golf Tournament! Their generosity benefits our patients living with cognitive impairment and aging brain health diseases, allowing us to elevate our care offerings and increase quality of life.

This was a record-high raised through the tournament, with The Kelser Foundation's core mission of philanthropy being more than an initiative — it is their way of life. ✨

02/19/2026

Join us Sat, April 25 at the MahoneySabol, CPAs and Advisors 5K at the Travelers Championship as we race to raise funds for our Neuromuscular Center of Excellence. This signature HMF Events (Hartford Marathon Foundation) charity partner 5K offers both a 5K run and 1 mile fitness walk. Bring the whole family for a day of fun and fundraising!

Register now at https://www.hartfordmarathon.com/mahoneysabol-5k-at-the-travelers-championship/ and then lace up your sneaks to start training. 👟See you at the starting line!

02/18/2026

Meet the Artist: Racquel Miller 🎨
Racquel is a self-taught artist, guided not by formal instruction but by intuition and a willingness to explore. She works primarily with professional-grade acrylics on heavy-duty, gallery-wrapped canvas, building layers that evoke both tranquility and vitality.

Since 2020, Racquel has embraced abstract art as a joyful exploration—a way to capture the essence of a moment or a memory rather than its literal form. Her paintings invite you to pause, to breathe, and to reconnect with the natural world.

Apart from being an artist, Racquel is a wife and mother of three boys. She balances her creative practice with a career as an employment coordinator. Through her art, Racquel hopes to offer a moment of peace—a reminder that beauty can be found in both the wildness and the stillness of life.

Now on display throughout HFSC’s hallways for patients to enjoy, and available for purchase!
For inquiries, contact Olivia at oreed@hfsc.org

02/17/2026

Happy Lunar New Year! 🏮 To celebrate this Year of the Fire Horse, therapeutic recreation therapists Olivia and Chris shared Chinese and Korean New Year's cultural traditions with our patients. They learned the history of the celebrations, made paper lanterns to light the way for hope and prosperity, and celebrated one another's strength and resilience.

These inclusive and fun festivities highlight the significant role our TR specialists play in promoting social connection for our patients - a perfect way to also recognize Recreational Therapy Month and the impact it makes! ✨

02/16/2026

This Heart Month, we recognize the strength of our cardiac rehab patients and the clinical excellence behind their recovery. At Hospital for Special Care, our medically complex care helps patients rebuild endurance, regain independence, and move forward with confidence.

02/14/2026

There’s nothing like puppy love to celebrate Valentine’s Day! 🐾
Autism Service Dog Adele helped us share the love earlier this week with a very special kissing booth—bringing smiles, joy, and a few tail wags to our community.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at HFSC!

02/13/2026

Meet our new therapy dog in-training, Ava! 🐾

Ava is a one-year old Golden Lab who is working as a team with her owner/handler, Kelly, who is also one of our dedicated physical therapists specializing in orthopedic and neurological care.

Ava and Kelly will be visiting our continuing care units on Friday’s, bringing emotional grounding, social interaction, connection to normalcy and of course, fluff-filled love, to our patients. 🩵

02/13/2026

To help ensure the safety and security of our patients, visitors and staff, we are implementing a new identification badge process for all outpatients visiting Hospital for Special Care, starting Monday, February 16.

What this means for you:
🪪Please bring a valid photo ID
🕔Please allow a few extra minutes during check-in while your badge is printed
🏥Please wear your badge so it is visible at all times while in the building
👩‍⚕️You may be asked by staff to confirm that you have your badge and that it remains visible

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure environment that supports rebuilding lives!

To help ensure the safety and security of our patients, visitors and staff, we are implementing a new identification badge process for all outpatients visiting our facility. Beginning on Monday…

02/12/2026

Congratulations to our January MVP recipient, Nicole Riley, Unit Secretary at the Hartford Satellite Unit! 🏆

Nicole was chosen by the MVP Selection Committee for all the ways she makes a difference for patients, families, and the Satellite Team. According to the nomination submitted, “Nicole’s positive attitude is contagious on the unit. Her can do spirit and ability to problem solve for any situation and any role helps to keep the unit operations moving every day. She is the first to organize a staff program, pizza party, or any activity that brings the team together.” “Nicole is one of those co-workers who make you smile at work and make you feel as though we can achieve greatness with her in the mix.”