Sharon Hospital turns 100

SHARON — It was just what the doctor ordered: After a month of local  tragedies, the community needed a chance to get out in the sun, have some fun, listen to some music and have a really good meal. Sharon Hospital provided all of the above at its 100th anniversary picnic Thursday, July 16 — including, astonishingly, abundant amounts of  much-needed good weather.

The original picnic was scheduled for June 18, but had to be cancelled, not just because it was raining that day but because  it had been raining, relentlessly, for the entire week.

The sprawling tent at the July 16 dinner provided shelter from the sun (and any possible downpours);  for a long table loaded with favorite picnic foods (potato salad,  fresh shrimp, hamburgers, chili dogs), and for diners who sat companionably with  friends, neighbors, colleagues and total strangers at the large and inviting round  tables. Those who didn’t mind a little heat sat outside, on the steps,  on the lawn, on stone walls and listened to speeches and music by Maximum Dosage, a local band that includes Sharon  Selectman John Mathews and Sharon Hospital Radiology Technologist Dave Miller.

Every space was taken. There were an estimated 700-plus people there, from  Connecticut towns and nearby New York state towns. The picnic was a three-hour affair, from 5 to 8 p.m.,and people showed  up in waves, keeping the lines at the buffet table down to a  manageable size.

Speeches and presentations were short, and sweet. Dr. Roger Moore, a  retired internist, recounted the history of Sharon Hospital’s early  days, recalling that it all began in 1909. Moore himself joined the Sharon Clinic in the early 1950s; the clinic was instrumental in the growth of Sharon Hospital.

Michael Browder, the chief executive officer of hospital  parent company Essent Healthcare, spoke briefly, and reaffirmed Essent’s  commitment to ensuring that Sharon and other Essent community hospitals get the support they need so they can serve rural populations.

Connecticut State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64) thanked hospital CEO Charlie Therrien  for the ways the company and the historic hospital have contributed  to the community.

A photograph by Dr. Howard Mortman was presented to the hospital by its senior management team in commemoration of the 100th anniversary. The photo, a view of the famed Sharon twin oaks, will hang in the main lobby of the hospital.

There were also presentations to the hospital, by former patients and staff members, for a time capsule that will be stored at Sharon Hospital with a plan to open it in 50 years. The community brought articles and photographs of family members who had worked at the hospital. Old paper quarantine signs regarding diphtheria and scarlet fever were also donated.

Current staff members also came to the picnic, including many area doctors, who  also helped out with the party. Emergency room doctor Gene Chin stood  at one of the barbecue grills and flipped chicken breasts. Surgeon  Joseph Catania was pulled away from his picnic dinner to help slice (perfectly) one of the massive sheet cakes. Chief of Staff Dr. Michael Parker and Mortman each sliced one of the other cakes.

And then, as though it had been waiting for the party to end, the rain  began to fall, and fall hard, at 8 p.m.