NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (May 2, 2011) – The Hospital for Special Care Auxiliary has made a lead gift of $330,000 to the health care institution's capital effort to expand outpatient care for adults and children with chronic and rehabilitative conditions.

"We are delighted to make this lead gift to the Outpatient campaign," said Gerry Devers, President, Hospital for Special Care Auxiliary. "This is an early endorsement by the Auxiliary in support of the hospital's much needed effort to expand ambulatory care for our special patient populations."

The $5.9 million campaign is currently in the silent phase with half of funds raised. The campaign will enter the public phase later this year. The Hospital for Special Care Auxiliary, along with major donors, foundations and corporations, has provided the seminal funds for the campaign to-date.

"The Auxiliary's gift comes at a critical time, significantly preparing the campaign for public participation," said David Crandall, HSC President and CEO. "We honor the Auxiliary's hard work and perseverance in raising this extraordinary gift."

Once known exclusively as a long-term acute care hospital, many more of its patients are now treated on an outpatient basis. The hospital handles approximately 30,000 outpatient visits per year across all specialty clinics.

The "Hope Campaign" will increase by four times the size of the hospital's Outpatient Center. Clinics will include brain injury, spinal cord injury and neuromuscular care (ALS disease and muscular dystrophy). With ground-level accessibility for each, other clinics slated for the expansion are Parkinson's disease, autism, neuropathy and primary care. Additionally, the building initiative will expand the Auxiliary gift shop and create an Auxiliary courtyard café for patients and visitors.

Now in its 59th year of operation, The Hospital for Special Care Auxiliary has raised over $1 million in support of the institution over three decades, largely through the efforts of the "Little Store" located within the hospital, and the Special Care Corner Thrift Shop located on Arch Street in New Britain. The gift shop is the only one of its kind in Connecticut operated exclusively by volunteers. President Devers, who also serves as a member of the hospital's board of directors, began her volunteer leadership with the hospital in 1988.

Hospital for Special Care (HSC), with locations in New Britain and Hartford, Connecticut, is the only long-term acute-care hospital in the nation serving adults and children. HSC is nationally recognized for advanced care and rehabilitation in the highly specialized areas of pulmonary care, acquired brain injury, medically-complex pediatrics, neuromuscular disorders and spinal cord injury.

Responding to the needs of a rising patient population, HSC now leads the state by recently opening the first Comprehensive Inpatient Heart Failure Unit in Connecticut.

For more information, please visit www.hfsc.org or call (860) 832-6257.

About Hospital for Special Care:

As the only long-term acute-care hospital in the nation serving adults and children, Hospital for Special Care (HSC), located in New Britain and Hartford, Connecticut, is nationally recognized for advanced care and rehabilitation in the highly specialized areas of pulmonary care, acquired brain injury, medically-complex pediatrics, neuromuscular disorders, spinal cord injury, as well as inpatient comprehensive heart failure care. Hospital for Special Care operates inpatient and outpatient facilities serving Southern New England on a not-for-profit basis.

HSC is one of the tenth largest, free-standing long-term acute care hospitals in the United States. Please visit www.hfsc.org for more information.