Bigelow Tea CEO talks naturopathic medicine at Bridgeport Hospital’s Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center

Fairfield , CT – Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of Bigelow Tea, recently visited the offices of Bridgeport Hospital’s Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center in Fairfield to discuss naturopathic medicine with Dr. Veronica Waks and to learn more about the center’s wellness programs. Bigelow Tea supports the center’s wellness programs through the Bigelow Tea Community Challenge, an annual run that raises more than $100,000 each year and helps fund 18 local nonprofit organizations.

Bigelow Tea’s wellness program for employees partners with the breast care center to provide lectures and workshops on health and wellness topics. Workshops are held during business hours at Bigelow’s corporate offices in Fairfield. In addition to naturopathic medicine, breast care center providers discuss nutrition, sleep therapy, emotional well-being, massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, Reiki and Pilates, among other topics. The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center offers a comprehensive lineup of health and wellness programs.

“Employees learn about wellness services that can have a long term impact on their health,” says Bigelow. “We want to make it easy for employees to access services that can help them stay well at any age.”

As part of the Bigelow Tea wellness program, employees are invited to participate in the Bigelow Wellness Challenge by taking steps to improve their health through diet, exercise and classes.

“We developed a point system to reward employees for healthy lifestyle choices,” says Bigelow. “Employees who eat healthy, exercise regularly and visit health and wellness providers earn benefits, such as credit toward a yoga or other wellness class at the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center.”

As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, many companies are encouraging their employees to take a preventive approach to health. Nancy Church, the breast care center’s community education coordinator, says, “At the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center we believe that education and prevention are the best ways of staying healthy. Our facility on Beach Road in Fairfield offers a comprehensive approach to wellness. We work with community groups and businesses to introduce our wellness services to their members and employees and develop lunch-and-learn and other programs that bring our providers to them.”

To learn more about the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center’s corporate wellness programs or to schedule an information session for your group or company, call 203.255.5300 or email [email protected].

Part of Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health System, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center has served more than 20,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999. One of only 200 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the center provides a wide range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials.

The breast care center office at 111 Beach Road in Fairfield also provides comprehensive women’s wellness services, including nutrition counseling, massage and Reiki therapy, wig and prosthesis fitting, counseling, yoga, Pilates, naturopathic medicine and other patient support activities. The center also has a satellite office on Park Avenue in Trumbull.

The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center is a member of the prestigious National Consortium of Breast Care Centers. For more information call 203.255.5300 or visit the Center on the web.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org