Putnam Resident, New Mom Mallory Murray: When Things Are Uncertain, Generations of Care and Community Mean a Lot

Mallory Murray has lived in Northeast Connecticut all her life, born and raised in Putnam. And like so many who call this little "quiet corner" of the world home, Murray says the generational ties and the friendly sense of community she feels here are important to her. That was especially the case during her high-risk pregnancy, when frequent doctor's visits and tests brought her in regular contact with one Northeast Connecticut mainstay that's been part of her family's lives for generations - Day Kimball Healthcare.

"My dad was a Day Kimball employee for many years when I was growing up," Mallory recalls. "He was an EMT and a firefighter, and worked on the Security team. He also worked as a nursing assistant on third shift for a while, so I was very familiar with the Hospital."

That familiarity would lend Murray a measure of comfort in late 2013, when she and her husband, Brian Moreau (also a Northeast Connecticut native), learned they were expecting their first child. Partly due to a pre-existing condition and partly as a result of having developed high blood pressure, Mallory's pregnancy was classified as being high-risk.

"I saw Dr. Raheb and Dr. Dalton in the OB/GYN office. When I developed the high blood pressure Dr. Dalton referred me to cardiology and set me up with Dr. Mackenzie in Maternal Fetal Medicine. They were all just awesome, and the nurses were always so warm and welcoming too - it just made me feel very comfortable, like I didn't have to worry," Murray says.

Thankfully Murray progressed through her pregnancy without incident and in June, 2014 her healthy baby girl, Harper, was born.

Like most new mothers, Murray says it was an unforgettable experience. But given her special circumstances, she credits her healthy pregnancy, smooth delivery and positive first days as a new mom to the care she received from staff across the DKH network -from her primary care physician, Dr. Xeller, to her OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine care team, to the staff she encountered during ultrasounds and lab tests, and finally of course, the team who delivered Harper and cared for them both at the Hospital's Burdick Family Birthing Center.

"Because of my condition, I was scheduled for an induction. We just walked in, checked in and right away, right there, there was a familiar face at the registration desk, someone I knew from the OB/GYN office. It just put me at ease right away," Murray says.

It's that kind of community feel and personal care that Murray says has been the common thread in her experience of Day Kimball throughout her life, and made her not only a loyal patient but also an active supporter - she now serves on the DKH Patient Advisory Council. 

And she says she looks forward to continuing the family ties with DKH doctors and caregivers as Harper grows up. Harper is now a patient of the Day Kimball Medical Group's Kennedy Drive Family Medicine practice as well. And as health care evolves on a national level, this next generation of Murray's family will enjoy new and better ways to partner with Day Kimball to stay healthy and live well. 

“As a new mom, Day Kimball has touched my life in so many ways, and during some of my most precious moments. Throughout the years, and across all these services, my family has received great care, attention and service."

"And the way all of Day Kimball’s services are integrated now, through the electronic medical records and the new MY HEALTH online patient portal, is wonderful," Murray continued. "You can actually feel the difference when your doctors are caring for you as a team, and you get to be an active part of that team as well. There's all this new technology, but that personal, community feel is still there too, and it's great."

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