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Company Notebook

Polish National Credit Opens New Office
HAMPDEN — The Polish National Credit Union’s newest office recently opened at 25 East Longmeadow Road. The branch has an in-house mortgage origination office, a drive-thru teller, and drive-up ATM. Carole A. Scott is the branch manager, with Claudine LaValley serving as the assistant branch manager. Tellers are Katie Vient, Sylvia Nadeau-Poole, and Sherry Skinner. Headquartered in Chicopee, the credit union operates full-service branches in Chicopee Center, Granby, Westfield, Southampton, and a stand-alone Mortgage Center on Main Street in Chicopee.

Stony Brook Receives ‘Pacesetter’ Designation
LUDLOW — The Stony Brook power plant, operated and principally owned by the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), has been named a “Pacesetter Plant” for 2009-10 by the Combined Cycle Journal, an international publication that tracks innovation and advanced technology in combined cycle electric generators. In naming Stony Brook a Pacesetter Plant, the journal cites MMWEC’s role as an industry leader in retaining plant value through technological upgrades and innovative maintenance practices that address changing market conditions. The designation also reflects the successful installation this year of new generator-control systems on four of the plant’s five turbine generators. New controls will be installed on the fifth in the near future. Stony Brook is a nonprofit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides a variety of power-supply, financial, risk-management and other services to the state’s consumer-owned, municipal utilities.

United Bank Provides
Gifts for Children
WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Bank has partnered with the Department of Children and Families in Springfield, Holyoke, and Worcester to provide holiday gifts for local youngsters who might otherwise go without. United’s Foster the Spirit program is in its 13th year in the Springfield area, and will be introduced for the first time this year in the bank’s new Worcester region locations. All United Bank branches are displaying a holiday tree decorated with tags, each representing a child’s wish. Customers, staff, and members of the public are welcome to participate by selecting a tag from the tree and donating that unwrapped gift for the child. Cash donations are used to purchase gift certificates for movies, clothing, and toys. United’s corporate contribution to Foster the Spirit will be supplemented by a special campaign at facebook.com/bankatunited. The bank will donate $1 (up to $1,000) for every visitor to the site who clicks ‘like’ from now until Dec. 17.
Baystate Named
One of Top 50 Hospitals
for Cardiovascular Care
SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Medical Center is one of the nation’s top 50 hospitals for heart and vascular care, according to a new Thomson Reuters study that examined patient outcomes and rated hospitals for their performance in several key areas of cardiovascular treatment. The study, now in its 12th year, examined the performance of 1,022 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasties. Baystate Medical Center is on the Thomson Reuters honor roll for the second consecutive year. The study evaluated general and applicable specialty, short-term, acute-care, non-federal U.S. hospitals treating a broad spectrum of cardiology patients. Baystate was one of 15 teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs named to the list. Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2008 and 2009 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, Medicare cost reports, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare inpatient data. The researchers scored hospitals in several key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average
cost.

Westfield Chamber Recognizes Businesses
WESTFIELD — Jen-Coat was named 2010 Business of the Year during the annual meeting of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 17. Jen-Coat was chosen for its policies and projects that have had a positive impact on the community, as well as evidence of working together with community organizations and acting as a role model and inspiration to other organizations. The chamber also recognized Stevens 470 as 2010 Small Business of the Year; Sean Hogan, president of Hogan Communications, as 2010 Business Man of the Year; and Kathleen Damon, CEO of the Carson Center for Human Services, as 2010 Business Woman of the Year. Al Ferst, a long-time resident who has generously funded many projects in Westfield for the benefit of children, was named this year’s recipient of the Don Blair Outstanding Community Service Award.

MassMutual Plans RetireSmart Participant Web Site
SPRINGFIELD — Beginning in the first quarter of 2011, MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division will launch phase one of its new RetireSmart participant Web site that promises to be an “engine for action” among participants striving to plan and save for retirement. The new site will capitalize on significant technology investments MassMutual is making to support its simple, action-oriented approach to participant education. The differentiator behind RetireSmart is that it prompts participants to take appropriate steps when it makes the most sense for them — and makes it as easy as possible for participants to do so in the manner they prefer. Highlights of phase one include a video game designed to raise retirement awareness in a fun, engaging way, and shorter, more intuitive menus to help participants find what they need quickly and easily. For more information, visit www.massmutual.com.

Firm Creates Marketing Materials for New
Home Care Agency
WESTFIELD — Stevens 470 recently created brand marketing for Integra Home Health, LLC, a new home health care agency in the Greater Springfield area. Projects for the agency included a logo, brand standards, stationery, a consumer brochure, and an informational Web site. The Web site is built on a content-management system that allows Integra to update the site through an easy-to-use text editor. In addition, Integra can edit and create new content, update, and manage pages on the Web site. Integra’s Web site is www.integrahomehealth.com.

Giving Tree Marks
26th Year
SPRINGFIELD — The 2010 Hasbro Children’s Giving Tree program is now underway and runs through Dec. 17. Hasbro Inc. donates toys and games during the holidays to children in need in the Greater Springfield area while encouraging community members to perform “acts of kindness” and donate nonperishable food items to the program. The acts of kindness slips will be displayed on the giving tree through Dec. 17, the food items collected will be distributed by The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and the toys and games donated by Hasbro will be distributed by the United Way of Pioneer Valley.