Residents honored by Saint Francis Hospital

HARTFORD- West Hartford residents Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell are the recipients of the Saint Francis Care Spirit Award, a recognition of service that exemplifies the hospital’s mission and core values.
Over the past three decades, the commitment of the Mandells to Saint Francis and the community has been awe-inspiring.  Their philanthropic pursuits – to name a few – include support for: Babson College, the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford, the Hartford Arts Council, the Mandell Jewish Community Center, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Connecticut Science Center. 
In 2008, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, a Saint Francis provider, opened the doors to a new, comprehensive medical center specializing in programs, services, and groundbreaking research dedicated solely to the care of patients with multiple sclerosis. The Center would not have been possible without this couple’s very generous $1 million founding gift.  It now bears the Mandell name: The Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research.
Prior to the creation of the Center, this type of specialized and comprehensive service for MS patients was not provided in the Greater Hartford region, and treatment was rarely available nationwide.  To date 1,517 MS patients have benefited from this couple’s vision.
Family, community, education, philanthropy – these are the core values of this couple which they have instilled in their family and our community, for the benefit of generations to come.
The Spirit Award given to the Mandells features a representation of the chambered nautilus shell, considered a symbol of perfection and harmony since the time of the ancient Greeks. Living in its outermost chamber, the nautilus moves from old to new as it grows, repeating the intricate, strengthening symmetry of its shell.