WATERBURY — A controversy is brewing in the state surrounding a billboard advertisement for Cheshire Regional Rehab Center. The facility is promoting thei...

WATERBURY -- A controversy is brewing in the state surrounding a billboard advertisement for Cheshire Regional Rehab Center. The facility is promoting their "all female skilled nursing wing," but some say the image on the billboard goes too far.

"Who's Caring For Your Mom?" the billboard asks displaying a shirtless man wearing nothing by a stethoscope around his neck. The sign sits on I-84 East in Waterbury near exits 25 and 26 and boasts "women caring for women."

"As a nurse and especially a male nurse I find this both degrading and disgusting," said Daryn Calsetta, RN. "It almost says that male nurses are predatory or something. I also feel that a female only hiring practice is discriminatory."

But Victoria Walker, Director of Community Awareness for Cheshire Regional, said the ad was not meant to be offensive or discriminatory.

"It's not meant to be derogatory at all. We employ male nurses. They're fantastic," Walker said. "We really respect and appreciate the work that they do and they still work at our facility. More than half of the population at this facility is mixed gender, male and female and our nurses are the same. Just this one particular floor is available for females who prefer female only caregivers.

The "our team" section of Cheshire Regional's website shows two pictures with 23 staffers -- all of them women. But Walker said those are stock photos and not actual staff members of their facility.

"I don't think people would be talking about it like they are now if we didn't have sort of a creative, more interesting way to draw attention to our program," Walker added.

"This board is less than a week old and they placed it during nurses week which is just demoralizing," Calsetta said.