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CHA Recognizes Healthcare Heroes, Cardiac Team
June 18, 2025
St. Vincent’s Medical Center has been honored with the prestigious John Thompson Award by the Connecticut Hospital Association. This recognition celebrates our bold, systemwide initiative to transform care for our most critically ill heart attack patients, including those with STEMI, cardiogenic shock, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Through a multidisciplinary approach and a strong reliance on data-driven decision-making, we reimagined and streamlined care delivery to ensure the most timely and effective interventions. As a result, we achieved and sustained top decile national performance in mortality outcomes, a testament to the dedication and innovation of our entire team.
The hospital association also recognized individuals from each HHC region as CHA Healthcare Heroes, celebrated for their contributions to their fields and to the communities.
We appreciate their hard work and the dedication they bring to our hospitals every day.
Backus Hospital Public Safety Officer Ron Lemire could tell immediately that something was wrong. Stationed near the entrance to the hospital’s emergency department, Lemire was called to assist Public Safety Officer Tim Furman, who was responding to a woman who came into the ED entrance frantically pleading for someone to help her friend, who was unconscious in the front seat of her car. The officers rushed to the car to check on the passenger, who was unresponsive and barely breathing.
Arriving at the vehicle, Lemire and Furman observed the passenger sitting upright in the front seat with their shirt sleeves rolled up, showing purple and red sores on their forearms, a telltale sign of drug use. Recognizing the signs of an overdose, Lemire immediately deployed his Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, and administered it to the individual. Several ED nurses soon arrived on the scene to assist and Lemire proceeded to give the individual a second dose before they were brought in the ED where they made a full recovery.
The incident marked the second time a member of the Hartford HealthCare public safety team has deployed Narcan since Backus officers first began carrying the medication back in May of 2024. Officers from Backus and Windham hospitals were the first to pilot the Narcan program in the system. Today, all Hartford HealthCare public safety teams carry the medication.
“The primary role of the Hartford HealthCare Public Safety teams is to protect the patients and colleagues who visit our hospitals, outpatient facilities and medical offices,” said Gen Boas, Director of Public Safety at both Backus and Windham hospitals. “There’s no question that Officer Lemire’s quick thinking helped save this individual’s life.”
Windham Hospital opened a new food pantry in 2024 designed to help food-insecure patients, a project that was led by Shannon Haynes, Community Health Outpatient and Community Health Dietitian at Windham Hospital.
Haynes explained that according to USDA data from Windham’s Regional Community Health Needs Assessment, Windham County has seen a rise in food insecurity. In adults, food insecurity rose more than 2 percent, and in children, it increased 4 percent. At Windham Hospital, according to assessments that are done upon admission, 6,312 patients were admitted in FY 2023 of which 122 (1.9%) indicated having food insecurity.
A food pantry program was launched at Backus Hospital in 2023, averaging 10 bags of non-perishable food per month given to patients that identified as being food insecure or stated they cannot afford to buy food when they go home, Haynes said.
Clearly there was a need for the program in Windham as well, Haynes said, but the challenge was finding the food to fill the bags. At Backus, the majority of the food comes from the United Way Gemma Moran Food Bank, which is limited to New London County. Similar organizations in Windham County required a high level of disbursement in order to qualify to receive donations.
Enter the Windham Hospital Foundation, which agreed to financially support the program and find space for safe storage of the food bags. The pantry is available to any discharging patient as well as patients from oncology, wound care, cardiac rehab, the Women’s Center and the Windham Center for Mental Health.
Haynes noted that one bag can provide about three days worth of food, which is important for someone just getting home from the hospital. Each patient also receives information on where to find assistance in the community.
In a hospital setting, lives are saved every day. On occasion, experience and instinct can take those lifesaving efforts outside of the hospital and well beyond what a provider might encounter on a regular day.
Betsy Hlavac, BSN, RN, ambulatory nurse manager with Hartford HealthCare’s Cancer Institute, has worked at St. Vincent’s Medical Center for more than 25 years and has gone above and beyond many times to provide exceptional care — and one particular situation exemplifies just that.
Following a clinic visit, a patient’s blood glucose lab result showed extremely high and potential deadly levels after that patient had left the facility. Hlavac took immediate action. She tried contacting the patient by phone with no luck. She then tried additional emergency contacts on the patient’s medical record.
No response.
Hlavac did some investigating and was able to determine that the patient was employed at a local supermarket. Hlavac immediately got in her car, drove to the supermarket, and was able to take the patient aside and explain the alarming lab result in person. She then assisted in getting that patient to the emergency department at St. Vincent’s Medical Center for further treatment.
A situation like this can be frightening for both patient and provider. Hlavac’s immediate action, personal concern and discretionary effort is a shining example of compassion and professionalism at its best — and likely saved this person’s life.
Jaclyn Gilgallon, APRN, started her healthcare career as an aide, then became an ICU nurse, and now is an ICU APRN, where she works as the Lead ICU Advanced Practitioner at Midstate Medical Center.
Every year Gilgallon uses her vacation time to take a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where she provides medical care to the underserved as well as building and repairing homes for the indigent on the island.
In October 2024, she was nominated by her peers and won the Advanced Practitioner of the Year Award at MidState Medical Center. “Jackie is the heart and soul of the Advanced Practitioners at MidState Medical Center. She is always ready, willing, and able to help a colleague or rescue the unit whatever be the need,” her colleagues said.
Gilgallon is the perfect balance of medical knowledge paired with compassion and love for people and the profession.
The toy company Mattel made a substantial donation to The Hospital of Central Connecticut for distribution throughout the hospital, including outpatient adult primary care and OB GYN clinics.
Lavetta “Lavet” Newton, a patient service representative in the outpatient clinic, was thrilled to receive toy donations for her department. She had already been purchasing toys for patients and their children out of her own pocket — a truly selfless act of kindness that deserves recognition.
Newton is always thinking ahead and planning meaningful events for staff, providers, and patients. She selflessly donates her time and resources to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated. She greets everyone with a warm smile, remembers every name, and brightens each day with her unwavering positivity.
From toys and books to clothing and beyond, her kindness extends not only within the department but also to the community. During her 35 years at HOCC she has been repeatedly recognized for her commitment to her team and patients.
Kelsey Socha, a recovery support specialist and manager of the Family Resource Center at the Institute of Living, a department of Hartford Hospital, is known among his peers for his collaboration and significant contributions to the training of other recovery support specialists. He consistently goes above and beyond, presenting community seminars on a variety of topics; facilitating training sessions and support groups; and ensuring that the individuals he interacts with feel seen, heard and validated. His approach to every interaction is characterized by a deep respect for others, always prioritizing their dignity and well-being.
What truly sets Socha apart is his tireless devotion to his community. He volunteers countless evenings and weekends to facilitate Mental Health First Aid; Question, Persuade, Refer suicide training; community seminars, and local events. His dedication to these initiatives has had a profound impact on raising awareness and promoting mental health within the community. His selfless contributions are a testament to his commitment to improving the lives of others.
One key example of this is his work with the Center for Gender Health and his role in educating providers, patients and community members about the importance of gender-affirming care, including the annual Building Gender Literacy Conference. Socha has been a dedicated collaborator, contributor and speaker at these conferences for the past several years. His leadership within the Family Resource Center has been invaluable in ensuring the success of this event each year.
Socha is consistently authentic, humanistic and ready to support both his teams and patients in any way needed. As a mentor and educator, he has shared his lived experience and expertise with countless individuals, from patients to colleagues. His influence has inspired many to pursue careers in the mental health field, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
John Capobianco, senior vice president of operations at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, is a leader deeply committed to supporting healthcare workers on their journey to reach their highest potential. A nurse first, Capobianco has devoted his 40-year career at Charlotte to not only ensuring exceptional patient care but also coaching and mentoring his peers and colleagues in the value of bringing compassion and excellence to every interaction – personally and professionally.
Strength, courage, integrity, humility, compassion and driven are just a few words to describe Capobianco’s leadership style – directly from his colleagues. His leadership has a history of inspiring others to be their best by practicing values of integrity, caring, safety, equity and excellence. He has inspired countless people to use their inherent dedication and skill to serve their community. Capobianco has a track record of working hard to bring the best experts and services to Northwestern Connecticut. He has played a significant role in launching numerous ambulatory, acute-care, and same-day services that the area has come to rely on for all their healthcare needs; leading the hospital to the highest safety ratings in the country; opening gardens and a Food4Health Clinic on campus to provide underserved patients access to healthy foods to improve their health; supporting philanthropic initiatives that support the broader community; and so much more. You will always hear Capobianco say, “I can help.”
He leads by example and overcomes obstacles with ease and grace. Despite his senior leadership role, Capobianco is frequently spotted in the hallways of the hospital wearing his nurse badge while checking on a seemingly lost visitor, catching up with a colleague, and welcoming patients to campus. He has spent his entire career committed to elevating others to ensure the future of healthcare in the area is bright.