Lamont names members of Governor’s Covid-19 Vaccine Advisory Group

Gov. Ned Lamont today announced the formation of the Governor”™s Covid-19 Vaccine Advisory Group and its members.

The group’s members, all appointed by Lamont, will be responsible for advising the governor on preparations for a Covid-19 vaccine, including the optimization of a statewide vaccine distribution strategy, and communicating critical medical information about the vaccine with the state”™s residents.

The group will be administered by staff from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. A schedule of meetings has not yet been finalized; however it is anticipated that the group”™s first meeting will be held this month. Meetings will be open to the public.

The members of the Governor”™s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group include:

Main advisory group

• Co-Chair: Deidre Gifford, Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health
• Co-Chair: Reginald J. Eadie, President and CEO of Trinity Health of New England
• Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
• Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
• Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
• Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
• Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
• Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
• Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
• Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
• Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
• Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
• Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
• Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
• Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
• William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
• Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
• Milagrosa Seguinot, President of the Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
• Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
• Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
  

Allocation subgroup

• Michael Carius, American College of Emergency Physicians
• Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
• Kerry Clark, UConn Health
• Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
• Lori Fedewa, Director of the Connecticut State Office of Rural Health
• Khuram Ghumman, President of the Hartford County Medical Association
• Tim Klufas, College student
• Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Center
• Zita Lazzarini, UConn Health
• Andrew Mais, Commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department
• Sara Parker McKernan, New Haven Legal Assistance
• Leslie Miller, President of the Fairfield County Medical Association
• Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
• Neil O”™Leary, Mayor of the City of Waterbury
• Regina Rush-Kittle, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
• Marlene Schwartz, Director of the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
• Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
• Raymond Sullivan, Director of Health for the Brookfield Health Department

Communications subgroup

• Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
• Robyn Anderson, Reverend
• Matt Barrett, President and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities
• John Brady, American Federation of Teachers
• Hector Caraballo, Pastor of Casa de Oracion y Adoracion
• Angel Castellano, Pastor of Smirna Misionera Church
• Yolanda Castillo, Secretary of the Town of Manchester Board of Directors
• Lindsay E. Curtis, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church
• Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
• Tiffany Donelson, President and CEO of Connecticut Health Foundation
• Brad Drazen, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Hartford Foundation
• Taylor Edelman, Equipty and Community Engagement Coordinator for Apex Community Care
• Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
• Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven and President of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
• Judy Goldberg, Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut PTA
• Susan Halpin, Connecticut Association of Health Plans
• Angela Harris, Phillips Health Ministry and Phillips CME Church
• Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
• Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
• Erin Jones, Counsel for the March of Dimes
• Greg Jones, Legacy Foundation
• Nihal Khan, Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic Center of Connecticut
• Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
• Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
• Diane Morgenthaler, Director of Health and Wellness for Southern Connecticut State University
• Maurice Porter, Reverend of Impact Church
• Joseph Quaranta, President of the Community Medical Group and Co-Chair of the Connecticut Health Information Technology Advisory Council
• Jordan Scheff, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services
• Milagrosa Seguinot, President of Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
• Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
• Vicki Veltri, Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy

 Scientific subgroup

• Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
• David Banach, Head of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiologist at UConn Health
• Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
• Jim Hadler, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine
• Danyal Ibrahim, Trinity Health of New England
• Albert Ko, Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and Department Chair at the Yale School of Public Health
• Roxy Kozyckyj, Director of State Government Affairs for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance
• Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
• William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
• Jack Ross, President of the Connecticut Infectious Diseases Society
• Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
• Jody Terranova, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for the American Academy of Pediatrics