WALLINGFORD — The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is proud to honor healthcare workers from hospitals across the state with the 2025 CHA Healthcare Heroes Award.
The 2025 CHA Healthcare Heroes Award celebrates and recognizes the invaluable contributions of exceptional healthcare workers, both to their field and to the community at large. This year, the award was presented to an individual from each Connecticut hospital.
Since 2002, CHA has included a celebration of healthcare heroes as part of its Annual Meeting, which took place on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
At the event, healthcare heroes who represent all types of care from every corner of Connecticut hospitals received a certificate from CHA and a proclamation from the Office of Governor Ned Lamont, which says in part:
“This recognition celebrates your outstanding leadership. The honor you are receiving signifies your outstanding professional accomplishments in the healthcare services sector… Through your thoughtful work, you have demonstrated professional excellence and extraordinary service to your community, organization, and to the State of Connecticut. Therefore, I, Ned Lamont, Governor of the State of Connecticut, on this day of Tuesday, June 17, 2025, do hereby officially convey honor and recognition upon [you].”
Click here to read more about each 2025 CHA Healthcare Hero, or click on the links below.
The 2025 cohort of healthcare heroes includes the following individuals:
- Scott Allen, Chief Medical Officer, Hospital Administration, UConn John Dempsey Hospital
- Carrie Barganier, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Bristol Health
- Amy Benoit, Manager, Louis D. Traurig House, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare
- John Capobianco, Senior Vice President, Operations, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
- Ilia Chavez, Home Visitor, Nurturing Families Network, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital
- Shannon Dingus, Radiation Therapist, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Health, Yale New Haven Hospital
- Susan Downs, Engineering Coordinator, Facilities and Engineering, Johnson Memorial Hospital
- Michael Fusaro, LPN, Griffin Health
- Jaclyn Gilgallon, Lead ICU Advanced Practitioner, MidState Medical Center
- Shannon Haynes, Community Health Outpatient and Community Health Dietitian, Windham Hospital
- Karl Hellstrand, Physician Leader, Pediatrics, Emergency Department, Saint Mary’s Hospital
- Betsy Hlavac, Ambulatory Nurse Manager, Hartford HealthCare’s Cancer Institute, St. Vincent’s Medical Center
- Eric Katz, Registered Nurse, Float Pool, Stamford Health
- Wendy Kilis, Main Lobby Concierge, Safety and Security, Hospital for Special Care
- Ron Lemire, Public Safety Officer, Backus Hospital
- Veronica Mansfield, Medical Director for the Middlesex Health Center for Chronic Care Management, Middlesex Health
- Kevin McVeigh, Director of Community Engagement, Danbury Hospital
- Cassandra Mitchell, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Office of Chief Medical Officer, Bridgeport Hospital
- Minda Muong, Interventional Radiology Team Lead, Saint Francis Hospital
- Lavetta Newton, Patient Service Representative, Outpatient Clinic, The Hospital of Central Connecticut
- Candy Osborn, Women’s Health Coordinator, Sharon Hospital
- Staci Peete, Director of Community Engagement, Norwalk Hospital
- Cheryl Petrarca, Executive Director of Nursing, Day Kimball Health
- Athanassios Petrotos, Medical Director for Trauma, Greenwich Hospital
- Kelsey Socha, Recovery Support Specialist and Manager of the Family Resource Center at the Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital
- Danielle Warren‐Dias, Program Director, Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program, Connecticut Children’s
