WALLINGFORD — The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is proud to honor healthcare workers from hospitals across the state with the 2026 CHA Healthcare Heroes Award.
The 2026 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, CHA presented the award to a cohort of heroes from hospitals across the state.
Since 2002, CHA has included a celebration of healthcare heroes as part of its Annual Meeting. This year’s meeting, which took place on Thursday, June 11, 2026, included the recognition of healthcare heroes who represent all types of care from every corner of Connecticut. Heroes received a certificate from CHA and a proclamation from the Office of Governor Ned Lamont recognizing their outstanding leadership.
The cohort of 2026 CHA Healthcare Heroes includes the following individuals:
- Yaw Adjepong, MD, Nocturnist, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare
- Melissa Alphonse, Manager, Goldstone Caregiver Center, Northwell Health’s Norwalk Hospital
- Miranda Bencivenga, Manager, Goldstone Caregiver Center, Northwell Health’s Danbury Hospital
- Carol Borger, Manager, Laboratory Support Services, Griffin Health
- Brian Byrne, MD, Oncologist and Medical Director of Quality and Safety, The Hospital of Central Connecticut
- Anthony Chieffalo, MD, Assistant Medical Director, DKH Hospitalist Program, Day Kimball Health
- Christopher Conner, MD, Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, UConn Health Brain and Spine Institute, UConn John Dempsey Hospital
- Tom Fedora, RN, Rapid Response, Intensive Care Unit, Respiratory Support, Yale New Haven Hospital
- Krystin Gaetano, RN, Medical-Coronary Intensive Care Unit (MICU), Bridgeport Hospital
- Brady Grotton, Paramedic, Windham Hospital
- Sara Heath, Occupational Therapist, Autism Center, Hospital for Special Care
- Susan Long, Assistant Nurse Manager, MidState Medical Center
- Victoria Maher, General Services Associate, Environmental Services Department, Bristol Health
- Jessica Mancarella, Trauma Program Manager, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital
- Josephine Marcellino, Environmental Services Associate, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
- Nick Marziale, Director of Engineering, Hartford Hospital
- Erin Miller, Manager, Radiology and Respiratory Departments, Johnson Memorial Hospital
- Stephanie Nelson, Clinical Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Saint Mary’s Hospital
- Trucha Nguyen, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Middlesex Health
- James Pallett, MD, Chief of Hospitalist Medicine, Greenwich Hospital
- Dhanya Poulose, Director of Nursing, Manchester Memorial Hospital
- Manuel Rodriguez, Jr., EVS Team Leader, Main OR, Saint Francis Hospital
- Marisol Rodriguez-Colon, Manager, Volunteer Services, Connecticut Children’s
- Meghan Salgado, Occupational Therapist, Stamford Health
- Brooke Sullivan, PA, Director of Advanced Practice, St. Vincent’s Medical Center
- Carley Warzecha, Manager, Workforce Development and Volunteer Services, Backus Hospital
- Haley Wheeler, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), Rehabilitation Services, Northwell Health’s Sharon Hospital
- Eileen Woods, RN, MSN, Outcomes Coordinator, Quality Department, UConn Health Waterbury Hospital
Read more about each of the 2026 CHA Healthcare Heroes here.
