Dear Project Access-New Haven Community,

The flowers are starting to bloom and the dangers of COVID-19, while still present, are beginning to recede. On behalf of this organization, and the local community we serve, we couldn’t be more thankful for your continued support throughout the past three years. Your selfless backing is a priceless contribution that will not soon be forgotten.

In our Spring newsletter you will find exciting updates about what we’ve been up to a Project Access-New Haven (PA-NH). We’ve had several new additions to our ever-growing PA-NH family, all of which are highlighted below. While our newer staff are caught up to speed, our team of community health workers, patient navigators, and leadership, have kept busy by representing our organization through television interviews, award ceremonies, and meetings with government and community partners.

Despite the busy agenda, we look forward to participating in even more community events in the coming weeks and months. I invite you to follow us on social media for updates on where we will be this spring and summer, and on the many ways you can support our mission. If you are eager to help, look no further than one of our biggest fund-raising events of the year, the 2023 Great Give, which kicks off on May 3rd.

In closing, as we strive to close the gap in access to specialty care and services, I appreciate the confidence and support that you, our donors, providers, and community partners, have offered to us. I look forward to continuing this important work with you in 2023 and beyond.

With warm regards, 

Giselle Carlotta-McDonald Executive Director 


PA-NH IN THE PRESS! 

March 22nd, 2023: PA-NH community health worker Yamira Ramirez spoke with CT Live about her work alongside our partners at Health Equity Solutions. The first full week of April is recognized in statute as Health Equity Week. This week annually reaffirms Connecticut’s commitment to eliminating inequities in health and ensuring all residents have the opportunity to achieve optimal health.  

Watch The Interview Here


February 6th, 2023: PA-NH had the honor of joining an intimate conversation on long COVID and health equity with Admiral Rachel Levine at the Yale School of Law. The event was coordinated by PA-NH co-founder Dr. Erica Spatz, and attended by patients with long COVID and #Yale researchers studying the longer-term impacts of COVID-19. PA-NH discussed the role of community health workers in addressing barriers to care and advancing health equity. 

Read More Here


PA-NH’S MILLIE LANDOCK RECEIVES THE 2023 PATRICIA BAKER AWARD FOR HEALTH EQUITY ADVOCACY

April 7th, 2023: The Patricia Baker Award for Health Equity Advocacy is presented annually by Health Equity Solutions during Health Equity Week. This year, the award was presented to PA-NH program supervisor Millie Landock, who leads our community health worker (CHW) initiatives. The Patricia Baker Award is given to those who have demonstrated excellence in policy advocacy to advance system-level changes that promote health equity in Connecticut. Millie is the first CHW and recipient to receive the award in CT, after Patricia Baker. 


PA-NH IS SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT IMPORTANT
HUSKY (MEDICAID) ELIGIBILITY & COVERAGE CHANGES

With grant support from the Connecticut Health Foundation, PA-NH will serve as a trusted messenger for sharing information about the following recent changes to HUSKY (Medicaid) eligibility and coverage:

  • Expansion of Husky (Medicaid) eligibility to undocumented children and pregnant or
    recently pregnant individuals
  • Restart of annual Husky (Medicaid) eligibility reviews

We are honored to support this initiative, which will help Connecticut residents get and

keep health insurance coverage, advance our mission, and promote health equity.
Read about the healthcare coverage trusted messenger initiative

For more information:

Visit Access Health CT to apply for coverage or get help

Contact the PA-NH office


WELCOME GAMALIEL RIVERA DE JESUS TO THE PA-NH TEAM

Gamaliel Rivera De Jesus has been involved with the community for more than 10 years and comes to PA-NH with experience in both clinical and non-clinical services. Before joining PA-NH, Gamaliel worked for a nonprofit substance abuse agency in the New Haven area for 13 years as a Latino outreach case manager, intake coordinator, and clinician. He has also been a licensed Auricular Detox Specialist (ADS) through the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association for eight years. Gamaliel is fully bilingual in Spanish and English and enjoys spending time with his family. He also loves salsa music and dancing.

WELCOME ANA FRENTRESS TO THE PA-NH TEAM

Ana Frentress joined PA-NH as a temporary employee seven months ago. In February, she transitioned into the permanent position of Department Secretary. Ana has prior experience in customer service at Amistad High School where she worked alongside IT/operations. Ana also has a background in musical theater. In her free time, she likes to sing, play piano, bake, and travel.

WELCOME SANDRA KRAUTER KOPS, PHD, RDN, CD-N TO THE PA-NH BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sandra Krauter Kops is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, educated at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio followed by graduate school at Cornell University. She studied pre-med sciences with the intention of becoming a physician, but found that her greatest love was the laboratory and scientific investigation. This ‘love’ of mechanical things gravitated to the use of microscopes of many types to view the hidden world of cellular biology. This opened doors for long years of biomedical investigations at Yale University. Sandra knew that the common thread of her scientific thinking was understanding the role that nutrients played in cellular metabolic processes. both normal and pathological.

In 2017, as a member of the Board of Directors of Davenport Residences, a H.U.D.- sponsored public housing facility, she started a small food supplement pantry that serviced 28 seniors, and quickly expanded to 150 residents. This reliable pantry supplement program has continued for six years, and became a nonprofit entity, known as Nutrition Security Solutions, Inc.

Today, Sandra is partnering with associates in AgTech, FoodTech, and BioTech enterprises– relationships fostered during her biomedical research to garner sustainable funding for Nutrition Security Solutions Inc. whose chief mission is to satisfy the basic human need for food, from the unique perspective of science-based and technology programming.

Welcome Sandra!

WELCOME AUSTIN B. POTTER MBA, FACHE TO THE PA-NH BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Austin Potter is the Executive Director, Office of Strategy Management at Yale New Haven Health. Austin has more than thirteen years of experience in hospital operations, finance, strategy, and evolving ambulatory networks. Since joining Yale New Haven Health, he has been involved with the Multi-Year Financial Plan and Yale New Haven Hospital performance improvement initiatives. Currently, he is leading the integration of Yale New Haven Health and Prospect Connecticut.

Prior to joining Yale New Haven Health, Austin was a Director in Berkeley Research Group’s (BRG) Healthcare Performance Improvement practice and leader of Strategy & Ambulatory Services. During his tenure at BRG, Mr. Potter led several large health system implementations through referral network management and patient navigation hub builds, service line optimization, portfolio evaluation of services and regional health system integration. Mr. Potter also served as the direct client executive and engagement director for large health systems.

Austin also serves as Vice President of the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Executives (CTAHE) which is the local chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He lives in Cheshire with his wife Nicole and three children.

Welcome Austin!


ALWAYS GRATEFUL

Thank you to the following funders for supporting PA-NH most recently. Our work would not be possible without your generous financial contributions. Click below to learn more.

The Connecticut Health Foundation
Yale New Haven Hospital Medical Staff
Swindells Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee


WE LOVE OUR PARTNERS!


JOIN US AT THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY EVENTS!

APRIL
4/22/23
Healthy Homes Spring Kickoff
Q House 197 Dixwell Ave, New Haven

MAY
5/6/23
Fair Haven Day
Fair Haven School 164 Grand Ave New Haven

JUNE
6/3/2023
Hamden Fest
Hamden Town Center Park 2761 Dixwell Ave Hamden


WAYS TO SUPPORT PROJECT ACCESS

Advanced Giving Starts April 28th!

The work we do is possible by the generous donations of our partners, supporters, and community. The Great Give is a local movement that inspires so many people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Learn More Here


WE’RE HIRING!

Full Time Bilingual Project Access Patient Navigator #84346