A new health care committee, consisting of 21 members picked from the community, is set to advise the state on health equity policy in 2025.
The team will serve on the Connecticut AHEAD (States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) committee and advise the governor’s office and the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) on health reform implementation and other health policy measures.
The program is funded by a federal financial assistance award of $12 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve population health, reduce disparities in health outcomes and slow the growth in health care costs across Connecticut.
“We received more than 40 nominations representing a wide range of stakeholders,” said Dr. Deidre Gifford, commissioner, OHS. “The interest in the Connecticut AHEAD model from community-based organizations, health care payers, consumers, primary care practices, hospitals and other key partners has been encouraging as we move through the first year of planning.”
The advisors represent a range of health care organizations.
They are: Tanya Barrett, United Way’s 211 CT’s Health and Human Services; Patrick Charmel, Griffin Health; Alan Coker, consumer; Lori Fedewa, Office of Rural Health; Susan Halpin, CT Association of Health Plans; Tricia Hasselman, Hartford HealthCare; Dan Keenan, Trinity Health; Dr. Rajlakshmi Krishnamurthy, Yale New Haven Health and Yale Medicine; Arielle Levin Becker, Connecticut Health Foundation; Dr. Robert McLean, Northeast Medical Group; Kally Moquete, Health Equity Solutions; David Morgan, TEAM Inc.; Christina Mukon, CT APRN Association; Adriana Rojas, Community Health Center; Michele Scott, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; Gary Steck, Wellmore Behavioral Health; Michael Taylor, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, Dr. Stephen Traub, ProHealth Physicians; Lisa Trumble, SoNE HEALTH; Lisa Weingard-Roland, consumer/advocate; and Deremius Williams, Yale New Haven Health.
The committee will develop equity targets for the statewide health equity plan, produce annual progress reports, review equity plans developed by hospitals participating in the program and provide guidance on activities and investments.
