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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 21, 2022 21 HEALTHCARE HEROES AWARDS 2022 Putting the 'care' in health care W hile many of us have returned to mostly normal ways of life following several years dealing with a global pandemic, the same can't be said for many healthcare workers. Not only is COVID-19 still infecting residents — 368 people were hospitalized in Connecticut with the disease as of Nov. 10 — but its afteraf- fects, including increasing cases of addiction and other mental health issues, have left many providers as busy as ever. Not to mention, many doctors, nurses and other caretakers are still wearing masks and other personal protective equipment to keep them and their patients safe. Hartford Business Journal has never been prouder to present its annual Health Care Heroes awards, to honor those serving the complex care needs of Connecticut and other residents. Our 20 honorees this year run the gamut from physicians, nurses and hospital executives to mental healthcare providers — all of whom responded to the pandemic, or its afteraffects, in one way or another. Collectively, their efforts have saved lives and given hope during an extremely difficult last few years. The honorees this year were chosen by HBJ's editorial staff, which used standard criteria to judge nominees in 11 different categories ranging from nurses, physicians and healthcare staff to industry leaders and organizations that made advancements in healthcare innovation. We will honor our statewide Health Care Heroes class of 2022 during an event on Dec. 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of South- ington. You can register for the event online at hartfordbusiness.com. Our heroes were nominated by those who know their work the best — co-workers, clients, etc. They share a common passion for the services they provide and life-changing impacts they have on the lives of others. We hope you join us in congratulating them. And remember, it's not too early to start thinking about who you'd like to nominate for next year's class of Health Care Heroes. — Greg Bordonaro, Editor N est Collaborative provides an inno- vative model of virtual breastfeeding support for families by partnering directly with healthcare providers, hospitals and insurance payers. Nest's preventive and collaborative approach to lactation care gives access to more than 75 lactation experts for prenatal and postpartum support and beyond. Why is Nest Collaborative a Health Care Hero? Nest Collaborative is directly addressing the country's suboptimal breastfeeding rates by collaborating with our patients and primary care teams to provide the continuity of care needed to meet patients' feeding goals. Our team works on behalf of families to ensure insurance coverage for Nest's preventive services and access to evidence-based and culturally competent support is equitably avail- able for all families who choose to breastfeed. What are some major challenges the organization has had to overcome? Innovation in health care can be difficult to introduce, particularly when it requires growth-funding, provider behavior change and payer reimbursement. Nest has committed to upholding clinically rele- vant and evidence-based implementation of its service, while simultaneously tackling these chal- lenges with patient and unwavering persistence. What's the organization's next major goal? Having just closed on Series A funding, Nest will continue to expand its partnerships with health systems and employers across the country, continuing to improve both maternal-child health outcomes utilizing technology to aid in ease and efficiency for patients, providers and more. T rinity Health of New England's Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research embraces a patient care philosophy addressing the physical, psycho- logical, emotional and social needs of the "whole patient" while contributing original research to improve the lives of individuals with MS. What have been the organization's most significant contributions in the past year? The Mandell MS Center's innovative approach to patient care encompasses neurology, urology, mental health, physiatry and rehabilitation. And it is garnering global attention. In 2022, the Center was selected to host fellow- ship trainings for clinicians across the country specializing in MS. The 10 fellows included physical and occupa- tional therapists, neurologists, social workers and RNs from across the U.S., seeking to advance their skillset. Additionally, the team of researchers worked closely with national and international experts to develop novel approaches to care. A partnership with both Quinnipiac University and the University of Oxford, U.K. includes a medical student exchange program. This approach provides an opportunity to bring novel care to the next generation of providers, often shaving years off the process. What are some major challenges the organization had to overcome? Over the past year, our patients expressed increasing financial vulnerability. Assessment of the common themes impacting access to specialized care facilitated us to ensure telehealth was available for neurology and rehabilitation visits and to find creative D r. Vasanth Kainkaryam is a "doctor- preneur" and founder of 4 Elements Direct Primary Care & Wellness Space, a triple board-certified physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, and obesity medicine, and holds a master's degree in health informatics. His practice disrupts the traditional model of health care by infusing his own philosophies with evidence-informed medicine and person- alized care by offering a low-cost monthly membership for primary care consultations, reducing barriers and incorporating determi- nants of health, including individual behaviors, genetics and social determinants, and using integrative approaches such as acupuncture and clinical hypnosis. Dr. Kainkaryam's "4E Philosophy" is how he works with his patients and community: engage, educate, empower and encourage. What have been your significant accomplish- ments in the past year? In this past year, I have continued to grow and define the vision by expanding services to include massage therapy, clinical hypnosis, health coaching and aesthetics to truly provide patients access to everything that they may look for, for their basic health and wellness needs. We have grown our team and expanded our patient reach as far south as Ridgefield, as far north into Chicopee, Mass., and east to the Boston suburbs. I continue to adopt technology very early on, and provide as many options as possible to make the process easy and personalized at the same time. I have also brought on two medical students and have had the opportunity to hire, mentor and nurture doctors who are pursuing their medical training in the U.S. Winner Category: Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation TOP EXECUTIVES: Judith Nowlin, CEO • Amanda Gorman, Founder & Chief Clinical Officer Trinity Health of New England's JOYCE D. AND ANDREW J. MANDELL CENTER FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CARE AND NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH Winner Category: Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation TEAM LEADERS: Jennifer Ruiz, Regional Director of MS Centers and Neuroscience Research; Dr. Mary Bailey, Regional Medical Director, Mandell MS Centers; and Steve Kunsman, Executive Director, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital Winner Category: Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation EMPLOYER: 4 Elements Direct Primary Care & Wellness Space TITLE: Chief Everything Officer, Physician & Founder Dr. Vasanth Kainkaryam Nest Collaborative