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26 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 21, 2022 HEALTHCARE HEROES AWARDS 2022 C ommunity Matters provides behav- ioral health services and resources to families in need. It provides individual, family and group counseling and works collaboratively with school officials and other community action agencies. What have been the organization's signifi- cant accomplishments in the past year? Over the last year, our organization has extended our office hours to include late evening and weekends to accommodate the demand of in-person and telehealth behavioral health services. Special accommodations are made on an as-needed basis to service first responders and other at-risk populations that may be in need of services. What are some major challenges the organi- zation had to overcome and how did it do it? Like many companies, the biggest chal- lenge has been regaining structure during the pandemic. Being able to service clients during COVID outbreaks, we have added safety measures that included temperature checks, providing masks, limiting our waiting area, social distancing and telehealth services. These measures have shown an increase in relationship building. What's the organization's next major goal? As businesses continue to regain normalcy, our organizational goal is to become more involved in community events. We want to increase mental health awareness while working to decrease the stigma that surrounds it. E rica Moura earned her master's degree in social work from Smith College in 2004 and her MBA in 2018 from Western Governor's University. She passed her Certified Patient Experience Professional exam in 2021 and became the system director for human experience for the Behavioral Health Network in 2021. What have been your significant contribu- tions to your organization? I began the Purple Light Project (PLP) in 2020 an initiative to bring resources and education to the behavioral health network's patients and staff at Hartford HealthCare. Through its 5k and auction fundraising, PLP has been able to provide food, transportation, blankets and other humanistic items to aid in a patient's mental health recovery. PLP has also sponsored its second network-wide symposium in 2022 to provide education to our front-line psychiatric emergency workers to enhance the patient experience. Tell us about a challenge in your job that you were able to overcome. Working as the manager of the psychiatric staff at purple pod at Hartford Hospital during the height of the pandemic was the biggest challenge of my career. My staff members weren't medical staff; they saw their colleagues going remote and being asked to evaluate people who were potentially infected. Managing my staff's emotions during this time challenged everything I knew. Fun Fact: I used to play the piano for 20 years but haven't touched it in the last 10 years. Time to start again! Winner Category: Mental Healthcare Provider TEAM LEADERS: Tangie R. McDougald & Dr. Amit Rathi Erica Moura Winner Category: Mental Healthcare Provider EMPLOYER: Hartford HealthCare TITLE: Director for Human Experience in the Behavioral Health Network Community Matters