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B2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 13, 2023 HEALTHCARE HEROES WINNER CATEGORY Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation Amber W. Childs Yale School of Medicine Assistant Professor, Psychiatry; Director of Training, Psychology Doctoral Intern- ship; Co-Director, Division of Quality and Innovation, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital Dr. Amber W. Childs is a licensed clinical psychologist. Her work aims to improve equity, access and outcomes in mental health services and education through data-driven quality improvement and a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Childs is a national leader in program innovations that aim to improve clinical and educational practices. What have been your significant contri- butions to your organization in the past year? Teenagers in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, and most youth who need support are not getting the help that they need. Month-long waitlists, therapist short- ages and problems getting access are rampant. I created a comprehensive digital health solution that gives teenagers clinically-proven, science-backed mental health support and uses data to make sure that teenagers, treatment providers and parents are in sync about mental health. I also co-founded and direct the Getting Racism Out of Our Work (GROW) Initia- tive at Yale, which includes innovative programming to create racially and cultur- ally responsive mental health educators and leaders. Tell us about a challenge in your job that you were able to overcome. Transparency, collaboration and keeping the voices of people receiving mental health services are core values. Measurement-based care helps mental health providers put these values into action. Jump-starting this practice within such a large health system with many moving parts was a challenge. Proudly, the Joint Commission cited our work as the Gold Standard. WINNER CATEGORY Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation Dr. Jeffrey S. Hyams Connecticut Children's Division of Digestive Diseases Dr. Jeffery Hyams is one of the world's leading experts in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He has led clinical trials of biological agents in children with IBD. As a co-author of 400 scientific papers, he has received numerous awards for his research and teaching, and has worked with the Food and Drug Administration developing endpoints for pediatric clinical trials. What have been your significant contribu- tions to your organization in the past year? The National Institutes of Health awarded me a $14 million, five-year grant to investigate the triggers behind the chronic intestinal inflammation seen in Crohn's disease, and why some children respond quickly to current therapies and others do not. This research grant is the largest grant awarded to Connecticut Children's in its history, and it will help doctors nationally to collect substantial data on pediatric Crohn's disease patients that will improve understanding of the pronounced vari- ability in treatment response. My colleagues and I from children's hospitals across the U.S. hope to one day match specific therapies to the biology of each newly diagnosed pediatric patient. Tell us about a challenge in your job that you were able to overcome. Trying to organize and start a 26-center, $14 million NIH trial has been extremely challenging. With a fixed budget and limited time, we've had to work with leading pediatric centers in North America to come onboard. I have personal relationships dating back more than 20 years with colleagues around North America, which has helped considerably. What's your next major goal and/or challenge? It is all about research. It is all about finding better and safer ways to return children to health. Unfortunately, securing the financial support to do this is very challenging. Putting the 'care' in health care C onnecticut's healthcare industry continues to go through challenging times, as hospitals and other providers face financial and numerous other pressures. But that hasn't stood in the way of frontline workers and others continuing to help patients in need. To recognize them, the Hartford Business Journal is presenting its annual Health Care Heroes awards. Our more than 20 honorees this year run the gamut from physicians, nurses and hospital executives to mental healthcare providers. The honorees were chosen by HBJ's editorial staff, which used standard criteria to judge nominees in 11 different cate- gories, ranging from nurses, physicians and healthcare staff to industry leaders and organizations that made advance- ments in healthcare innovation. We will honor our statewide Health Care Heroes class of 2023 during an event on Dec. 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington. You can register for the event online at hartfordbusiness.com. Our heroes were nominated by those who know their work the best — coworkers, clients, etc. They share a common passion for the services they provide and life-changing impacts they have on patients. 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 CONTENTS Amber W. Childs ......................................................B2 Dr. Jeffrey S. Hyams ...............................................B2 Gaylord Specialty Healthcare ...............................B3 Juan J. Laboy ..........................................................B4 Jessica Mancarella ...............................................B4 Post University .......................................................B5 Marina A. Creed .......................................................B5 Connecticut Children's ..........................................B6 Jasmine Romero & Alex Haeseler ...........................B6 Hospital for Special Care ......................................B7 R. Kyle Kramer ........................................................B7 Andrea Williams .....................................................B7 Change Inc. ..............................................................B7 Elisabeth T. Schneider ...........................................B9 Kalee Latham ..........................................................B9 Edna N. Rodriguez ...................................................B11 Robin Cracco ...........................................................B11 Mary C. Christoffersen .........................................B11 Larry Rebich ...........................................................B11 Dr. Jose M. Arias-Camison ......................................B12 Barbara Pelletier ..................................................B12 Pari Forood .............................................................B13 Christina Mukon ......................................................B14 Anthony Gaudino and K9 Kady ................................B14