Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 3 activity in a single UConn Health email account" and "promptly took steps to further secure the account." The organization then began an internal investigation, while also hiring a forensic security firm to assist, it said. The investigation determined that an "unknown, unauthorized third party accessed the email account for a short period of time on June 14, 2024. The investigation also determined that the third party may have accessed and acquired certain emails from the account during this period," UConn Health said. Subsequently, on Aug. 7, UConn Health said it determined that the email account contained personal information including, "depending on the individual, their name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver's license number, financial account number, medical treatment/diagnosis information, prescriptions, and/or health insurance information." Operation Fuel names new CEO with private sector, nonprofit experience The state's emergency energy assis- tance nonprofit, Operation Fuel, has named a new chief executive officer. After nearly a yearlong search, the nonprofit's board of directors named Perkin Simpson the new CEO, effective Sept. 9. Simpson has expe- rience in executive leadership, fundraising and advocacy. Most recently, he was executive director of the Urban Alliance, a collec- tive impact organization based in East Hartford. Previously, Simpson served as executive director of the American Baptist Foundation for nine years. He has also held positions at Prudential Financial, UBS and The Hartford. Simpson has a master's degree in financial services from The American College at Bryn Mawr, an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor's degree in communication from UConn. Operation Fuel's former CEO, Brenda Watson, stepped down on Nov. 2, 2023, to become executive director of the North Hartford Partnership, a nonprofit working to advance equitable social and economic development in North Hartford. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | U.S. NAVY The U.S. Naval Submarine Base along the Thames River in Groton. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO UConn Health's John Dempsey Hospital. BIZ BRIEFS Thomaston manufacturer wins $41.4M U.S. Navy contract A Thomaston-based manufacturer that designs and builds oxygen-gen- eration equipment for the military has won a $41.4 million contract from the Navy. Treadwell Corp. has won a contract to build up to 25 low-pressure electro- lyzer production units for submarine life support service, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The technology essentially produces low-pressure oxygen for Navy personnel on underwater submarines. According to the company's website, Treadwell has designed and manufactured electrolytic oxygen generation systems for the U.S. Navy since the 1950s. The company also noted on its website that it won a similar $49.6 million contract in 2011 to furnish the Navy with up to 17 low-pressure electrolyzers and provide installation and training services. United Way of CT, UConn Health hit by data breaches Both the United Way of Connecticut and UConn Health have been hit with data breaches in the past couple of months. Both organizations reported a "hacking/IT incident" to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. According to the incident reports listed on the federal website, the data breach at the United Way was reported on Sept. 3, and potentially affected more than 8,000 people, while the UConn Health breach was reported on Aug. 13, and potentially affected 500 people. United Way of Connecticut Presi- dent and CEO Lisa Tepper Bates said the incident involved just a single email address. "This was actually a single staff email inbox that was compromised via a phishing email," she said. "I just want to be clear that this was not, in fact, any kind of compromise of our data systems." She said her staff is investigating the incident with the help of an outside company and legal counsel, and is in the process of mailing letters to anyone who may have been affected. UConn Health, meanwhile, said that on June 14 it discovered "suspicious "I hear the same thing from patients daily - I need my hands. Our hands are our basic tools for everything from going to work every day to holding a grandchild," ex- plains Daniel J. Mastella, MD, of The Hand Center. "We are certified hand ther- apists and fellowship-trained doctors, but also a small business. PeopleBank supports our ability to grow and open additional locations, like our new office in Farmington. PeoplesBank is our partner. They're the right partner for business." The Hand Center of Connecticut has a highly skilled and educated team of "The Right Partner for Business." P E O P L E S B A N K B U S I N E S S S U C C E S S S E R I E S board-certified doctors, surgeons, and physician assistants who diagnose and treat conditions of the hands and upper extremities. Currently, it has four conve- nient offices in Hartford, Glastonbury, Tolland, and Bloomfield, and with the help of PeoplesBank, it is opening a brand- new office in Farmington, Connecticut. "We provide The Hand Center with effi- cient and user-friendly cash management services so they can focus on running the best orthopedic practice in New England," explains Daniel Bishop, First Vice President of Commercial Banking at PeoplesBank. "With local, quick decision-making, we have provided them the financing they need to grow." Dr. Mastella feels that his PeoplesBank commercial banking team provides him with great local services but also import- ant advice. "Help with business strategy critical to our success and our being able to help patients. The PeoplesBank team is interested in what we need and makes sure that we get what we need, even if we don't know it sometimes. Their respon- siveness is critical to our success, and we are very grateful for it." "Whatever you want to do, you do with your hands," Dr. Mastella continues. "They're intricate. It's challenging work because it is fine work in that everything we deal with is very small. However, the rewards for attention to detail are great, so getting down to those finer points will make a difference to that patient's life." Business Success Tips: Open Book Management Increase financial literacy before sharing financial data. Determine what you are willing to share. 2 1 Member FDIC 877.888.1388 bankatpeoples.com/PBbusiness "We are certified hand therapists and fellowship-trained doctors but also a small business. PeoplesBank is our partner. They're the right partner for business" - Daniel J. Mastella, MD, The Hand Center "We provide The Hand Center with efficient and user-friendly cash management services so they can focus on running the best orthopedic practice in New England. With local, quick decision-making, we have provided them the financing they need to grow." - Daniel Bishop, First Vice President Commercial Banking, PeoplesBank dbishop@bankatpeoples.com Watch Video Perkin Simpson

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