Healthcare Heroes Honored

The Hamden community honored seven people who have been helping care for those affected by COVID-19 with an intimate in-person ceremony, lively online audience and takeout banquet-style meals from a local caterer.

After a year devoid of gatherings but full of heroic acts, the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce gave out those ​“Healthcare Warrior” awards on Friday at Cascade Fine Catering in Hamden.

Only about three people, other than the honorees, attended in person at Cascade, but over 70 people tuned in online with a plate of takeout from Cascade in front of them.

“It’s one of those events that came together with love and compassion and everyone just wanted to step up and support,” said Nancy Dudchik, president of the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce. ​“As a chamber, we support our business community and this was a time we wanted to recognize the individuals in the business.”

The purpose of the event was to honor the heroes while also encouraging people to buy a meal from Cascade, a business that has suffered given the lack of in-person gatherings. Participants pre-ordered chicken or eggplant parmigiana and picked it up before the livestream began at 6:30 p.m.

“Obviously the first priority is to honor our healthcare warriors,” Dudchik said. ​“The second component was to support a small business. We let the community know we were having dinner — a curbside takeout dinner. They would order through us as if it was a normal awards dinner that we would organize. But now, we did the exact same thing with curbside.”

The honorees included nurses, a respiratory therapist, a firefighter and an Information Technology professional all from hospitals and nursing centers in the area.

Sandra Delong, nurse manager at Gaylord Specialty Care

As the first cases of Covid-19 appeared at Gaylord Specialty Care Wallingford, Sandra Delong sprung into action.

“Sandy led by example,” said Gaylord nurse Rosie Delgado in her letter of recommendation. ​“She wasn’t scared to go into Covid rooms, help clean the rooms or talk to patients about their plan of care. She handled the stress and unknown of the pandemic to the best of her ability.”

As nurse manager, it is Delong’s responsibility to oversee the nursing staff in a Covid-19 unit of patients who have usually just been transferred from acute care hospital intensive care units. Many are dependent on a ventilator.

Delong, who is considered the ​“mama bear” of the unit, said that she and other leadership at Gaylord decided to create a team of nurses who exclusively cared for Covid-19 patients for three weeks before rotating out.

“At the end of the three week period, every single one of the COVID-19 nurses asked to stay on the rotation,” Delong said. ​“They had built strong connections with their patients than to see them through their stay.”

Their work ethic and perseverance inspired Delong to dedicate the award to her colleagues at Gaylord.

“They came together as a unified team to support each other and provide the best possible care,” Delong said.

Stacey Wyner, APRN at Hamden High School

Stacey Wyner has been caring for the students of Hamden High School since 2015 in the school-based health center known as ​“Mom’s Clinic,” but her job changed drastically when the pandemic hit.

“I just kept getting one information and then having to turn and do something else,” Wyner said. ​“March hit, school was shut, take what you need and get out of here. I just could not sit still. I tried to delve into that ​‘I’m off, I will just sit back.’ I couldn’t do it.”

When Hamden High closed down in March, Wyner was furloughed. She began to volunteer multiple times a month at Shelter 1 in New Haven, a safe haven for the homeless based out of a high school gymnasium.

“They provided care to homeless individuals who needed to finish their quarantine or weren’t sick enough to be in the hospital or just got out of the hospital,” Wyner said. ​“Twenty-four hours we had to be there.”

Students returned to school in the fall, and so did Wyner. She continued her role as a nurse at ​“Mom’s clinic” while also working within the Covid-19 provider team which helps to contact trace those who test positive and monitor the progress of positive patients.

“She is the person you want around when times get tough” said Leah Lucarelli, director of clinic operations at the School Based Health Center in her letter of nomination. ​“Instead of shying away she runs head on into the situation to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved.”

Christina Liuzzo, director of IT and project implementation a Clifford Beers

Not all heroes honored at the event were focused on patient care. Others worked behind the scenes to help clinics adapt to the new normal.

Christina Liuzzo got Clifford Beer’s 200 employees working remotely in a week’s time when the pandemic closed the clinic. Clifford Beers Clinic treats those on the autism spectrum or with other intellectual disabilities.

“March 2020 sure feels like a lifetime ago,” Liuzzo said. ​“We received notice that services could still be provided to our clients through telehealth during the shutdown and we needed to employ the tools immediately.”

In her career Liuzzo said she has planned for various disasters like snow, fires and hurricanes, but never a pandemic. By pulling ingredients from each plan, she was able to create a plan for this latest tragedy.

“My educational background was originally in social work before I started gravitating toward IT,” Liuzzo said. ​“Coming to Clifford Beers has allowed me to indirectly support my community by providing technological resources and training our staff. I am proud to be a part of the Clifford Beers family. As always, we are moving forward.”

Brittany Brown, respiratory therapist at Gaylord Specialty Care

Brittany Brown worked the night shift as a respiratory therapist at Gaylord Specialty care at a time when respiratory therapists were a crucial factor in saving COVID-19 patient’s lives.

“One of the scariest things to feel, is the feeling of not being able to breathe,” Brown said. ​“Many patients come to Gaylord for intense rehabilitation after fighting COVID for quite some time. I found myself spending extra time with these patients, comforting them in this time in need and staying positive.’

While the patients may have forgotten her name, Brown said she knows they will never forget how she and other healthcare workers made them feel.

“When COVID was at an all-time high, I volunteered to work in the COVID unit so others who didn’t feel as comfortable didn’t have to,” Brown said. ​“Fighting this battle has empowered me and others, showing us we can do anything we put our minds to.”

Juanita Harris, certified nursing assistant at the Linden at Woodbridge

When the first case of COVID-19 arrived at Linden at Woodbridge, a place devoted to caring for patients with dementia, many other employees became scared. Other quit right away.

“Juanita worked through our outbreak which lasted until May 18,” wrote Linda Garica in her letter of recommendation. ​“She worked almost every day during this time, double shifts. She was able to comfort and care for her residents, giving them a degree of security by having a familiar person, albeit masked, care for them.”

“I was working double shifts, no days off and not able to see my family,” Harris said. ​“But my residents were also dependent on me each and every day.”

Many of her coworkers became sick with the virus, but Harris kept working.

“I knew I had to put in extra hard work and dedication to help my residents get through this pandemic,” Harris said.

Richard Lennon, lieutenant Hamden Fire Department

Richard Lennon won the First Responder Award because while he was not directly caring for Covid-19 patients, he helped to train the firefighters in protocols related to Covid-19 as well as staying on top of other crises like Hurricane Isaias and tornados.

“I can’t talk about my experiences,” Lennon said. ​“I need to talk about our experiences. Everything we do is ​‘we.’ The social distancing was the hardest thing we have ever done. How do you tell your second family you can’t hang out with each other?”

Since Covid-19 began, the department has faced personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and a slew of COVID-19 cases within the department. Many have not returned to work.

“All of this, we can’t do without the true heroes, our families,” Lennon said. ​“Without their support we can’t go to work with a clear head.”

Claudia Cozzi, visiting nurse at VNA Community Health Care

Claudia Cozzi was unable to attend the ceremony because of the side effects of her second vaccine dose. As a home healthcare worker, she was nominated by the child of a woman that she cares for.

“Affectionately, I refer to Claudia as ​‘Drill Sargent Claudia’ because she realizes my mom has it in her to do better, and challenges her to do so,” reads her letter of nomination. ​“Claudia is the consummate professional and has a great sense of humor, which is so important these days. I know that Claudia cares about my mom and me, too.”

But in her letter of acceptance Cozzi said she does not consider herself a hero.

“I am flattered at the gesture but to me I feel fortunate to be able to do my job and try to make a positive impact on every patient I see,” Cozzi said.

While the event was not a banquet hall full of applause and cheers as Dudchik said she would have hoped, the modified, sanitized and socially distant ceremony served its purpose.

“We want to continue recognizing heroes and we hope next year we can fill Cascade to capacity, but at least we can start today,” Dudchik said.