Bristol Hospital recognized Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman on Tuesday for advocating for state hospitals and getting their voices heard in the governor’s office and throughout state government.
“This is a very, very special occasion,” Bristol Hospital President and CEO Kurt Barwis said at a breakfast event honoring Wyman, who is retiring in January.
During the breakfast, she was given a glass plaque from the hospital, representing the Hospital Champion Award.
“We get to recognize someone I think the world of,” Barwis said.
Barwis told the audience of state officials and hospital employees that Wyman has been a “tireless advocate” for health care in Connecticut, citing the Governor’s Health Care Cabinet as one of her more important contributions. The cabinet consists of representatives of hospitals around the state and other officials who discuss the future of health care and the state’s role in it.
Barwis said he and Wyman have developed a good friendship, and that she has served as a “go-to” person for him.
The cabinet, said Wyman, who is its chairwoman, addresses “every sector of health care.”
“What the problems are and how to address them,” she continued in an interview after the hospital event. “The hospitals now feel like a part of it.”
The cabinet allows state hospital representatives and politicians to realize that “we’re not trying to hurt you, and you’re not trying to hurt us,” said Wyman, who was a candy striper in high school and became an X-ray technician before going into politics.
State Reps. Whit Betts, Chris Ziogas and William Petit Jr. also attended the breakfast, sharing kind words about their experiences with Wyman.
Betts said government is supposed to be about Republicans and Democrats working together and coming to bipartisan agreements. Wyman, he said, embodies that philosophy.
“Nancy embraces the differences and finds a common goal,” Betts said. “I just want to thank you for your leadership and your friendship.”
“She has always been warm and generous and welcoming,” Petit said of Wyman, adding that he has worked with her on several occasions during his two years in office.
Petit, a physician, went on to compare Wyman to a surgeon he used to work with who never complained about the task at hand and simply found a way to address it.
“To me, she was always a role model for civility and thinking things through,” Ziogas said.
“Everybody loves Nancy,” Ziogas continued, adding that her career has been “such a great asset” to the state.