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November 13, 2023 / 2023 Connecticut's Healthcare Heroes Awards

2023 Healthcare Hero: Edna N. Rodriguez

Edna N. Rodriguez, Trinity Health Of New England Director of Behavioral Health Return to the honorees homepage  
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Winner Category | Mental Healthcare Provider

Dr. Edna N. Rodriguez is a clinical psychologist who functions as the director of behavioral health for Trinity Health Of New England.

She works alongside a multidisciplinary team, directing the emergency services for patients with behavioral health needs, the adult inpatient units and the Geriatric Wellness Unit at Johnson Memorial Hospital.

What have been your significant contributions to your organization in the past year?

We have launched the Geriatric Wellness Unit at Johnson Memorial Hospital. In this 15-bed unit, we can care and address both medical and psychiatric needs of older adults in our surrounding communities.

We are proudly helping/educating families and other community agencies with e-plans on how to care for their loved ones. We have enhanced services for people who use drugs by incorporating harm reduction, including dispensing Narcan and providing education about overdose prevention.

We have enhanced the clinical programing offerings in the units to suit a more diverse population admitted to the adult inpatient units.

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Tell us about a challenge in your job that you were able to overcome.

The biggest challenge is creating a culture of understanding and non-stigma for people with behavioral health conditions.

With every moment of teaching or case discussion with a professional from another discipline, we get closer to creating a welcoming and understanding environment for people with behavioral health conditions in the health system.

What’s your next major goal and/or challenge?

My biggest goal is to eliminate the separation between medical and behavioral health.

This comes with systemic challenges that need to be addressed at the public policy level, and with challenges of reducing stigma among provider communities. I am committed to addressing these issues at a macro and micro level.

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