Patricia Baker, a founding member and long-time chief executive and president of the Connecticut Health Foundation, says she will retire in June 2020.
Baker has led the foundation since its inception in 1999. Today, it’s one of Connecticut’s largest independent health philanthropy organizations.
“It would be difficult to overstate the role Pat has played in advancing the health of Connecticut residents and making sure that eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities are on the agenda for policymakers and health systems,” said foundation board chairman David Newton.
Announcing Baker’s pending retirement on Wednesday, the foundation says it’s achieved numerous milestones under her leadership.
In particular, the foundation has awarded more than $63 million in grants to support research and create programs addressing early intervention and advocacy.
Officials said Baker was also instrumental in refocusing the organization on issues related to bridging gaps to dental care among low-income populations, spotlighting the imbalance in mental health access for people of color and tackling health equity.
These efforts helped Connecticut earn the nation’s top spot in 2013 for the highest rate of children covered by Medicaid receiving dental care.
The foundation has also been able to train more than 200 leaders through its Health Leadership Fellows Program and Academy for Health Equity Advocacy and Leadership.
Baker has also played a major role in state and national health policy serving as vice chair of the state’s Healthcare Cabinet, chair of the State Health Improvement Plan advisory council and a member of the State Innovation Model initiative’s steering committee, among other board affiliations.
“When we began, racial and ethnic health disparities received little attention, and it is heartening to see so many other organizations now also committed to eliminating disparities and addressing the conditions that cause them,” Baker said. “This work takes time and dedication, and I am confident in the many people working on these issues at the foundation and across Connecticut.”
In 2017, Baker penned an op-ed piece for the Hartford Business Journal advocating for the hiring of more public health workers.
The foundation said it’s launched a national search for Baker’s replacement.
