The University of Hartford is honoring Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and chief executive officer of Hartford HealthCare, as a pillar in the local business community who has made a difference for UHart students and the state.
UHart will present Flaks with the Executive Leader of the Year Award Sept. 8 at a reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Hursey Center, the University’s newest academic building. The recognition is bestowed annually upon a professional who is an authority in their industry and has guided their organization with expertise and vision.
“Our honorees, chosen from among an incredible and exclusive list of regionally based technology and health-care leaders, represent the best in their fields,” says UHart Acting President Stephen Mulready M’77. “It is a great pleasure to recognize Jeffrey this year. He is a forward-thinking, dedicated trailblazer whose career-long goal has been to improve the delivery of quality health care, advance health equity, and reach more underserved and underrepresented communities.”
The UHart event, now in its fifth year, will offer a unique networking opportunity for the Greater Hartford business community, while also supporting talented UHart students through generous scholarships. Guests will have a chance to meet some of these students, and tour Hursey’s labs and classrooms, as well as the state-of-the-art nursing simulation suite.
“The stories and dreams of students benefitting from these scholarships are as inspirational as those of the honorees we have recognized through the years,” Mulready added.
Flaks is described as a servant leader who deftly stewarded HHC through the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, never forgetting the organization’s role in improving health and healing of area communities. Because of his dedication, Flaks was appointed co-chair of the State of Connecticut’s Governor’s Health System COVID Task Force.
As a champion of health equity, Flaks has advocated for new and innovative strategies in providing care to under-served and underrepresented patients. He’s also pioneered outreach to address the digital divide to meet the health needs of the most vulnerable, and address social determinants of health. Partnerships with Amazon, Google, and international Medtech accelerators, among others, have all been developed under his guidance and perseverance.
While Flaks and HHC may be primarily associated with health care, his efforts in job growth and job pipelines are also being celebrated. By establishing university partnerships, he’s helped build an essential pipeline for the health-care workforce and to keep jobs in the state.
Under Flak’s leadership, HHC has become the state’s most progressive integrated health-care delivery system—a $5.2 billion enterprise that cares for more than 23,000 people each day. Flaks is committed to ensuring those patients can trust HHC for coordinated, personalized, and lifesaving care.
UHart students have benefited from Flaks’ efforts, as HHC has provided and continued to expand experiential learning opportunities for the University’s College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions. The organization’s support also led to the creation of the Hursey Center’s Hartford HealthCare’s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation.
Tickets are still available. Register for yours now, or learn more about the event.