Hartford Business Journal Names 2025 Health Care Heroes

September 29, 2025

The Hartford Business Journal selected four honorees from Trinity Health Of New England for recognition as Health Care Heroes, awards that identify outstanding leaders in the health care industry who are the epitome of a “hero.” The 2025 recipients include William Rabitaille, MD, FACP, Regional Chief of Primary Care for Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, Chair of Medicine, Saint Francis Hospital, and Lead Physician for the Saint Francis Safety Net Clinics; Joan Thompson, BSN, RN, Director of Surgical Services for Saint Mary’s Hospital; the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry at Saint Francis; and Trinity Health Of New England’s Thoracic Oncology Program.

William Rabitaille, MD, FACP, is being honored in the Physician category.

Dr. Rabitaille is being honored in the Physician category. Joining Saint Francis in 2017 as the director of the Gengras Clinic, Dr. Rabitaille serves as Regional Chief of Primary Care for Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, Lead Physician for the three Safety Net Clinics at Saint Francis and was recently named Chair of Medicine at Saint Francis. Under his leadership, 10 primary care offices have been recognized as Patient-Centered Medical Homes – a model of care that puts patients at the forefront and builds better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.

Dr. Rabitaille was part of a physician outreach team organized by the City of Hartford which went door-to-door to provide homebound and vaccine hesitant residents with COVID-19 vaccinations, and he recently was part of a team from Trinity Health Of New England that was chosen by the American Hospital Association’s Health Research & Educational Trust as one of just three health systems across the country to develop an evidence-based and evidence-informed toolkit detailing leading practices for linkage to and retention in Opioid Use Disorder and Stimulant Use Disorder for inpatient, primary care, and pharmacy settings. Outside of his clinical duties, Dr. Rabitaille serves as a dedicated teacher to residents and medical students, including as Associate Professor of Medicine at UConn School of Medicine, where he encourages and instills a passion of whole-person care to the next generation of providers.

Joan, Director of Surgical Services at Saint Mary’s, is being recognized in the Nursing category. For over 40 years, Joan has been a cornerstone at Saint Mary’s, embodying the qualities of leadership, compassion and innovation in nursing. Her commitment to patient-centered care, combined with a strategic business mindset, has transformed surgical services and elevated the experience for patients, staff and physicians alike. Joan’s leadership in surgical services is unparalleled. She oversees two Operating Rooms, one in Saint Mary’s and an outpatient surgical center, Naugatuck Valley Surgical Center, ensuring seamless coordination, communication and efficiency across all sites. Her proactive approach to scheduling and resource management allows for optimal OR utilization, reducing patient wait times and enhancing the experience for both patients and physicians.

Joan is a recipient of the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing, one of Connecticut’s most prestigious honors recognizing exceptional dedication and service in health care. This accolade reflects her lifelong commitment to elevating the nursing profession and delivering compassionate high-quality care. Her ability to blend clinical expertise and compassion with strategic vision is a rare gift, and it has positively impacted patient care, operational efficiency and organizational culture. She is mindful to ensure that every decision she makes enhances outcomes and efficiency. Her ability to unite interdisciplinary teams – surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and techs, into a cohesive communicative unit is unmatched. She has cultivated a culture where collaboration thrives and where every voice is heard and valued.

Joan Thompson, BSN, RN, is being honored in the Nursing category.

The team from the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry at Saint Francis is honored in the Healthcare Staff category.

The team from the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry at Saint Francis is honored in the Healthcare Staff category, which recognizes non-clinical teams and individuals. For almost 50 years, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry at Saint Francis Hospital has provided food assistance, nutritional counseling, and case management to families and individuals in the greater Hartford region. Established in 1976 as the Saint Francis Emergency Food Bank, it was the first food pantry located in a hospital setting in the United States. The program is coordinated by the Trinity Health Of New England Community Health and Well-Being department, including dedicated Community Health Workers (CHW) who help ensure clients are connected with the resources and support they need, and is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers.

Today, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry is more than just a food resource – it is a critical Community Benefit Initiative that fully embodies the mission to address social determinants of health and create sustainable change. The Food Pantry offers eligible individuals in the greater Hartford community access to nutritious food and vital resources, addressing their needs through a variety of support services – with the knowledge that if someone is experiencing food insecurity, there are likely other resources they could benefit from, whether medical, housing, transportation, education, or other necessities.

Along with serving over 1,500 in-person clients each month for food assistance, the Food Pantry has partnered with a local church-based delivery service to provide support for community members who are elderly, disabled, or new moms. Once a month, the team runs a Diaper Clinic in partnership with the CT Diaper Bank, serving over 200 families with children under three, providing not only diapers, but formula and other essential items. In addition, clients have access to other basic necessities such as personal hygiene items including soap, toothpaste, and menstrual products. Creating an even deeper community impact, the Food Pantry has partnered with COMPASS Youth Collaborative’s Training for Employment Program (TEP) for over two years. Growing out of the long-standing Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP), TEP helps young adults affected by gun violence develop job skills through three-month rotations. The program provides career development while supporting the pantry, offering youth a safe environment to learn and grow with the guidance of trained mentors.

The Trinity Health Of New England Thoracic Oncology Program is being recognized in the Innovation category. The multidisciplinary team of specialists ensure individualized care for patients with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other thoracic malignancies. Through a collaborative approach between Interventional Pulmonology, Thoracic Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Primary care, the program provides timely, innovative, comprehensive treatment that delivers excellent outcomes via customized treatment plans for every patient.

Led by Anil Magge, MD, Director of Interventional Pulmonology, and Stefan Kachala, MD, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, the team also includes Daniel Gerardi, MD; Amrita Krambelkar, MD; Emily Collier, MD; David Grew, MD; and Amber Newman, FNP; along with countless other advanced practice providers, nurses, and support staff. The program offers a level of lung cancer care that is not widely available in the region, including early detection, accurate diagnosis, and expert, coordinated care, all with the most state-of-the art options available. The program has proven to be a gamechanger for lung cancer patients and those with non-malignant diseases of the chest, allowing patients to have early detection, biopsy, and – if necessary – surgery to remove cancerous growths all within a significantly shortened timeframe of just a few weeks.

From launching a regional lung cancer screening program in collaboration with primary care that strives to identify lung cancer at an earlier stage when there is a greater chance for cure, to expanding early detection through a robust incidental nodule program, the Thoracic Oncology Program has made significant contributions to the region in the last year. Dr. Magge and the Interventional Pulmonology team at Saint Francis Hospital have performed over 1,000 robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedures using the Ion endoluminal system. Saint Francis was the first in Connecticut to utilize Ion and the first to pair with 3D flouroscopy, establishing national leadership. For patients who need surgery, Dr. Kachala performs lung resections utilizing the latest technology in robotic assisted surgery. Saint Francis was the first hospital in the greater Hartford area to acquire the da Vinci 5 surgical system, the latest, most advanced robotic surgical system. If further treatment is necessary, patients are referred to the oncology team, where a personalized care plan is developed. Trinity Health Of New England offers expert cancer care, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Saint Francis is the only hospital in Connecticut to utilize CyberKnife®, a specialized robotic radiation machine used to deliver precisely targeted intense radiation. Medical oncologists who specialize in the treatment of thoracic cancers work with each patient to integrate the most recent advances in cancer treatment, which may include immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or other targeted drugs. The team also participates in a number of clinical trials which allow patients to take advantage of some of the newest therapies for lung cancer.

Through a deep commitment to patient care, Trinity Health Of New England is setting the bar for patients by eliminating delays, improving the coordination of care across multiple specialties, and expediting a patient’s journey to wellness, offering up the most innovative, state-of-the art treatments from start to finish, with the goal of changing lives of individuals across the region.

The Trinity Health Of New England Thoracic Oncology Program is being recognized in the Innovation category.