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Renee Coleman-Mitchell has been fired due to multiple mistakes in her office dating back to last year, state officials said on Tuesday, May 12.
In her place, Lamont announced that he is appointing Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre Gifford to serve as the acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health, effective as of Tuesday.
Coleman-Mitchell first joined the Department of Health in 1986, serving in various roles until 1994, before returning in the spring last year to serve as commission. According to reports, her ousting came as Lamont grew increasingly frustrated with her due to a slow reaction plan in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, specifically in nursing homes.
“I appreciate Commissioner Coleman-Mitchell’s willingness to join my administration and lead one of our most vital state agencies, which is responsible for overseeing so many critical public health needs,” Lamont said in a statement.
“Her service over the last year has been a great deal of help, particularly in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has brought disruption to many throughout the world,” he added. “I thank her for her advocacy on behalf of the health and safety of our residents, and for being a dedicated partner in service to the State of Connecticut.”
Before joining the state’s Department of Social Services, Gifford served as deputy director for the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C.
From 2012 to 2015, she served as Medicaid Director in the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and from 2005 to 2011 she was co-founder and project director of Rhode Island’s multi-payer Medical Home demonstration.
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required every state agency to even more closely align with each other and sync our operations to deliver a coordinated response for the people of Connecticut,” she said. “I am determined to continue these efforts for the duration of our emergency response and beyond.”
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