HARTFORD, CT – February 14, 2013 The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) has announced Yolanda Caldera-Durant as its new senior program officer. Caldera-Durant joins the program team to oversee the foundation’s health equity portfolio, specifically focusing on access to and continuous enrollment in health coverage for the state’s underserved populations. She also will be supporting CT Health’s Leadership Fellows Program.
“We are delighted to have Yolanda and her strong background in philanthropy, as well as the nonprofit and public sector at the regional, statewide and national level,” said Patricia Baker, president & CEO of CT Health. “Her insight and community-level experience will enable the foundation to strengthen its efforts to advance health equity in Connecticut.”
Previously, Yolanda served as program associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s (AECF) Center for Community and Economic Opportunity in New Haven, CT. In that role, she focused on workforce development for low-income residents and promoted strategies to help families achieve economic self-sufficiency and a national effort to connect low-income youth to education and employment. Before joining the AECF, Yolanda was program director at the Fairfield County Community Foundation.
“I am excited to join CT Health at this unique moment when we have the opportunity to inform health care reform implementation with a health equity lens,” says Yolanda. “I bring to this position my knowledge of effective collaboration and deep experience in working with diverse communities.
Yolanda has served on numerous boards including being co-chair of The Latina A.R.M.Y. (Accomplished Role Models Motivating Young Latinas). She also served on Governor Dannel Malloy’s Nonprofit Cabinet Cross Agency Results Work Group; Sustinet Health Care Board’s Health Disparities and Equity Advisory Committee, co-founder and co-chairperson of the Greater Bridgeport Latino Network and director of the Hispanic Professional Network.
Yolanda received her bachelors in arts in sociology from the University of Connecticut (Storrs) and a master’s of science in nonprofit management from Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) – cthealth.org: the state’s largest independent health philanthropy dedicated to improving lives by changing health systems. Since it was established in July 1999, the foundation has supported innovative grant-making, public health policy research, technical assistance and convening to achieve its mission – to improve the health of the people of Connecticut.
Over the past 12 years, CT Health has awarded grants totaling more than $49.4 million in 45 cities and towns throughout the state in three priority areas:
- Improving access to children’s mental health services
- Reducing racial and ethnic health disparities
- Expanding access to and use of children’s oral health services
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