Dr. Manisha Juthani Appointed As Commissioner Of Public Health In Connecticut State

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is nominating Dr. Manisha Juthani to serve as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health July 26, 2021. Dr. Juthani will begin at the Department of Public Health on Monday, September 20, 2021, and becomes the first Indian-American ever to hold that post.

Dr. Juthani is an infectious diseases physician at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, where she specializes in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of infections in older adults. Her most recent area of interest is at the interface of infectious diseases and palliative care, including the role of antibiotics at the end of life, the press release from the Governor noted.

A graduate of University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Juthani attended Cornell University Medical College, completed residency training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Campus, and was a chief resident at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

She joined Yale School of Medicine in 2002 for infectious diseases fellowship training and joined the faculty full-time in 2006. She assumed the role of infectious diseases fellowship program director in 2012.

“Dr. Juthani’s background in infectious diseases will be a tremendous benefit to the people of Connecticut as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen our vaccination efforts,” Governor Lamont is quoted saying in the press release. “When seeking candidates to serve in this role, Dr. Juthani came recommended by many top experts in this field, and I am thrilled to have her join our administration.”

“I am grateful to the civil servants at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Dr. Gifford, and Governor Lamont for leading us through this pandemic to date,” Dr. Juthani said. “Under Dr. Gifford’s leadership, I look forward to continuing their efforts related to COVID-19, mental health, health equity, health disparities, and access to healthcare going forward.”

Dr. Juthani will succeed Dr. Deidre Gifford as head of the state’s public health agency. When she takes over (Sept. 20), Dr. Gifford will transition back to solely leading the Department of Social Services, while maintaining a close connection with Dr. Juthani to provide counsel as the response to the pandemic continues, the press release said.

“I welcome Dr. Juthani to our team, and I am delighted to pass the reins of the Department of Public Health into her capable hands,” Dr. Gifford said. “She joins a dedicated and skilled group of leaders at the department, whose work and dedication to public health over the last year have been exemplary.”