CT State Commissioner Set To Retire, Governor Announces

CONNECTICUT — Dr. Deidre Gifford, commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy, will retire from state service next month, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday.

Gifford has led OHS since January 2023, following several years in senior roles under Lamont’s administration. She previously served as commissioner of the Department of Social Services starting in 2019 and as acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In those roles, she played a key part in shaping the state’s response to the public health crisis.

In addition to her commissioner duties, Gifford has acted as Lamont’s senior advisor for health and human services. That role involved coordinating efforts across nine state agencies to improve collaboration and efficiency, particularly where responsibilities overlapped.

Gifford, a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology with training in public health, has focused much of her career on healthcare quality improvement and payment reform. She has worked in both public and private sectors at state and national levels.

Lamont praised Gifford’s leadership, particularly during the pandemic. “She has been dedicated to developing policies and data-driven solutions that expand access to healthcare, improve disparities, and drive costs down,” Lamont said in a statement. “She has provided exceptional service to the people of Connecticut.”

In her own statement, Gifford thanked Lamont, her colleagues, and Connecticut residents. “It has been my privilege to work alongside Governor Lamont and an amazing group of commissioners to serve the people of Connecticut,” she said. “I am proud to have had the administration’s support in efforts to expand access to care.”

Before joining Connecticut’s government, Gifford was deputy director at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, overseeing Medicaid and CHIP. She also previously held leadership roles in Rhode Island’s health and human services system, including as Medicaid director and as co-founder of a pioneering multi-payer payment reform initiative.

OHS is tasked with advancing equitable access to care, containing costs, and improving the state’s healthcare system through data-driven strategies.