By Keith Phaneuf
Even amidst the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of nonprofit agencies in Connecticut continue to serve millions of disabled adults and children, the mentally ill, drug addicts, and others in need.
Yet these nonprofits aren’t considered “essential healthcare workers” like doctors and nurses, industry leaders said Tuesday, a distinction that limits access to protective equipment and leaves many agencies on the brink of financial catastrophe.
“We’re very much the forgotten part of the health industry,” said Barry Simon, president and CEO of Oak Hill in Hartford, the state’s largest nonprofit social services provider.