Kavaler Appointed to CBIA Foundation, Patient and Family Advisory Committee

Bernard Kavaler, Founder and Managing Principal of West Hartford-based public relations business Express Strategies, has been appointed to Connecticut organizations focused on advancing business and healthcare in the state.

He has joined the board of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Foundation for Economic Growth & Opportunity and the Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC) of the Connecticut Health Information Exchange (Connie).

Connie is an independent, not-for-profit, organization authorized by state statute to develop and operate a statewide health information exchange (HIE) in Connecticut. This timely sharing of information allows health care providers and organizations to provide safer,more efficient, patient-centered care by allowing the patient’s care team — and others approved by the patient — to access patient records across health care settings.

The CBIA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to address the evolving needs of Connecticut’s economy. The primary goal is charting a course for sustained economic growth that drives further predictability and greater opportunity for all Connecticut residents.

The CBIA Foundation works to boost the state’s competitiveness and its ability to retain and attract business investment and an array of talented people, advancing a long-term, strategic focus on the fundamentals of a successful competitive economy.

“I look forward to contributing to the ongoing efforts and initiatives of the CBIA Foundation to improve Connecticut’s competitiveness, and create greater economic opportunities for residents and businesses, large and small, throughout our state,” Kavaler said.“A vibrant economy promoting opportunity can and should be a continuing stand-out strength for Connecticut.”

A health information exchange (HIE) is asafe, confidential way ofsharing health information electronicallyamong doctors’ offices, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and other health care organizations. The PFAC aims to serve as a forum for patients and families to share their diverse perspectives and feedback about how to ensure Connie effectively empowers patients through access to their health data, and to increase understanding, among various Connecticut communities, of the role of health data exchange in improving care coordination, care delivery, and ultimately patient health outcomes.

“Healthcare is unequivocally fundamental, so utilizing technology to support the dedicated healthcare professionals throughout the state and helping to grow a system where patients can depend upon the efficient and effective exchange of healthcare information can make a significant difference in advancing care and health.I look forward to working collaboratively to steadily move closer to achieving those goals,” explained Kavaler.

Express Strategies, founded in 2012, provides strategic communications and public policy consulting, with expertise in advocacy writing, project management and media relations and an acute understanding of the public implications of the policy decisions made by an organization.

Express Strategies (www.express-strategies.com) works closely with local entrepreneurial businesses, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, foundations and industries in various disciplines in Connecticut.

Prior to founding Express Strategies, Kavaler served as a key member of the executive staff of four of Connecticut’s constitutional officers and the state’s university system, developing expertise in high profile project management in a public context.His leadership positions included service with the Offices of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the State and State Treasurer. He was also Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs for the Connecticut State University System, has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and in public service roles at the municipal level.