A Meeting to the Medical Examining Board was held on Friday, January 10, 2020, at the Office of the State Comptroller, 55 Farmington Avenue, Room 1008, Hartford, Connecticut, 06105.

PRESENT:

Nikolai Lieders, M.D., CHAIRPERSON
Eric T. Shore, M.D.
J. Robert Galvin, M.D.

ABSENT:
Lynn Rudich, M.D.
Amarjeet Dargan, M.D.
Rita Ohene-Adjei, M.D.
Manny Katsetos, M.D.
Debra Pollack, M.D.

 OTHERS PRESENT:
Colin Newman, Assistant Director Retirement Division
Annette Sadlowski, Disability Retirement Division
Cindy Cieslak, General Counsel to the Commission Rose Kallor 

Please note that a portion of the meeting was conducted in executive session as the focus of the meeting was the medical condition(s) of each Disability Retirement applicant. 

CALL TO ORDER 

The Chairperson called meeting to order at 9:06 am.
Dr. Lieders motioned to amend agenda and seconded by Dr. Galvin to:
Remove Donna DiMauro at 9:06 am. 

Dr. Lieders motioned to go into the Executive Session to discuss medical condition(s) related to the applications for Disability Retirement, seconded by Dr. Galvin at 9:08 am.  Members of the Retirement Services Division and the General Counsel to the Commission were invited to stay during Executive Session.  Colin Newman joined the meeting at 9:35 am.  Colin Newman left the meeting at 9:38 am and returned at 9:47 am.  Cindy Ceislak left the meeting at 9:37 am. and returned at 9:41 am.  There was a brief break at 11:05 am. until 11:12 am.

1.  Lisa Bender and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 11:14 am.  They made statements, and then they were excused by the Board at 11:18 am.

2.  Linda Cicarella and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 11:20 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 11:25 am.

3.  Joseph Corbin and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 11:28 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 11:32 am.

4.  Joy Flynn appeared before the Board at 11:34 am.  She made a statement and then was excused by the Board at 11:36 am.

5.  Ifrah Ibrahim and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 11:38 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 11:42 am.

6.  Cynthia Innes and Attorney Paul Daddario appeared before the Board at 11:46 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 11:49 am.

7.  Rudolph Johnson and Attorney Amado Vargas appeared before the Board at 11:51 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 11:54 am.

8.  Rosalee Kelley and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 11:55 am.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:00 pm.

9.  Marilyn Melendez appeared before the Board at 12:09 pm.  She made a statement and then was excused by the Board at 12:15 pm.

10.  Paula Pinto and Melissa Bowden appeared before the Board at 12:02 pm.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:06 pm.

11.  Rebecca Smalls and Attorney Justin Raymond appeared before the Board at 12:17 pm.  They made statement and then they were excused by the Board at 12:27 pm.

12.  Richard Stack and Attorney Justin Raymond appeared before the Board at 12:39 pm.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:42 pm.

13.  Samuel Tryon and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 12:44 pm.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:48 pm.

14.  Wendy Villalobos, Marvin Villalobos and Attorney Harvey Levine appeared before the Board at 12:50 pm.  Ms. Villalobos and Attorney Levine made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:56 pm.

15.  Relford Ward and Attorney Amado Vargas appeared before the Board at 12:58 pm.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 12:59 pm.

16.  Sheila Young and Attorney Russell Zimberlin appeared before the Board at 1:02 pm.  They made statements and then they were excused by the Board at 1:04 pm. 

Dr. Lieders motioned to come out of Executive Session, seconded by Dr. Galvin at 1:09 pm. 

LISA BENDER           D- 12674          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED 

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Lisa Bender�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

LINDA CICARELLA          MD- 1560         SERVICE-CONNECTED(reconsideration)

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to stand by the Board�s previous decision to deny Linda Cicarella�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement, however the Board would look favorably upon a Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

JOSEPH CORBIN          D- 12513          SERVICE-CONNECTED(reconsideration) 

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Joseph Corbin�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

JOY FLYNN          D- 12821          SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Joy Flynn�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

IFRAH IBRAHIM          D- 12871          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Ifrah Ibrahim�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

CYNTHIA INNES           D- 12799          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Cynthia Innes� entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

RUDOLPH JOHNSON          D- 12735          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED 

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Rudolph Johnson�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

ROSALEE KELLEY          D- 11972         SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Rosalee Kelley�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

MARILYN MELENDEZ         D- 12849          SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Marilyn Melendez�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

KAREN OHRENBERGER         D- 12225          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to deny Karen Ohrenberger�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

PAULA PINTO          D- 12795          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Paula Pinto�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

ILEANA RODRIGUEZ          D- 12418          SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Ileana Rodriguez�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

PHILIP RUSCH         D- 12864         Non-Service Connected 

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to deny Philip Rusch's entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

REBECCA SMALLS         D- 12279          SERVICE-CONNECTED(reconsideration) 

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Rebecca Smalls' entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

NANCY SOTO          D- 12532          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED(reconsideration)

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Nancy Soto�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

RICHARD STACK          D- 12747          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Richard Stack�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

CHRISTINE TAUCHER         D- 12260          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED(reconsideration)

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Christine Taucher�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

SAMUEL TRYON          D- 12672          SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Samuel Tryon�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

WENDY VILLALOBOS          D- 11924         SERVICE-CONNECTED(reconsideration)

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Wendy Villalobos� entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

RELFORD WARD          D- 12475          NON-SERVICE CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Relford Ward�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

MARIAN YI           D- 12883         NON-SERVICE CONNECTED (posth.)

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Marian Yi�s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement.  Motion approved by majority decision.  Dr. Shore abstains.

SHEILA YOUNG          D- 12856          SERVICE-CONNECTED

Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin, to approve Sheila Young�s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement.  Motion approved unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT:

  Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Galvin to adjourn the meeting at 1:18 pm.