MINUTES OF MEETING
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
MEDICAL EXAMINING BOARD
FRIDAY, September 22, 2017

A Meeting to the Medical Examining Board was held on Friday, September 22, 2017, at the Office of the State Comptroller, 55 Elm Street, Room 208, Hartford, Connecticut, 06106.

PRESENT:
Kamel Ghandour, M.D., CHAIRPERSON
Nikolai Lieders, M.D.
Amarjeet Dargan, M.D.

ABSENT:
Lynn Rudich, M.D.
Richard Blum, M.D.
Debra Pollack, M.D.
Manny Katsetos, M.D.

OTHERS PRESENT:
Annette Sadlowski, Supervisor Disability Retirement
Tanya Jasper, Disability Retirement Unit
Cindy Cieslak, General Counsel to the Commission Ford Harrison

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 9:04 am.
Amended to the Agenda: To remove Miriam Llanos at 9:05 am.

Dr. Ghandour motioned to go into the Executive Session to discuss medical condition(s) related to the applications for Disability Retirement, seconded by Dr. Lieders at 9:06 am. Members of the Retirement Services Division and the General Counsel to the Commission were invited to stay during Executive Session. Annette Sadlowski was excused at 11:03 a.m. and returned at 11:06 am. Dr. Dargan was excused at 11:39 and returned at 11:41 am. A brief break was taken from 11:50 a.m. until 11:54 a.m.

1. Gina DesBiens appeared before the Board at 11:56 a.m. and made a statement. She was excused by the Board at 12:06 pm.
2. Mary Gallagher and her husband Jim Heetmann appeared before the Board at 12:09 pm. Mr. Heetmann read a statement and then, they were excused by the Board at 12:22 pm.
3. James Grasso and Attorney John Walsh appeared before the Board at 12:26 pm. Mr. Grasso made a statement, and then they were excused by the Board at 12:29 pm.
4. Joyce Gunning and her husband Charles Martin appeared before the Board at 12:30 pm. They made statements and were excused by the Board at 12:39 pm.

5. Marlene Hamilton appeared before the Board at 12:42 pm. She made a statement and was excused by the Board at 12:58.
6. Marlene Hamilton reappeared before the Board at 1:02 pm. She made an additional statement and was excused by the Board at 1:05 pm.
7. Dr. Dargan was excused at 1:20 pm and returned at 1:22 pm.
8. Joseph Lopez appeared before the Board at 1:24 pm. He made a statement and was excused by the Board at 1:32 pm.
9. Robyn Redwine and Attorney Colleen Casini appeared before the Board at 1:36 pm. They made statements and were then excused by the Board at 1:42 pm.

Dr. Ghandour motioned to come out of Executive Session, seconded by Dr. Lieders 1:48 p.m.

ROBERT ADKINS     D- 12155     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Robert Adkins? entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

GREG BASSETTI     MD- 1511     SERVICE-CONNECTED (RECONSIDERATION)
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Gregg Bassetti?s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

KATHLEEN BELLMAR     D- 12097     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to deny Kathleen Bellmar?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

GINA DESBIENS     D- 12247     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Gina DesBiens? entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved by majority decision. Dr. Dargan dissents.

JAMES DESCHAINE     D- 12158     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve James Deschaine entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

NICOLE DONZELLO     D- 12455     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Nicole Donzello?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

NANCY FERGUSON     D- 12045     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Nancy Ferguson?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

MARY GALLAGHER     D- 11980     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Mary Gallagher?s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved by majority decision. Dr. Dargan dissents.

JAMES GRASSO     MD- 1532     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve James Grasso?s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

JOYCE GUNNING     D- 9843     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to table Joyce Gunning?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

MARLENE HAMILTON     D- 12431     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Lieders moved, seconded by Dr. Dargan, to deny Marlene Hamilton?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved by majority decision. Dr. Ghandour dissents.

PATRICIA LEE     D- 12355     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to deny Patricia Lee?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

JOSEPH LOPEZ     D- 12194     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to deny Joseph Lopez?s for a Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

SUZANNE MCALPINE     D- 12185     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to deny Suzanne McAlpine?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

JAYNE PLOTNIK     D- 12332     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to deny Jayne Plotnick?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

ROBYN REDWINE     D- 12096     SERVICE-CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to table Robyn Redwine?s entitlement to Service-Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

MILENA SANGUT     D- 12445     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Milena Sangut?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

FERDINAND VELEZ     D- 12196     NON-SERVICE CONNECTED
Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders, to approve Ferdinand Velez?s entitlement to Non-Service Connected Retirement. Motion approved unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT:

Dr. Ghandour moved, seconded by Dr. Lieders to adjourn the meeting at 1:54 pm.

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