Bridgeport, CT – City officials announce updates to the City of Bridgeport Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) staff as well as new additions to strengthen the City COVID-19 Response team.  These additions include the announcement of Kim Dickey and Ebony Jackson-Shaheed as subject matter experts who join the COVID-19 Response team as Public Health Consultants as of March 1, 2021.

 

Ms. Kim Dickey has been charged with supporting City of Bridgeport Health Department Social Services Divisions to include community relations, elderly and disabled outreach, volunteer coordination, and mobile vax units. Kim has more than a decade of experience in Community Outreach and Community Relations in the cities of Bridgeport and New Haven. Ms. Dickey holds an MBA and MPH and is currently pursuing a Doctorates in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ms. Dickey will be an asset to the department while creating health initiatives, leading the city’s volunteer staff and coordinating efforts for Mobile Units to conduct vaccinations.  In addition, she will serve as a Senior Advisor on health-related matters, including the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, by evaluating health departmental programs, projects and procedures, providing technical advice and assistance to community agencies and other organizations as well as synergizing the efforts of the COVID-19 contact tracing integration with the State of CT contact tracing and community outreach.    

 

Ms. Ebony Jackson-Shaheed is designated to the Clinical Services Division of the Bridgeport Health Department to support vaccination coordination & administration, contact tracing, Epidemiology, data analysis / research, as well as Federal & State Grant/Funding Opportunities – and will liaise with Central Grants. Ms. Jackson-Shaheed is an Epidemiologist with an MPH and BA in Health Education with strong ties to infectious and chronic diseases Data Analysis and Research. Her experience working in urban and immigrant health will serve as an asset within our diverse community. Ms. Jackson-Shaheed will serve as a Senior Advisor on health-related matters, including the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, by evaluating health departmental programs, projects and procedures and also coordinate epidemiological surveillance for infectious and chronic disease programs such as, COVID-19, STD, TB, Respiratory Disease and Hepatitis. Additionally, Ebony will apply her skills to research and analyze health issues, affected populations, health education theory, and best practices for effective program strategies and interventions, and then conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluations and recommend improvements in the department. 

 

The City of Bridgeport received monies to contract employees for COVID-19 response by the CARES Act awarded through HUD.  Kim Dickey and Ebony Jackson-Shaheed are both contracted as City of Bridgeport Public Health Consultants and will each earn $24,000 in the six month consulting period to support COVID-19 response.

 

Tammy Papa will continue to serve as Acting Deputy Director of Health Operations to support distribution of COVID-19 vaccination, clinic operations, and outreach efforts to the City’s residents.

 

City officials encourage residents to utilize the Senior Center helpline for questions and to register for the COVID-19 vaccine by calling 203-576-7993.