The nightingale award is the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve and is awarded to nurses or nursing aides for “exceptional courage and devotion to the wounded, sick or disabled or to civilian victims of a conflict or disaster”. The Root Center for Advanced Recovery is proud to announce this year’s recipient Lisa Barbati. Lisa Barbati has devoted herself to a career of care, providing the Root Center for Advanced Recovery with 20 years of nursing experience. As an agency that focuses on mental health and addiction services, Lisa has proven to be a dedicated employee assisting individuals on their path to recovery. The journey to recovery is difficult as it presents obstacles that in some cases can be life threatening. With 50,000 people dying every year and 1,000 overdoses each day, there is no denying that the opioid epidemic has affected many communities here in Connecticut. Henderson Johnson, where Lisa is primarily deployed, supports approximately 800 clients daily for methadone maintenance, mental health, and education on eliminating the stigma of substance disorder.