Senior Manager, Practice Operations
Connecticut Children's
Gigi A. Simko is a Senior Manager of Practice Operations at Connecticut Children’s, overseeing the divisions of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition, as well as Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. In this role, she manages a multidisciplinary team of 25 physicians, 5 advanced practice providers, 2 psychologists, and more than 40 support staff. She is also the project manager for ambient artificial intelligence (AI), supporting 30 provider users in optimizing clinical documentation through AI technologies.
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Gigi served 24 years on active duty as a Medical Service Corps officer. Her distinguished military career included assignments in Texas, California, Delaware, Ohio, Washington, D.C., England, and Florida. She deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her final military assignment was as Commander of the 45th Medical Group at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Her personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, six Meritorious Service Medals, and two Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals. She transitioned to Connecticut Children’s following her retirement in 2020.
Gigi has held national leadership roles within the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), serving on its Board of Governors from 2018 to 2021, as Regent for the Air Force from 2016 to 2018, and as Regent-at-Large for District 6 from 2010 to 2014. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Holy Apostles College and Seminary and was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Finance for the Town of Haddam.
She holds a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the United States Air Force Academy. She is board certified in healthcare management. In her free time, Gigi enjoys volunteering, traveling, and quilting. She and her husband, Lt Col (Ret) Stephen Simko, have two sons.
Transitioning from the Military to Civilian Healthcare
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
10:45am - 11:45am CT