Below is a copy of an editorial by Sandy Rousse, CVHHH’s President & CEO. Town Meeting Day is Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
I first came to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) about 20 years ago thanks to my uncle, Paul Beck, an incredibly generous person who was active in the Barre business community. Paul served on many local boards, including CVHHH’s, and introduced me to the organization. I joined CVHHH’s Finance Committee and then the Board of Directors. In 2002, I assumed the role of CFO and in 2012 became President & CEO. My uncle must have had an instinct that I would connect with CVHHH. If he were here today, I would tell him how proud I am of what CVHHH does to support the community he cared so deeply about.
On Tuesday, March 3, CVHHH will request funds from each of the 23 communities that we serve. As we prepared over the past five months for Town Meeting Day, I met with central Vermonters and presented to some of our local select boards. I shared stories from CVHHH patients who received care at home rather than in a nursing home. I talked about community members who went right home after surgery, where they worked with a team of skilled CVHHH clinicians, which included certified wound-care nurses, rehab therapists, and licensed nurses’ aides, to heal. I also shared statistics about CVHHH—how many patients we serve in each community, how many miles staff drive annually to visit patients (over 650,000), and how many visits we provide in a year (over 85,000 across all programs).
Most of the people I encountered eagerly shared stories about their connection to CVHHH. Some select board members were surprised to learn that CVHHH touches so many lives or performs as many visits in their town. Others did not know that CVHHH serves people of all ages, including pre- and post-natal moms and their newborns, young children, and healthy active adults.
I believe that people are the bedrock of any community. By going about their daily routines—dropping kids at school, taking loved ones to the doctor, and shopping at the grocery store—people create connections and build networks that define a place and make a community. CVHHH’s commitment, as a home health and hospice provider, is to care for people at home so that they can maintain the relationships that give their community character and fill their lives with meaning. This is what keeps our communities intact and helps them to thrive.
A vote for CVHHH’s town funding request on Town Meeting Day is a vote for your community! It’s a recognition that all central Vermonters, including those who need our services but cannot pay for our services, can access high-quality care at any stage of life where and when they want it, at home.
Thank you for supporting CVHHH.