“If you have visited CVHHH’s Facebook page over the past few months, you may have noticed the celebrations of our staff. March was Social Work Month. In April, we recognized our Occupational Therapists and volunteers, and in May we honored our Nurses and Speech-Language Pathologists. As the president and CEO–and as a resident of Barre City–I have gotten to know first-hand to what lengths our clinicians and caregivers go to help central Vermonters of all ages maintain their health and independence.
In my role as a member of the Board of Trustees of UVM Health Network-Central Vermont Medical Center and of the finance committee for OneCare Vermont, the accountable care organization, I have many opportunities to talk about the ways that CVHHH’s work supports the goals of health and payment reform. We help reduce unneeded visits to the emergency room. We provide care in one of the lowest-cost settings. We make it possible for people to remain in their homes.
We also connect people in our community with compassionate, skilled clinicians who provide one-on-one care, education related to self-management of their disease, and emotional support. Our staff get to know their patients. They build trusting relationships and bonds that go beyond an episode of care.
When I was pregnant with my now 15-year-old-daughter Olivia, I had to be on bed rest for 13 weeks. Visits from the Maternal and Child Health Nurses were critical in keeping me focused on giving birth to a healthy baby. I have not forgotten the impact of their presence. They were my lifeline.
Of course, it’s not only CVHHH staff who make a difference. CVHHH is part of a broad continuum of local providers, including the UVM Health Network-Central Vermont Medical Center, which collaborate daily to support central Vermonters. In recognition of this, we awarded UVMHN-CVMC our Community Partner of the Year Award for 2018. Anna Noonan, President & COO of the UVMHN-CVMC, accepted the award and said: “CVHHH is a cherished community partner and collaborator, and the visions of our organizations are synergistic. Every day our teams work together to improve health outcomes using a person- and family-centered care approach. Receiving this recognition is an incredible honor.”
I thank all staff and community partners for what CVHHH is and strives to be. And, I thank you, our community, for the generous support you give to CVHHH.”
The above is pulled from CEO Sandy Rousse’s twice-yearly letter to the community, which gets distributed via our Housecalls newsletter. You may read the full spring issue of Housecalls here.