Northern Counties Health Care Celebrates 50 Years: Caring for the Kingdom Since 1976
Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is proud to celebrate 50 years of service to the communities of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, marking five decades of compassionate, community-based care for individuals and families across Caledonia, Orleans, and Essex Counties.
Founded in 1976 as Vermont’s first Community Health Center, NCHC was established in response to a critical need for accessible primary care in the region. At the time, much of the Northeast Kingdom was classified as medically underserved, with limited access to healthcare services in many rural communities. Working alongside local community members, NCHC secured one of the state’s first federal health center grants to establish health centers that would serve all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Its founding Executive Director, David Reynolds, recently reflected on those early days. “We had no idea if it would succeed, since we had no facilities, no staff, no equipment, no administrative systems,” Reynolds said. “Yet within a year, we opened two physician-staffed health centers in Greensboro and Island Pond, and amazingly a dental clinic in Island Pond as well — one of the first health centers in the nation to include dental care.”
Guided by the belief that quality health care should be available to everyone, regardless of geography or income, the organization has grown into a comprehensive rural health network serving more than 40 percent of Northeast Kingdom residents.
Today, Northern Counties Health Care provides a broad continuum of services, including primary care, dental care, home health and hospice, behavioral health, and recovery support services. With community health centers in Concord, Danville, Hardwick, Island Pond, and St. Johnsbury; dental sites in Hardwick, Island Pond, and Orleans; and Northern Express Care locations in St. Johnsbury and Newport, NCHC continues to ensure that care remains close to home.
Over the past five decades, NCHC has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of the communities it serves—expanding access, integrating services, and strengthening partnerships across the region. From its early efforts to improve access to primary care to the growth of dental, behavioral health, walk-in care, and home health and hospice services, the organization has remained focused on delivering coordinated, patient- and family-centered care.
NCHC also helped pioneer and demonstrate the effectiveness of the community health center model in Vermont. Today, federally qualified health centers serve communities across the state, and approximately one in three Vermonters receives primary care through one of Vermont’s 12 health center organizations.
As Reynolds reflected, “The organization began with a two-member staff, myself and an administrative assistant, and has grown to employ over 300 staff members. It truly is a case of neighbors serving neighbors.”
At the heart of this work are NCHC’s compassionate and dedicated employees. Their commitment, expertise, and deep connection to the communities they serve define who we are as an organization. Every day, they go above and beyond to provide high-quality, respectful, and personalized care – making a lasting difference in the lives of patients and families across the Northeast Kingdom. They are truly the heart and soul of Northern Counties Health Care.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the vision and dedication of those who built this organization, and especially the extraordinary employees who bring our mission to life each and every day,” said Chris Towne, CEO of Northern Counties Health Care. “We are grateful for the trust our communities have placed in us for 50 years, and we look forward to continuing to serve the Northeast Kingdom for generations to come.”
For half a century, Northern Counties Health Care has stood beside the people of the Northeast Kingdom—caring for neighbors, strengthening communities, and helping individuals live healthier lives.
