News & Events

Northern Counties Health Care Expands Dental Services with New Equipment

January 5, 2026 by Lane Freeto

Northern Counties Health Care Expands Dental Services with New Equipment

St. Johnsbury, VT – Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is excited to announce that
Northern Counties Dental Center (NCDC) has received funding from Northeast Delta Dental to
enhance dental services with new state-of-the-art equipment. NCDC has purchased a new
compressor unit and, with this funding, updated a suction unit and 2D panoramic x-ray, while a
new autoclave will be shared across all three NCHC dental sites, supporting high-quality care
throughout the organization.

As the largest of NCHC’s three dental sites, NCDC serves more than 6,300 patients annually
from Hardwick and surrounding communities across four Vermont counties. With increasing
demand for accessible, affordable dental care—including services provided on a Sliding Fee
Scale—these upgrades will allow NCHC to continue providing efficient, safe, and high-quality
care to patients at all its dental locations.

The new equipment will support more streamlined procedures, enhanced patient experience,
and accurate diagnostic capabilities. The panoramic x-ray will allow for detailed imaging to
support treatment planning, while the upgraded suction system improves comfort and efficiency
during procedures. The shared autoclave will ensure all three NCHC dental sites have reliable
sterilization capacity, strengthening overall patient care across the organization.

Melissa Moffatt, Dental Program Manager, remarked, “These upgrades will make a real
difference for our patients. The new panoramic x-ray and suction system will allow our dental
team to provide care more efficiently and comfortably, while ensuring accurate diagnosis and
treatment planning. We’re excited to enhance the experience for everyone who walks through
our doors and continue serving our community at the highest standard.”

“This funding represents an important step forward in our commitment to accessible, high-quality dental care,” said Jesse Dimick, Director of FQHC Operations of NCHC. “By investing in
state-of-the-art equipment and expanding capacity across our dental sites, we can better meet
the needs of thousands of patients in our region and will ensure that every individual can benefit
from high-quality dental care”.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October 2, 2025 by Lane Freeto

Early Detection Saved My Life: Lisa Moore’s Breast Cancer Journey

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to share stories, raise awareness, and remind women of the importance of early detection. Lisa Moore, now 58, knows firsthand how critical it is to pay attention to your body and get screened regularly.

Noticing the First Sign

When Lisa was 48 years old, she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noticed something she hadn’t seen before—a small dimple on her right breast. Trusting her instincts, she scheduled a visit with her Primary Care Provider.

Her provider performed a breast exam and ordered imaging, which revealed an area of concern. A biopsy confirmed what Lisa feared: she had breast cancer.

Facing Treatment with Support

Lisa underwent a bilateral mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Today, she continues on oral medication. Throughout her journey, she says she was grateful for the support she received from her health care team, family, and friends.

“I was so thankful for all the support I received,” Lisa reflects. “It made all the difference during such a difficult time.”

A Message for Others

Lisa’s experience has shaped her mission: to encourage everyone to take breast health seriously.

“Please do self-breast exams and know your own body,” she says. “If there are any changes, be evaluated by your primary care provider or a women’s health provider.”

She emphasizes that early detection is key. The current recommendation is for women between the ages of 40–75 to have mammograms every 1–2 years for screening.

Her Goal Moving Forward

Since her diagnosis, Lisa has been committed to spreading awareness and urging others to get screened. “My goal has been, since my diagnosis, for everyone to be screened for breast cancer so that any concerns can be found early,” she explains.

Lisa’s story is a powerful reminder that awareness and action can save lives. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take the time to know your body, schedule your screening, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.

The Importance of Screening

By Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

Cancer. It’s a hard-to-understand and a scary word. Cancer is something that hits other people—until it hits you or a family member, and normal is changed forever.

Discovering a way to prevent breast cancer is Nobel Prize-worthy. Sadly, we are not there. Fortunately, breast cancer is curable when detected at an early stage. Early detection comes from regular screening mammograms and self-awareness. Screening mammograms, done at an interval based on personal and family history, are the most reliable way to find breast cancer at an early stage, before any symptoms develop. When symptoms do develop, they may include:

A new lump or thickness in the breast
Change in the shape or contour of the breast
Breast or nipple pain
Nipple changes such as retraction or discharge
Breast skin changes such as redness, thickening or flaking skin

The word on the street is that mammograms are inconvenient, awkward and uncomfortable. These may all be true, but in my opinion, do not outweigh the benefit of regular screening mammograms, which can make a diagnosis of breast cancer a life-changing event and not a life-ending event.

Community Health Needs Assessment Report now available

September 15, 2025 by Lane Freeto

We’re excited to share the Northeast Kingdom-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report — a valuable resource for community members, organizations, and partners. This report brings the entire NEK together in one report. Inside you’ll find local data, which can be used to prioritize community needs and identify opportunities.

· Advocate for policy and systems change

· Shape new programs and services

· Inform and strengthen funding proposals

Together, we can use this shared overview of our region’s health to make the NEK a healthier, stronger place for everyone.

To read the full report, click here: Northeast Kingdom-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report

2025 Future Health Care Leader Scholarship

July 31, 2025 by Lane Freeto

Northern Counties Health Care Announces Rylee Strohm as 2025 Recipient of Future Health Care Leaders Scholarship

St. Johnsbury, VT — Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is pleased to announce that Rylee Strohm, a 2025 graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Future Health Care Leaders Scholarship. This inaugural $1,000 scholarship supports a graduating high school senior from Caledonia, Essex, or Orleans counties who is pursuing a career in health care and exemplifies compassion, leadership, and community engagement. Rylee will attend Western Kentucky University this fall, where she plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

This year’s scholarship is awarded in memory of Kim Wood, PTA, a dedicated and beloved member of the NCHC team whose career reflected a deep commitment to caring for others. Kim’s legacy of service continues to inspire, and this scholarship honors her lasting impact on the community.

Rylee Strohm impressed the selection committee with her thoughtful essay and clear passion for helping others. Reflecting on her experiences, she shared, “Overcoming my own challenges has driven me to pursue a career in nursing… I’m dedicated to making a tangible impact on the lives of individuals facing health challenges while actively engaging with my community.”
Rylee is a standout student, athlete, and leader. She has served on Student Council, the Student Athletic Council, and She’s the First, while also competing in multiple varsity sports and volunteering as a youth coach and referee. Her dedication to service and her community mirrors the values embodied by Kim Wood.

Treny Burgess, PT, Director of Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice, who worked alongside Kim for many years, remarked, “Kim had an incredible way of making people feel seen, supported, and valued. When I read Rylee’s application, I was reminded so much of Kim—the compassion, the leadership, and the quiet determination to make a difference. It’s an honor to award this year’s scholarship in Kim’s memory to someone who so clearly shares those same qualities.”

“We’re incredibly proud to recognize Rylee as this year’s scholarship recipient,” said Christopher Towne, CEO of NCHC. “She represents the next generation of health care professionals who will not only deliver excellent care, but do so with empathy and integrity.”

To learn more about Northern Counties Health Care and its mission to build healthy families and thriving communities in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, visit www.nchcvt.org.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

February 28, 2025 by Scott Tetreault

Dr. Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

Dr. Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is observed annually in March. This month aims to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, promote early detection and screening, and support individuals and families affected by this disease.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the last part of the GI tract, the colon (also called the large intestine or large bowel) or rectum (the passageway that connects the colon to the anus). Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. Yet it is one of the most preventable. It is highly treatable and is often curable when caught early.

The American Cancer Society recommends that adults begin colorectal cancer screening at age of 45 and continue through the age of 75. There are several screening tests. Colonoscopy is a one-step screening test that uses a flexible scope to look at the rectum and colon. If an abnormality is seen, such as a polyp (growths that can be pre-cancers) it can be sampled or removed during the procedure. Two-step screening tests require a colonoscopy as the second step if the first step is abnormal. Two-step tests include stool-based tests, a special type of CT scan and sigmoidoscopy (a shorter, flexible scope that looks at the just the last part of the bowel).

It is important to reach out to your health care providers if you have any symptoms that may be due to colorectal cancer, regardless of your age. Some of these symptoms might be: blood in the stool, change in bowel habits, rectal pain, abdominal pain or unexpected weight loss.

You might be at an increased risk of colorectal cancer if you have a close relative who has or had colorectal pre-cancerous polyps or colorectal cancer; if you have inflammatory bowel disease, Crohns disease, or ulcerative colitis; or if you have a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch Syndrome).

During March, Northern Counties Health Care will be doing recalls for patients that are due for colorectal cancer screening from the records that we have.

February is American Heart Month!

January 30, 2025 by Scott Tetreault

Dr. Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

During the month of February, we are raising awareness about heart health and disease. Heart disease is a general term for a variety of conditions that affect the heart. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD). This is like debris building up in the fuel line in your car’s engine. But instead of blocking the flow of gas, in CAD the flow of blood, which is the heart’s fuel, is limited. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. High blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol cause heart disease and are things we as individuals can change. Sometimes heart disease is “silent” and not diagnosed until a person has chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, fluttering feelings in the chest, fatigue, swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or neck veins.

What can you do?

Get active: try to get at least 2.5 hours of physical activity each week, this could be walking, going to the gym, jogging, doing at home exercise programs.
Eat healthy: eat a healthy diet that’s low in sodium and saturated fat. Cut back on processed products (chips, deli meats, soups, and prepared meals, white bread, packaged cookies, sodas) and try to use more fresh products or during this time of year frozen vegetables and fruits. Prepare your own meals. Eat more whole grain items and nuts.
Drink between 9-13 cups of water a day if you can.
Monitor your blood pressure if it is out of range.
If you smoke, work on quitting. There are resources to help! Visit www.802quits.org and www.myhealthyvt.org and enroll today.
If you have chest discomfort or pain or shortness of breath, especially with exertion seek medical attention.
Call your primary care provider for personalized advice on what you can do to lower your risk for heart disease.

My Healthy Vermont offers a series of self-management workshops proven to improve health outcomes from building healthy behaviors to managing high blood pressure to quitting smoking to managing pain and other long-term health problems. There is no cost and you will receive the support from trained facilitators who understand your needs because many have faced similar health challenges. Learn more at www.myhealthyvt.org

Opinion: Maintaining a Strong Primary Care and Home Health Network in the Northeast Kingdom

January 10, 2025 by Scott Tetreault

Every Vermonter deserves access to the health care services they need to live, work, and age in our Vermont communities. After years of flat or declining funding amid rising costs, primary care and home health organizations have reached the point where they must make tough decisions about how and to what degree they can maintain primary, preventive, and safety net services in their communities. These decisions will most acutely affect Vermonters living in rural areas like the Northeast Kingdom.
Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) has been a cornerstone of care for the region since its establishment when the Comprehensive Planning Council opened its first Federally Qualified Health Center in Island Pond in 1977. A decade later, NCHC merged with Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice which had been caring for Vermonters in their home since 1968.

Northern Counties Health Care now serves over 25,000 Vermonters annually through a robust network of five primary care sites with integrated behavioral health services, three dental clinics, two walk-in care facilities, and a Medicare Certified Home Health and Hospice agency. As a primary provider of health care services in the Northeast Kingdom, NCHC is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care across these diverse areas, ensuring access to essential health services for all who need them. However, maintaining this comprehensive network is becoming increasingly financially unsustainable.

Federal rate cuts, stagnant reimbursement rates, and rising wages and supply costs are putting immense pressure on the robust care we deliver to Vermonters. The federal grants we receive to reduce financial barriers for our under- and uninsured patients have not increased in a decade. Inflation and the costs associated with delivering care continue to rise. The reimbursement we receive from commercial and government payers falls short of covering the true cost of providing primary care and home health services—some of the most underfunded areas in health care.

NCHC is unwavering in its commitment to the Northeast Kingdom. We strive to provide accessible, high-quality care to every individual and family in our region. This goal is increasingly difficult to attain as the gap between costs and reimbursement widens.
Addressing this challenge requires action. Policymakers must prioritize fair and sustainable reimbursement rates to ensure the long-term viability of primary care and home health services. Communities can support local health care by advocating for better funding and policies that recognize the value of comprehensive, integrated care.

While we acknowledge the challenges of tight state budgets and the collective desire to lower taxes and insurance premiums, it is important to recognize that investments in home health, primary care, and preventive services are practical and cost effective. These investments reduce expensive hospitalizations, emergency care, and long-term health costs, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars and reducing financial burdens on the healthcare system while improving health outcomes for Vermonters.
Together, we can create a health care system that reflects the resilience and strength of the Northeast Kingdom. By investing in primary, dental, behavioral health, and home health services, we can improve and sustain a model of rural health care that serves as a beacon of excellence. The Northeast Kingdom deserves nothing less.

Christopher Towne, MHA
Chief Executive Officer
Northern Counties Health Care, Inc.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

January 7, 2025 by Scott Tetreault

Information provided by Dr. Dana Kraus

January is Cervical Cancer Month. Cervical Cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death for women. The cervical cancer death rate dropped significantly with the increased screening with PAP tests. In recent years, the HPV test has been approved as another screening test for cervical cancer, this can be done alone or at the same time as a PAP test.

Screening tests offer the best chance to have cervical cancer found early when treatment is most successful. Screening can also actually prevent most cervical cancers by finding abnormal cervical cell changes (pre-cancers) so that they can be treated before they have a chance to turn into a cervical cancer. Screening should start at age 21 and continues up to age 65. Depending on the testing done a woman should return in 3-5 years for another PAP/HPV test.

Being alert to any signs and symptoms of cervical cancer such as unusual vaginal bleeding such as bleeding after sex, between periods, or after menopause; vaginal discharge that is watery, bloody, or has a strong odor; or pelvic pain or pain during sex.

Northern Counties Health Care will be doing a recall if we think you might be due for your cervical screening in January. We understand that you might go to a local gynecologist to have your screening done instead of coming to one of our primary care clinics. If you get a call from us, please let us know if you would like to make an appointment for your annual physical or if you go elsewhere. If you think you are due for cervical screening, please call your primary care or gynecologist. Our goal is to have all of your health information in our medical records as you are part of our medical home, and we keep track of it.

Contact your primary care or women’s health provider with your cervical health questions or to schedule an appointment. Contact information for Northern Counties Health Care’s practices throughout the Northeast Kingdom can be found here.

Dr. Dana Kraus is a Family Physician at St. Johnsbury Community Health Center located at 185 Sherman Drive in St. Johnsbury. She is also the Medical Quality Lead for Northern Counties Health Care.