News & Events

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.

Northern Counties is proud to partner with Senator Peter Welch and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital to help address the growing pharmacy desert in Caledonia County. Thanks to $1.4 million in new federal funding secured by Senator Welch, new pharmacy services are coming to the Northeast Kingdom—strengthening access to medications and supporting the health of our communities.

Jeri Wohlberg, FNP, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

February is American Heart Month, when we raise awareness about heart health, specifically heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of adults in the United States and can largely be prevented through healthy lifestyle. Research shows that regular exercise, a heart healthy diet, managing high blood pressure and avoiding smoking are important building blocks for health. Other focuses of American Heart month are: National Wear Red Day, CPR training, and resource sharing. Let’s break each of these down a little further.

• Regular exercise: Aim for 150 minutes of exercise weekly. This is ideally 30 minutes daily, but even 10 minutes can make a difference. Start out slowly and increase time and intensity as you are able. Try to get a mixture of cardio and strength training. Make it fun by going with friends or listening to music. Walking counts!
• Heart healthy diet: Increase fruits and vegetables in your diet, aiming for 5-7 servings daily. Limit saturated fats (like full fat dairy products and red meat) and limit salt. Eat more whole grains (brown rice, quinoa) and less processed foods (many packaged foods). Completely avoid empty calories like sugar sweetened beverages. The Mediterranean and DASH diets are good places to start.
• Manage medical issues: See your primary care provider on a regular basis to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart disease, and nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure.
• Smoking: Smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease. There are resources to help you quit at 802QUITS
• National Wear Red Day: Wear red the first Friday in February to raise awareness about women’s heart health. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women!
• CPR training: CPR saves lives. Become certified to learn this lifesaving skill

Lifestyle change can be hard, but there are programs to help support you! My Healthy Vermont workshops offer education and support around diabetes and high blood pressure management, healthy eating, adding exercise to your daily routine, and quitting smoking.

Check them out here: My Healthy Vermont