NCHC Administrator

Michael Costa Named Northern Counties Health Care New CEO

March 1, 2019 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – Michael Costa has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of Northern Counties Health Care, Inc. (NCHC). Most recently serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Vermont Heath Access, which administers Vermont’s public health insurance system, Michael brings an in-depth understanding of Vermont’s Medicaid program, state and federal health policy, and strategic and risk management to the Northern Counties Health Care CEO position. While in state government, Michael led teams that created statewide and local partnerships to improve the health and human services sectors. These collaborations led to innovations in the way the State pays hospitals, physicians, and mental health providers, each project focused on improving the health of Vermonters. Michael will assume the role of CEO on March 25, 2019.

“We are fortunate to attract and hire someone like Michael to come to Northern Counties Health Care as he brings a strong connection to the Vermont health care industry and state government network. Under Michael’s leadership, Northern Counties will continue to deliver responsive and high-quality health care to the communities of the Northeast Kingdom while navigating the ever-changing health care industry,” expressed Northern Counties Health Care Chairperson, Thad Richardson.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law. In addition, he recently received a Master of Heath Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Michael graduated from the Snelling Center’s Vermont Leadership Institute, and the Millbank Memorial Fund Emerging Leaders Program. He lives in Norwich, Vermont with his wife and two boys.

Northern Counties Health Care, Inc. is an area non-profit organization serving the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with a rural network of five community health centers, three dental practices, and a home care and hospice division.

Green Mountain United Way Expands Working Bridges to Serve employees at CVHHH

February 12, 2019 by NCHC Administrator

Vermont Business Magazine – Green Mountain United Way has announced that Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has joined the Working Bridges program and will be bringing this program to its employees. Working Bridges, a program of Green Mountain United Way, is designed to foster the shared understanding that barriers such as childcare, food insecurity and acute need for emergency financial assistance get in the way of continuous employment and derail good employees.

The program brings Resource Coordinator Laurie Kelty on-site weekly at CVHHH to provide assistance to employees in order to navigate local resources. As a trained K.E.E.P. Financial Coach, Kelty is also available to coach employees who are navigating complicated financial situations. In addition to Resource Coordination, Working Bridges™ provides Income Advance Loans to employees, Mobile Volunteer Tax Preparation Program, and on-site classes based on employee needs.

“It is CVHHH’s mission to provide comprehensive care and emotional support to clients in the comfort and privacy of home. This requires a significant amount of energy, creativity, and time from our visiting and office staff. I want to make sure that all members of our team have the supports they need to thrive in and out of the workplace and to continue to provide top-quality care to all central Vermonters” said Sandy Rousse, President and CEO of Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice. “We are excited to partner with Green Mountain United Way and to bring Working Bridges to CVHHH,” she continued.

Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice joins Central Vermont Medical Center, Weidmann Electrical Technology, Northern Counties Health Care, Northeast Kingdom Human Services, and ABC-LOL Childcare as the 6th Working Bridges program site served by Green Mountain United Way in their five-county region. Working Bridges was founded in Chittenden County by the United Way of Northwest Vermont and an innovative group of business leaders seeking creative solutions to poverty and new ways to support workers to help them stay employed.

“This program brings support for those who are so well known throughout our community for the support and care they provide to families facing difficult situations. We are honored that CVHHH has chosen to partner with us to help ensure that their employees continue to be able to offer the high quality of care they are known for and are supported by our Resource Coordinator in their own lives,” said Tawnya Kristen, Executive Director of Green Mountain United Way.

About Green Mountain United Way: Green Mountain United Way is a Vermont not-for-profit organization in operation since 1976. They work to improve the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community in Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties by mobilizing the caring power of communities around our region to advance the common good. No other single organization has the scope and influence to bring together human service agencies, government, businesses, private foundations and dedicated volunteers around a common vision of creating maximum impact and achieving long-lasting results.

Source: Green Mountain United Way. Berlin, Vermont – February 11, 2019

Orleans Dental Center Opens New Addition

February 8, 2019 by NCHC Administrator

Orleans, VT – The Orleans Dental Center is pleased to announce the opening of a new addition after only two years of operation. The expansion is a self-funded project deemed necessary based on the rapid growth of the Center’s patient population. Orleans Dental Center opened in January of 2017 and is part of a collaboration with North Country Hospital, the Village of Orleans, and Northern Counties Health Care to serve the dental needs of Orleans County residents.

“The Orleans Dental Center was reaching near capacity and in order to better serve the community, we doubled its treatment capability by adding a 1,500 square foot addition,” states Michelle Tetreault, Director of Dental Operations at Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC), parent company of the Orleans Dental Center. “The addition encompasses four additional treatment rooms, a Community Resource Coordinator room, and a conference room along with the expansion of the waiting room and business office.”

NCHC has recently hired a part-time dentist, Dr. Ekaterina Nemtsev, who will begin seeing patients at the Orleans Dental Center in early March. Dr. Nemstev joins current Orleans Dental Center dentists Dr. Ronald St. John and Dr. Amanda Munger. NCHC is continuing to recruit with the desire of adding an additional full–time dentist to the organization.

The hours of operation at the Orleans Dental Center are 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. To make an appointment, please call (802) 754-6973. For information on other NCHC healthcare and dental facilities, visit www.nchcvt.org.

Photo Caption: The Orleans Dental Center has added a new 1,500 square foot addition to support the growing demands of dental care in the area.

NCHC Welcomes New Providers

December 18, 2018 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – Northern Counties Health Care, Inc. (NCHC), an award-winning northeastern Vermont community healthcare network comprised of five primary care, three dental centers, and a home health care and hospice division, is pleased to welcome three new providers to their healthcare network.

Abby Young MSN-FNP, a board-certified family nurse practitioner, completed her training at George Washington University in May 2018 after earning her BSN at Norwich University. Her prior experience has included working as the Maternal and Child Health Coordinator at the Vermont Department of Health and serving as an ICU Staff RN at NVRH. Her passion for helping others came from her family’s experience as first responders with a goal to help residents of the community live healthy and happy lives. She will care for patients at the Danville Health Center.

Alison Landrey, MD attended SUNY Downstate Medical Center and earned her Doctor of Medicine in 2009. She completed her Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Colorado in Denver. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. In 2012, she started working at the UVM Medical Center as a primary care physician and assistant professor of medicine. She is passionate about primary care and preventive medicine and has special interests in shared decision making, patient communication, hypertension, prostate cancer screening, and medical student and resident education. She will care for patients in the Hardwick Area Health Center.

Logan Dege–Pearl DNP-FNP-C, a board-certified family nurse practitioner, received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in May 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Vermont College and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Castleton State College. Her career path started by serving as an EMT for 10 years and included three semesters of clinical experience at the St. Johnsbury Community Health Center and working as a nurse at the St. Johnsbury Community Health Center and in the emergency room at Northern Vermont Regional Hospital. Her hobbies include reading and traveling. She will care for patients at the St. Johnsbury Community Health Center.

The Northern Counties Health Care network includes Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice, Concord Health Center, Danville Health Center, Hardwick Area Health Center, Island Pond Health and Dental Center, Northern Counties Dental Center (Hardwick), Orleans Dental Center, and St. Johnsbury Community Health Center.

NCHC Welcomes New Community Resource Coordinator

December 5, 2018 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is pleased to welcome Jennifer Grant as a new Community Resource Coordinator. This position works as a member of the Community Resource Coordination team that provides free, confidential, and compassionate support to NCHC patients and non-patients with a variety of services across the Northeast Kingdom. These services include providing application assistance and help finding food, fuel and transportation solutions; assistance with applications for health insurance, help with budgeting and financial tools, prescription costs assistance; and help with dental and eyeglass vouchers.

As a dedicated administrative professional with project management skills, Grant comes to NCHC with over 13 years of contract and grants management experience and over 15 years experience working in the field of community service.

“We had a lot of interest in this position and right from the start, Jen’s experience and talent shone through,” said Kari White, Director of Quality Initiatives at NCHC. “She is already a valuable member of the team and has jumped in with both feet. I couldn’t be more excited about all that Jen will bring to this role, to NCHC, and to the communities we serve.”

Most recently, Grant served as a Staff Assistant and an Admissions Coordinator for Springfield College in St. Johnsbury. She supported staff in the areas of reception, technology, academics, facilities use, student services, outreach and special events. As Admissions Coordinator, she managed the enrollment process for undergraduate and graduate candidates and coordinated outreach initiatives for the college to assist with marketing and recruitment goals.

She completed her yoga teacher training through Heart Space Yoga & Movement Center in St. Johnsbury and is a Registered Yoga Teacher at Trail2Wellness in East Burke, VT. Grant is also a recipient of the NEK Chamber’s Going-the-Extra-Mile Award. She lives in Lyndonville with her family.

The NCHC Community Resource Coordination Team can be reached at (802) 748-9405 x.1042.

NCHC to Launch Community School Dental Program

November 19, 2018 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC), Inc. has partnered with North Country Hospital and the Vermont Department of Oral Health to replicate The Community Dental Program, a highly successful transportation program between schools and dental offices. The program beganwith the Orleans County School District (OCSU) on November 1, 2018.

“We have had great collaboration from the OCSU schools welcoming the opportunity to partner with this program and the parental response has been very appreciative. We expect as we proceed, the program participation will continue to grow and we will have to expand the delegated time for this program to allow for all interested parties to participate,” said Michelle Tetreault, Director of Dental Operations at NCHC.

According to VT Medicaid claims in 2014, only 62% of children ages 6 to 18 have received preventive treatment and 66% have received dental services by a dental provider. “The percent of students seen by a dentist in the OCSU district has seen a steady decline over the past three years,” said Tetreault. “In 2015, over 30,000 eligible children did not see a dentist due to a multitude of reasons and we want to break down those barriers.”

The reasons for not seeking the services of a dentist include not believing there is a reason to go, not having a dentist or difficulty in getting an appointment, the parent or guardian cannot leave work to take the child, transportation issues, cost, and the dentist not accepting Dr. Dynasaur/Medicaid.

“The Community School Dental Program has been impactful and Public Health Hygienist, Ashley Cleveland has stepped in to assist and coordinate with our Orleans Dental Center to connect with all interested schools within the OCSU District. We are pleased to provide these important services to our young Vermonters,” said Tetreault.

The opportunities of the program include assistance with transportation needs, removing the need for the parent or guardian to leave work, offering access to a dental group who accepts Dr. Dynasaur/Medicaid, and developing good dental habits at a young age, which will help in preventing other dental health issues later in life.

Based on its success, the Community Dental Program has been replicated by the Newport Elementary, Troy Elementary, and Derby Elementary Schools.

For more information about this program, contact Michelle Tetreault at 802-748-9405 ext. 5003.

CHHC & Hospice Celebrates November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

November 13, 2018 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – Hospice and palliative care enable patients and families to focus on living as fully as possible despite a life-limiting illness. Palliative care is designed to bring this holistic model of care to people earlier in the course of a serious illness and hospice cares for people in their last six months of life. November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospice and palliative care programs across the country are reaching out to help people understand the importance and benefits of hospice and palliative care.

Enrolling in hospice or palliative care does not mean that a person is giving up. Patients on palliative care can still receive aggressive treatments, including chemotherapy for cancer or dialysis for kidney failure. When their illness progresses, palliative care helps with the transition to hospice. Even on hospice, the approach is to maximize quality of life. In fact, many people on hospice outlive their six month prognosis, partially due to the intense comfort care they receive from the hospice team.

Every year, nearly 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive care from hospices in the United States. In the Northeast Kingdom, Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice provides hospice care, and provides palliative care along with Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Each year both programs focus on and provide symptom control, psycho social support, and spiritual care to hundreds of patients and their family caregivers when a cure is not possible.

“Our network of health care professionals and loving volunteers have helped people spend their final months at home, surrounded by family and friends, with comfort and dignity,” said Allison Wright-Roberts, Hospice Care Coordinator at Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice. “We are fortunate to have Dr. Mary Ready and Dr. Joyce Dobbertin, whose passion for caring for those with life limiting illnesses, ensures a seamless approach to hospice and palliative care across our community.”

More information about hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning is available from CHHC by visiting www.nchcvt.org.

Northern Counties Health Care Names Interim CEO

October 31, 2018 by NCHC Administrator

St. Johnsbury, VT – The Board of Directors for Northern Counties Health Care, Inc.(NCHC), an area non-profit organization serving the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with a rural network of five community health centers, three dental practices, and a home care and hospice division, has named Thomas Pitts, current Chief Financial Officer, as the new Interim CEO replacing Shawn Tester who will soon become the new CEO of Northern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) in St. Johnsbury. Pitts will assume the role of Interim CEO on November 26, 2018.

Pitts is a seasoned finance and operations leader serving as CFO at NCHC for the past nine years. He has extensive financial management and oversight experience. Prior to NCHC, Pitts held senior leadership positions in the machinery, paper, and waste industries working for both public and privately held corporations.

He began his career with a BS in Accounting, working for 17 years in different divisions at a multinational manufacturing company while working to earn his MBA and passing the Certified Management Accounting exam. Thomas then worked for ten years at a paper mill where he served as treasurer and general manager during which time he secured financing for a $15 million co–generation facility.

“Tom’s leadership and expertise will provide NCHC a solid foundation while they transition to new executive leadership. Tom has been a valued partner during my tenure as CEO and I am confident that NCHC is in good hands,” said Shawn Tester, outgoing CEO.

The process to select a new CEO is being led by Phillips DiPisa, a health care executive candidate assessment and selection firm located in Hingham, MA. The Board of Directors has elected a search committee to work with the search firm. The search committee is comprised of three board members and four NCHC staff members, representing a cross-section of NCHC’s divisions. Thad Richardson, Chair of the NCHC Board of Directors said that the Board “has the highest confidence that Tom will be a great steward of the organization for as long as necessary to ensure the best candidate is identified to lead NCHC forward. The Board wishes Shawn the best in his new role and looks forward to continuing the valuable collaboration with NVRH that it has today.”