NVRH Palliative Care Provider Anne Cowles Now an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (October 11, 2023) – This Saturday, October 14, is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) wishes to congratulate NVRH Palliative Care provider Anne Cowles on becoming an advanced certified hospice and palliative nurse (ACHPN).

“I love working in this field and with this community because I am able to meet people where they are,” Cowles said. “We focus on quality of life, symptom management, and determining what is important for individuals and their families.”

Summer 2023 marked the 10 year anniversary of the NVRH Palliative Care practice in the Bloch Building. When the practice began in 2013, there were two physicians working part-time. In the first month they saw about 10 patients.

“Over the years, as the community has learned about our specialty and the value it adds to someone who is experience a life-limiting disease, we have seen NVRH Palliative Care grow and grow,” Palliative Medicine Clinic Director Sarah Winans said. “We now are able to see over 100 patients a month.”

For those diagnosed with any life-limiting illness, palliative care can help folks navigate life’s tough choices and make plans based on their individual care goals.

“Eventually we are all going to need end-of-life care, and in my experience, those involved in palliative care – for years, months, or weeks – have a smoother transition to hospice care,” Cowles said. “Our local hospice program does a beautiful job helping our community navigate such a challenging experience for individuals and families and I am honored to be a part of both teams.”

Although very few hospitals – let alone small critical access hospitals – offer inpatient and outpatient palliative medicine, NVRH both, plus home visits to palliative care patients.

“NVRH’s level of support of palliative care is unique,” NVRH Palliative Care provider Dr. Elizabeth Newman said. “Some hospitals have a strong inpatient palliative consult service. Other hospitals have special rooms for end-of-life patients. A few offer palliative consultation at nursing homes. But none that I am aware of offer all of these services like NVRH.”

NVRH would also like to thank all individuals and departments who work together as a team to provide our community kind, dignified, and compassionate care. For more information about the NVRH Palliative Medicine Clinic, which is located in the Bloch Building, 1080 Hospital Drive in St. Johnsbury, visit nvrh.org.