NVRH Receives USDA Grant for a New Chemistry Analyzer

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT (October 4, 2024) – Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is excited to announce that it has received a $59,500 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant to assist in purchasing a new chemistry analyzer for its laboratory.

“Analyzers are crucial pieces of equipment used to measure chemical compositions in body fluids and blood chemistry,” NVRH Laboratory Services Director Jeanne McBride said. “Keeping this equipment up-to-date with the latest technology is essential for maintaining NVRH’s high-quality service. It will help minimize delays in test results, enabling our providers to diagnose and recommend treatments more swiftly, ensuring our patients receive timely care.”

Once the new analyzer is operational, NVRH will be able to conduct even more tests than the current analyzer, which processes over 500,000 tests annually, without needing to send specimens to external labs. This advanced analyzer will also improve laboratory efficiency, anticipating workflow bottlenecks, proactively addressing them, and providing valuable insights based on data.

“Our rural hospitals are vital resources for all our residents,” USDA Rural Development in Vermont and New Hampshire State Director Sarah Waring said. “The health care sector has been affected by many challenges: the mass retirement of experienced medical professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of crucial equipment, beds and materials, as well as the workforce and housing challenges. This is an essential service industry that can only benefit from more efficiency.”

This analyzer will not only serve NVRH patients but also those being served at the Dartmouth Cancer Center – North located on the NVRH campus.

NVRH applied for the grant in 2023 through USDA’s Rural Development Community Facilities Program, as part of the Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) – a designation comprised of Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties and known as the NEK REAP zone. These grants are part of a pilot program that provides grants and loans to rural communities to help mitigate the negative effects of job losses and lack of employment opportunities.

NVRH was notified of the award in August 2024 and the new analyzer will be purchased in the coming year.