|
|
|
|
|
|
|
University of Utah student Rowyn Tomczyk spent her summer
break interning in the Emergency Department and with the Community
Health Team at NVRH.
“It was amazing,” Rowyn says. From the constant shifting
priorities and quick team huddles to real-time collaboration with NKHS
and connecting patients with community resources, Rowyn (pictured here
at center with Community Health Innovation Lead Andrea Willey
(left) and ED Nursing Director Sarah
Christman (right) was impressed by the ED team’s
ability to continually adapt and respond to whatever situation came
their way.
NVRH is a a familiar place to Rowyn--her dad is Director
of Perioperative Services Pete
Tomczyk--but her internship gave her a whole new
perspective. A Psychology major, she gained a firsthand understanding
of the complexity involved in caring for patients with significant
behavioral health, social, and other complex needs and the importance
of connecting them with community services.
“People
are struggling, NVRH takes them in, and Community Connections provides
outreach and support while they are here," she said, "and
that process is time-consuming.”
Reflecting on the collaboration she witnessed between
community partners and the ED, Rowyn observed, “There are eyes
everywhere in this community and so much is available. There are so
many people whose job it is to get people connected.”
But Rowyn also recognized an important challenge: having
resources available does not always mean people are ready or willing to
use them. She asked a question that resonates with many people working in
healthcare and community services: “How do we get people to use all of
the resources the community has to offer? I saw lots of services being
offered and a lot of people refusing them.”
"In an insightful and curious way, Rowyn captured a
challenge we face every day," Andrea says, "caring for people
who return to the ED in need of support while also respecting that they
may not yet be ready to accept the resources being offered."
Rowyn's summer experience gave her a new perspective on
the dedication of the NVRH ED team, the strength of our community
partnerships, and the ongoing work required to help people connect with
and engage in the support that they need.
Interested in learning more about internships at
NVRH? Call Pat
Forest at 802-748-7310.
Meet
Dr. Rebecca Winokur!
|
Dr. Rebecca
Winokur, MD joined Corner Medical in April, 2026 as a
primary care provider.
A resident of central Vermont, Dr. Winokur received her
M.D. from UVM’s Larner College of Medicine in 2000 and completed her
family medicine residency from the University of Vermont Medical
Center in 2003. In 2004, she completed a fellowship in sports medicine
at Maine Medical Center. For over 25 years, she has both practiced
medicine and worked in the digital technology field as an advocate
for health equity.
She was initially drawn to primary care for its focus on
whole-person care and the long-term patient relationships that come
with that approach to healthcare. She has an affinity for women’s
health, sports medicine and older patients and is also committed to
caring for all patients.
“Older people have a story, and I love getting to know
my patients over the long term.”
Her interest in preventive care, patient education, and
addressing health disparities in rural communities have made her a
good fit for NVRH. In the past four months she’s settled comfortably
into her practice at Corner Medical, working closely with Dr. Deborah
Harrigan and other health care providers and departments.
“I really think
NVRH is a special place,” she says. “The staff, the culture, the
teamwork, and the level of community engagement shows in the level of
care we provide. Our leaders, both in the clinic and at the executive
level, are so connected to the work and the patients, giving them a
real understanding of the barriers that keep patients from accessing
health care—finances, transportation, insurance, managing
medications—and what it takes for us at the front lines to make an
impact.”
She admires and shares her co-workers’ commitment to
taking a holistic, proactive approach to patient health.
“Medicine isn’t just what happens inside the four walls
of a healthcare organization,” she says. “It's really about meeting
patients where they are. There's so much change happening in how we
deliver care as well as the science of medicine—we have more tools
and more research. I’ve seen how committed NVRH is in supporting its
staff and patients in meeting these changes.”
With two children heading to college this fall, Dr.
Winokur will be increasing her hours at Corner Medical and is looking
forward to getting to know more patients and spending more time with
colleagues.
|
NVRH
and NKHS collaborate on coasters to promote cancer screenings and
mental health
|
The next time you’re dining out, check your
coaster—there just may be an important message under your drink. NVRH
is collaborating with Northeast Kingdom Human Services
(NVHS) on an innovative campaign, with NVRH highlighting cancer
screenings and NKHS promoting the 988 Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline on a series of eye-catching coasters. This
campaign will launch in mid-August at
bars and restaurants throughout the Northeast Kingdom.
“The purpose of this campaign is to spark conversation
and normalize discussions about cancer prevention and mental health
in everyday settings,” said Diana Gibbs,
VP of Community Health Improvement. “By using creative,
approachable messaging, we hope to encourage people to talk with
friends and peers about preventive health, increase awareness of
breast and colon cancer screening, and promote available mental
health resources.”
The NVRH coasters were created as part of an initiative
funded by a 12-month community outreach and education grant from the
Dartmouth Cancer Center aimed at improving breast and colorectal
cancer screening rates across the Northeast Kingdom. The project
reflects NVRH’s ongoing commitment to improving community health
outcomes and addressing disparities identified through local
Community Health Needs Assessment efforts. Read
more about the grant.
“It was one of those
happy coincidences—NKHS and NVRH both had the same coaster campaign
idea: to meet people where they are with simple, approachable
messages that feel relevant and help make reaching out for care feel
a little easier,” said Erika
Perkins, Director of Marketing and
Communications at NKHS. “As community partners, it felt natural to bring our
ideas together in a way that could strengthen the campaign, reduce
the stigma around seeking care, and better support our community.”
The coasters offer a unique
opportunity to reach people where they are already gathering,
relaxing, and conversing, Gibbs explains. “They provide an approachable, low-pressure way to
introduce important health topics and encourage dialogue in casual
social settings, helping to normalize conversations that might
otherwise feel difficult or stigmatized.”
“Bars and restaurants
are gathering spaces, places of connection, but also places where
vulnerability can surface,” said Perkins. “A coaster on the table is a simple, judgment-free
reminder that help is there. It meets people where they are, in the
moment they may need it most.”
|
An
Antarctic Adventure
Dr. Joyce
Dobbertin and friends journey to the end of the earth
When Dr. Joyce
Dobbertin plans a vacation, she doesn’t dream of
sitting on a tour bus or lounging poolside with a good book—she’s
looking to broaden her horizons. And with two enthusiastic local
friends, she’s done exactly that, for almost a quarter century.
Dr. Dobbertin and her friends Patty Emery and Larissa Flynn
originally began traveling together because their husbands weren’t as
interested in overseas adventures.
“We started with countries with “-land” in their
names—Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland. Dr. Dobbertin explains.” Things
spiraled from there. Their destinations got more far-flung.
“We’d be walking through the airport on our way home from
a trip and see a sign and say ‘wow—Ecuador—we haven’t been to
Ecuador!” The friends have hiked
in Europe, Central and South America, and Asia, traveled to Madgascar
(“that was a big one”), and walked 200 miles together across England.
Together they’ve taken between 1 and 3 trips a year for the past 23
years.
“We travel really well together,” Dr. Dobbertin says.
“Most of the time we stay in hostels or lean-tos and we just have a
good time.”
Years of travel has made the friends resilient when plans
go awry. An 80-mile hike in Portugal ended with near-disaster when
Patty fell and fractured her leg in four places. “I don’t mean to
brag,” Dr. Dobbertin says, “but I got her home and to Dr. Prohaska
within 48 hours!”
In addition to her vacation travel, Dr. Dobbertin has also
completed more than 18 overseas medical mission trips to deliver
primary care to underserved countries.
In 2025, the friends’ adventurous spirits landed them in
their most exotic destination yet—Antarctica. And right from the
get-go, this journey brought some unforeseen challenges.
Their initial flight from Boston to Miami was delayed, and
when the subsequent flight to Buenos Aires was canceled, it looked as
if they wouldn’t make it to their ship in time for departure.
After some frantic phone calls, they arrived just in time
but without their luggage. They had two hours to shop for clothing and
once on the ship, the crew supplied them with clothing from the ship’s
lost and found.
“We became famous as the passengers with no luggage,” says
Dr. Dobbertin.
Still, the mishap didn’t curb their enthusiasm. Their ship
was comfortable, the weather was fine, their crew and fellow travelers
friendly, helpful and adventurous.
Even summertime in the Antarctic was chilly, but the
travelers were game to explore in their borrowed gear. They kayaked
around icebergs, observing whales, seals, and penguins. On shore, they
explored abandoned British and Norwegian research sites and spent a
night sleeping on the ice in shallow trenches they dug themselves,
lined with sleeping bags and sleeping pads, with bivy sacks over their
heads.
“I called it ‘digging our own graves,’” says Dr.
Dobbertin. “It was about two and a half feet by six and a half feet and
you had to dig down about 18 inches. There were about twenty of us who
slept outside and we just had a great time.”
The trio is tentatively planning a biking and sailing trip
through Croatia next year—stay tuned!
|
“This is how your Senior Clinical Care Coordinator
terrorizes Industrial Parkway!”
Barbara Byrne enjoys riding to
work at Corner Medical on her lavender e-trike, Miss Lilac! Biking is
a family affair for the Byrnes—after Barbara’s husband had quadruple
bypass surgery, he started riding with son Chris Byrne
and bought Barbara the e-trike so that she could join them.
Grandson Sam often accompanies them on his own e-trike
as they explore local bike paths and back roads. “It really is the
best gift he ever bought me—it’s so much fun and I get some cardio at
the same time,” says Barbara. “It’s a great way to spend time
together and stay healthy.”
Barbara is grateful for the excellent care her husband
received at NVRH. “He got such great care from Dr. Dowd and Reinette
Hutchins—that made this all possible.”
A late postscript: Unfortunately
Barbara took a fall on a recent family trip to Woodstock, New York
and broke her wrist, so biking is on hold for the moment. She was
able to get home to have surgery at NVRH. "Dr. Prohaska took
great care of me," she says. We hope that there will be more
biking adventures for the Byrne family in the near future!
|
We love reading feedback from our patients! Here's just a
small recent sample.
Orthopaedics
“Dr. Prohaska and the
entire surgical team were professional and worked as a cohesive unit.
Their upbeat attitude towards me as a patient and to each other was
present during my entire visit.”
Day Surgery/OR
”Excellent staff.
Everyone was attentive, professional, and personable. They kept me
informed throughout the process, paid attention to my specific medical
needs, and made me feel comfortable and genuinely cared for from start
to finish.”
Kingdon Internal Medicine
“Your clinic and the
staff are really outstanding. Personable, funny. Make you feel
comfortable and I trust the care I'm getting. You’re flexible and
understanding and supportive and really show a lot of care about how
I'm doing as a whole person. Thank you for the quality caring you
provide and the great medical care.”
Lab
"Lab staff was
AWESOME and made my four year old feel very comfortable, and got her
tiny vein in one stick. She didn't even cry. So proud of our
hospital!!"
Nutrition
“Chad was great! He
took the time to understand my health needs and goals. He gave me
practical tips and is following up with a specific plan. I'm happy he
will be available if any questions come up.”
Pulmonology
"Dr. Pluym is the
best doctor I've ever had. I am very grateful to have such a wonderful
pulmonologist in our community."
The
Charles M. and Hanna H. Gray Gallery is hosting an exhibit,
“Conversations,” by artist Donna
Ellery through August 17.
Ellery
is a former glass and metal artisan who has lived in McIndoe Falls for
nearly 30 years. A self-described “reconstructionist,” Ellery’s love of
debris, salvage and found objects has shaped her artistic practice as a
multi-disciplined creator. Her love of color and the lines of glass
work permeates her pieces.
25% of
all sales from the exhibit will directly benefit NVRH.
To learn more about Donna’s artwork, visit www.donnaellery.com
or see her work on Facebook @donnaelleryart or Instagram @dazleart.
To learn more about
the gallery and the current exhibit, visit the Charles M. and Hanna H.
Gray Gallery webpage
at nvrh.org or contact the gallery Curator Jennifer Layn at j.layn@nvrh.org
or 802-748-7313.
Sugar
Maple Gala
Get your tickets
now for a swinging night out to support NVRH!
|
Join us on Friday,
August 14, 2026 for a wonderful summer evening in
support of NVRH! The Sugar Maple Gala brings our community together
for great food, live music, and celebration as we launch the Sugar
Maple Endowment Fund to support exceptional healthcare at NVRH for
generations to come. Buy your tickets by Wednesday, August 5 at www.nvrh.org/gala!
|
- August
10 – NVRH Presents the FY27 Budget to GMCB
- Empowered
Relief – Pain Management Session - Wednesday, August 5, 2026
conference room 127, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
- NVRH
Sugar Maple Gala - Friday, August 14 from 5 - 9 p.m. at the
Tempson Barn in East Burke
- Caledonia
County Fair - August 26 - 30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Want to get involved with NVRH activities this summer AND
have a great time at some of your favorite events? We still have a few
open volunteer spots with our Summer Events Committee! Sign up to table
at St. J Final Friday, represent NVRH at Dog Mountain concerts or the
Caledonia County Fair, and more!
Please sign
up here or reach out to Sarah Lydon at s.lydon@nvrh.org
with any questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
