Stronger Together: Dartmouth Health Boosts the Power of Giving at SVMC (and beyond)
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Stronger Together: Dartmouth Health Boosts the Power of Giving at SVMC (and beyond)

Celebrated annually on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday is a global movement that encourages people to support causes that have an impact in their communities. 

This year’s Giving Tuesday (December 3rd) is especially important to SVMC for two reasons:

     1. This year, the Dartmouth Health Board of Trustees will be matching donations across the system for all gifts up to $40,000 allowing donors to increase the impact of their gift for their member hospital.

     2. This increased giving power creates the perfect opportunity to help SVMC reach its goal of $2 million to advance the future of TeleHealth services at SVMC.

For supporters of SVMC, there is no better time to give. All donations received on or before December 3rd will be matched by Dartmouth Health Board of Trustees. Your generous giving will go further than ever to help us sustain and support our state-of-the-art TeleHealth program that gives patients access to critical care and time-sensitive specialty services when they need it most.

SVMC TeleHealth includes:

  • TeleICU: provides 24/7 access to critical care physicians and nurses to assist in medical decision making, ordering, and documentation for critical care patients in the ICU.

  • TeleEmergency: provides 24/7 access to critical care physicians and nurses to assist in medical decision making, ordering, and documentation for critical care patients in the emergency department.

  • TeleNeurology: provides 24/7 support from neurologists to assist in medical decision making for patients in the emergency department or hospital with acute neurologic disease.

  • TelePsychiatry: provides 24/7 support from psychiatrists to assist in medical decision making for patients in the emergency department with mental health crises, medication needs, and to determine decision-making capacity.

  • TeleGenetics: provides outpatient service line to limit the long drives patient's face to see a geneticist; increasingly necessary for patients receiving treatment for cancer.

  • TelePharmacy: provides off-hours support for inpatient medication monitoring and revisions.

 

Another critical reason to give now!

Currently, the TeleHealth Endowment campaign has raised nearly $1.5 million, just $500,000 short of its $2 million goal.

When SVMC achieves its $2 million dollar goal, an anonymous donor will give an additional $2 million, fully establishing the TeleHealth Endowment Fund at $4 million.

Make your donation go further by giving on or before December 3rd

Now is the perfect time to support the critical TeleHealth program at SVMC – you’ll maximize your gift with the Dartmouth GivingTuesday match and your gift will help sustain the future of TeleHealth at SVMC.

Click Here to give today and make a difference for many years to come.

 

DONATE NOW

 

Carly Brewster is the major gifts officer at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, a member of Dartmouth Health.

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Six Questions with the Medical Director of SVMC Orthopedics

Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, medical director of orthopedics and orthopedic surgeon, answers six questions about getting orthopedic care right now.

1. What types of patients are you able to treat right now?

We are happy to see patients with all sorts of conditions returning to the practice for care. Patients have heard that the Governor has lifted restrictions for elective procedures, and they are ready to investigate their options for joint pain relief. Plus, the weather is getting nice again, so people are active outside. We've seen an increase in injuries related to outdoor activity, too.


2. Are you seeing patients remotely via telemedicine?

Yes. We offer telemedicine, and we use it a lot. Of course, there are limitations for those that need an X-ray or a physical exam. But telemedicine is a great option for initial visits when we need to collect patients' health history and for follow-ups.


3. How has care in the office changed over the past several months?

Patients will notice that we have gone beyond all of the Centers for Disease Control and Vermont Department of Health recommendations for office visits. All of our staff are wearing masks and shields or goggles, and patients are expected to wear a cloth face covering when they come in. In addition, we are making efforts to limit the number of people in our waiting rooms and office at any one time. For example, part of the check-in process now happens on the phone, instead of in person.


4. How is preparing for a surgery and recovering from a surgery different since COVID-19 became a concern?

Like for office visits, our pre-surgery processes have all been ramped up well beyond the state and national recommendations designed to decrease risk of contracting COVID-19. A few days before the surgery, we test patients for COVID-19 and ask them to self-quarantine until their procedure. The patient arrives to the hospital in their own cloth face covering. Visitors are limited. After the procedure, we provide patients with an app that allows them to note their temperature and any type of respiratory symptoms for a few weeks. If any of the information falls outside the norm, a nurse gives the patient a call. These are all examples of ways we are going beyond our very high infection-prevention standards to ensure safety for patients, their families, and our staff.


5. What would you like to share with people who postponed a joint replacement or other orthopedic care because of COVID-19?

Here in Vermont cases of COVID-19 cases have been relatively low. The Governor has given his approval by lifting restrictions for elective procedures, even those requiring an overnight hospital stay. SVMC started with an exceptionally low rate of hospital-acquired infections and added many extra precautions on top of that. We have the attitude that it is definitely safe to resume care both surgeries and other types of orthopedic care.


6. What are the greatest risks and rewards related to having orthopedic care now?

From our position as one of the safest hospitals in one of the safest states, the risks of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses during a procedure or other care are very low. Many patients know this. They are coming in for their procedures and joint replacements. Many of them will recover and be active again in time to really enjoy this summer. That’s our goal: to help every patient resolve their orthopedic issues so that they can get back to doing the things they love.

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