Kathryn Czaplinski
/ Categories: NEWS, 2024

SVMC Primary Care offices recognized for patient-centered care

BENNINGTON, VT—December 13, 2024—Five primary care sites of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, have achieved national recognition for providing personalized, effective, and efficient care.

The following medical practices, located in Vermont, have been re-designated as Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA):

  • SVMC Northshire Campus
  • Deerfield Valley Health Center
  • Pownal Campus
  • SVMC Internal Medicine
  • SVMC Pediatrics

The national designation recognizes SVMC’s practice sites for providing comprehensive care and follow-up, in addition to a number of preventative and wellness screenings.

 “Each of SVMC’s practice sites follow stringent set of guidelines that allows our staff to meet the criteria and ensures our providers, clinical and support staff give every primary care patient the care and follow-up they need, as well as options and appropriate screenings for a multitude of concerns,” said Tina Gallant, CMPE, director of SVMC’s Primary Care Medical Practices. “It’s also a testament to the importance of our Community Health Team members who provide our patients with nurse case management, certified diabetic education and mental health and social services.”

According to NCQA, research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction—while reducing health care costs. The PCMH program identifies practices that promote partnerships between individual patients and their personal clinicians. A team of doctors, nurses, and other allied health providers oversees each patient’s care, ensuring health needs are coordinated across the health care system.

Practices must resubmit for consideration every year. SVMC’s Twin Rivers Medical office, located in New York, falls under a different evaluation system, separate from the NCQA guidelines.

“National recognition as a Patient Centered Medical Home is an outstanding accomplishment by the staff, doctors, and advanced practice providers at our primary care practices,” said Trey Dobson, MD, SVMC Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Clinical Services. “As we continue to focus on primary care provider recruitment and expanding access to our rural communities, this and similar awards demonstrate SVMC’s commitment to exceptional health care.”

Learn more about SVMC’s primary care services here.

About SVMC:

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVMC includes the Dartmouth Cancer Center at SVMC, the SVHC Foundation, as well as 25 primary and specialty care practices. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. In addition, SVMC is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. SVMC provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.

About NCQA:

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers, and researchers.

 

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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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