Vermont Legislator and Health Committee Member Joins Next Medical Matters Weekly
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Vermont Legislator and Health Committee Member Joins Next Medical Matters Weekly

BENNINGTON, VT—March 29, 2022—As a retired nurse practitioner, current state representative for Windham-3, and member of the health committee, Leslie Goldman has a unique perspective on health care. Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson is pleased to welcome her on the show at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6. 

The show is produced by Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can see Medical Matters Weekly on facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington. The show is also available to view or download as a podcast on www.svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters.

Goldman moved to Bellows Falls in 1982. She was a family nurse practitioner and started a primary care medical practice with her husband Dr. Matthew Peake. In 2008, she completed a master’s of Public Health at the Dartmouth Medical School with a focus on systems thinking and quality improvement and went on to practice primary care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene, where she gained an understanding of large, complex organizations. She retired from medicine after 37 years.

Goldman served on the Bellows Falls Union High School Board for 12 years, on the Rockingham Select Board for 3 years, and as a board member of Parks Place Community Resource Center. In March 2020, she helped found the Rockingham Help and Helpers (RHH). In addition, she is a founding member of The Compass School and currently serves on the board of The Nature Museum in Grafton.

Most notably, Goldman serves Athens, Brookline, Grafton, Rockingham, part of North Westminster, and Windham as the Windham-3 representative, and sits on the House Committee on Health Care. She aims to use her understanding of medicine, education, public health, and local government to improve the lives of all in the community. She enjoys singing with the Hallowell Hospice Choir and The River Singers. She and her husband have two grown sons.

Medical Matters Weekly features the innovative personalities who drive positive change within health care and related professions. The show addresses all aspects of creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for all, including food and nutrition, housing, diversity and inclusion, groundbreaking medical care, exercise, mental health, the environment, research, and government. The show is broadcast on Facebook Live, YouTube, and all podcast platforms. After the program, the video will be available on area public access television stations CAT-TV (Comcast channel 1075) and GNAT-TV's (Comcast channel 1074).
 
About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) 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. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care 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 ranked fourth nationwide for the value of care it provides by the Lown Institute Hospital Index in 2020 and is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. It has also received the highest marks possible from the Leapfrog Group. The health system is fortunate to have the support of platinum-level corporate sponsor Mack, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts based in Arlington, VT.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center 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.

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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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