Kathryn Czaplinski
/ Categories: NEWS, 2024

Manchester resident takes on new leadership role with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

BENNINGTON, VT—November 5, 2024—Manchester resident Kathy Fisher has joined the Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation Board of Directors, the governing body of volunteers who oversee all philanthropic efforts in support of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC). 

Fisher has been an active volunteer leader within SVMC, a member of Dartmouth Health, for nearly a decade. In September she finished her term as chair of the organization’s Board of Trustees, where she was instrumental in many crucial initiatives, including the integration of SVMC with Dartmouth Health in July 2023.

Her new role with the SVHC Foundation will specifically focus on philanthropy and fundraising activities that enhance SVMC’s patient care at the hospital and its practice sites.

“Kathy has a deep understanding of the importance of community philanthropy and will be an incredible asset to our board,” said Keith Michl, MD, Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors. “She has firsthand knowledge of the work that SVMC is doing to provide exceptional care and comfort to our community, so we couldn’t ask for a better representative and advocate for our fundraising initiatives.”

Fisher and her husband, Rocco Maggiotto, have long been supporters of the Foundation’s efforts, including, most notably, Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation capital campaign.

“Living in a rural community and having access to the excellent and nationally-recognized care that SVMC provides is rare,” Fisher said. “That’s why it’s important for me to support the Foundation’s philanthropic work, so SVMC can continue to meet the needs of our communities and our future generations.”

In addition to local volunteer work, Fisher had a four-decade career in the financial services industry. In 2020, she retired from Alliance Bernstein as National Managing Director and Head of Wealth and Investment Strategies for Bernstein Private Wealth Management.

The SVHC Foundation Board of Directors consists of 10 members. Directors are nominated by members of the board. The SVHC Foundation’s mission is to engage in development and fundraising activities exclusively for the support of SVMC.

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.

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5 Questions with the Chair of the Department of Surgery

Malcolm Paine, MD, of SVMC OB/GYN, serves as the chair of the Department of Surgery. We asked him five questions about COVID-19 and how it feels to deliver care right now.

SVMC: What would you like to share with patients at this time?
MP: First, on behalf of the Department of Surgery, I would like to acknowledge how tough it has been for our community members who have been affected by this pandemic. We see such tremendous strength in those who have been ill or lost loved ones to illness and in those who are working hard to get by without a job or while homeschooling their children. We are proud to be part of this community, whose careful social distancing efforts have prevented an unmanageable surge.

We are grateful, too, that as restrictions loosen, we can get back to seeing patients and providing care in a timely way. On the surface, the care may look or feel a little different—everyone will be wearing masks, for instance—but once we get accustomed to the changes, we hope that you will recognize the same level of personalized care we all enjoyed before COVID-19.

SVMC: What are the potential risks associated with postponing care?
MP: There are many types of surgery that can be delayed for a short time, often without any negative repercussions . However, surgery is often for situations that cause pain, and delaying the procedure can result in that pain getting worse or not getting better. Sometimes, there are situations where a minor surgery, if delayed, can turn into a more major or emergency surgery, and the patient can become very sick.

SVMC: In general, what additional precautions have been put in place to ensure that care is safe?
MP:
We are absolutely committed to the safety of our patients, staff, and the community. We know how important it is for patients to be able to know and trust that we have their safety in mind at all times. We always want to use the best science and advice from the State to guide our practices. We have put several new measures in place.

We screen all patients and advocates who come to the hospital to make sure they do not have a fever or possible symptoms of COVID-19. All staff also undergo daily screening for fever and symptoms to make sure those looking after patients are healthy. We are also testing all patients with planned surgical procedures for COVID-19. This is performed as an outpatient test at no cost to the patient and increases our confidence that we are not putting patients or staff at increased risk. Patients with a scheduled surgery are encouraged to call ahead if they are feeling unwell, and after surgery, patients will be asked to check for fever for 14 days to make sure they stay healthy.

SVMC: How would patients be notified if COVID risk increased rapidly?
MP:
There is always the chance that there may be a new "surge." In that case, a directive to stop elective procedures would likely come from the State. We may also decide, as a hospital, to stop these procedures in order to keep everyone safe. In that case, we would call the patients to let them know that their scheduled case is delayed until the risk decreases.

SVMC: How would you estimate the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the hospital right now?
MP:
We are tracking these numbers on a daily basis. With all of these safety measures in place and due to the very low numbers of cases we are seeing in this area at the present time, we estimate this risk is extremely low.

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