ExpressCare manager receives hospital’s first DAISY Nurse Leader Award
Kathryn Czaplinski
/ Categories: NEWS, 2024

ExpressCare manager receives hospital’s first DAISY Nurse Leader Award

BENNINGTON, VT—October 7, 2024—Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, recently honored a nurse manager for his outstanding leadership at the hospital’s ExpressCare clinic.

Bentley Munsell, BSN, RN, CEN, the Clinical Nurse Manager of SVMC’s ExpressCare, was awarded the first DAISY Nurse Leader Award at SVMC. The DAISY Award is an international recognition program honoring clinical excellence and outstanding compassionate care provided by nurses. The Nurse Leader Award, specifically, celebrates nurses who lead with compassion, mentor their teams, and foster an environment of compassionate care.

Munsell was nominated by his team at ExpressCare, who wrote that they unanimously agreed he was deserving of special recognition.

“He is incredibly approachable and empathetic and fosters a positive and inclusive work environment,” his nominators wrote. “He excels in communication, ensuring that all team members are informed and engaged. He truly cares about his patients and staff members. He goes above and beyond.”

Munsell became manager of ExpressCare last September, having previously worked in SVMC’s Emergency Department (ED), starting as an ED technician in 2015 and then working as a charge nurse from 2018-2023.

Munsell, who was surprised by the recognition, thanked his team for their dedication.

“This is a great place to be and I’m happy to call it my home,” he said. “Thank you for being my team. It’s an honor to work with you.”

Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing and Quality Officer at SVMC, noted that Bentley is a previous recipient of the DAISY Award of Extraordinary Nurses. Duchene said the Leader Award is an opportunity to celebrate the work that many patients don’t see.

“Bentley’s work, behind the scenes, creates an environment where our clinical team and support staff can deliver the best possible care and outcomes to our patients,” Duchene said.  “He plays a critical role in many ways that patients may not see directly.”

Munsell continues to provide clinical support in both ExpressCare and the ED and also teaches and coordinates workplace violence prevention training and education for the SVMC community.

SVMC ExpressCare, located on the Bennington campus, is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., offering walk-in care for minor illnesses and injuries for patients of all ages.

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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Resuming Regular Care

So many important medical appointments were booked for March and April and canceled during the height of the pandemic. Now we are beginning to refocus on the fact that skipping appointments, even if you are feeling well now, could become harmful.

One important group of patients that we are eager to see are those with serious chronic conditions. These diseases require patients to see their primary care provider or a specialist at least once a year and sometimes far more frequently than that. Those with heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for instance, all require regular contact with your provider.

Another group of patients we'd like to see are those with new medical concerns. We know that new medical concerns don't stop during a pandemic. Some conditions, like depression and anxiety, are far more prevalent during a pandemic than before. In many cases, new conditions are easiest to treat when patients first notice symptoms, and delaying care for these conditions can be dangerous.

Even regular care for those who are healthy is as important as ever. Other diseases—cancer in particular—haven't gone away. So, if you would normally be getting a screening such as a colonoscopy or mammogram, it's time to schedule an appointment. Many cancers can be detected and treated early with better outcomes. We can only expect those good results, if people are screened.

For children, regular vaccines are very important. If a big portion of the population neglects to get important childhood vaccines on schedule, we may be susceptible to outbreaks of measles or whooping cough.

There are many steps we have taken to improve safety for those seeking medical care. The first one is the availability of telemedicine. If the condition you are seeking treatment for does not require diagnostics or a physical exam, your provider can meet you virtually using any Internet-enabled device or over the phone. See details here.

If you do need to come to the office, you will notice check-ins at entrances, where staff check patients and visitors for respiratory symptoms and ensure that all are masked. You'll also notice efforts to space the waiting rooms to improve social distancing.

So how do you get the care you need?

  • If you have a primary care provider, call in to see what you may have missed during the pandemic. Did you miss an appointment to manage a chronic condition? Also share any new health concerns you have and check that you and your family members are up to date on all of your screenings and vaccinations.
  • If you don’t have a regular doctor, it makes sense to get one now. Locally, call the find-a-provider line at 802-447-5007 for a directory of practices that are accepting new patients.
  • Those with time-sensitive medical needs can use ExpressCare, a walk-in clinic, on the hospital campus in Bennington. Be sure to call ahead to 802-440-4077 if you have respiratory symptoms.
  • For Emergency Care, always come directly to the SVMC Emergency Department.

Most off all, we want our patients to know that we are here for them. There is no longer a need to delay medical care, whether for known conditions, new concerns, or preventive care. In every step we take, we are protecting patients against COVID-19 and helping patients with all of their other medical needs, too.

Bob Schwartz, MD, is associate medical director of Dartmouth- Hitchcock Putnam Physicians at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington and a family medicine physician at SVMC Northshire Campus in Manchester.

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