Kathryn Czaplinski
/ Categories: NEWS, 2024

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Recognized for Excellence in Emergency Nursing

BENNINGTON, VT—July 16, 2024—The Kendall Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) has been selected as a recipient of the Emergency Nurses Association’s 2024 Lantern Award for demonstrating excellence in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research performance.

The Lantern Award showcases emergency department’s (ED) accomplishments in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. As part of the application, EDs are encouraged to share stories that highlight a commitment to patient care, as well as the well-being of nursing staff. The award serves as a visible symbol of a commitment to quality, safety and a healthy work environment.

“Being on the front lines of patient care in our community comes with unique challenges and triumphs,” said Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services at SVMC  “For our ED team to be recognized among just 94 departments, nationwide, demonstrates the level of excellence and commitment that has been fostered here.”

The Kendall Emergency Department at SVMC is also the first ED in Vermont to receive the award.

“This honor highlights the collaborative decision-making and shared governance within our ED,” said Jill Maynard, MSN, RN, CEN, director of Emergency Nursing at SVMC “This leadership model is a key attribute of our success, giving our team the tools and support they need to provide skilled and compassionate care to our patients.”

In addition to influencing care within the organization, SVMC emergency staff are empowered to be leaders beyond the health system, impacting nurses and other healthcare providers throughout the state and country. In the last three years, SVMC’s ED nurses have presented at local, regional, and national conferences on topics including cultural humility, harm reduction, design considerations for emergency psychiatric care, and orientation strategies for new emergency RNs.

SVMC President and CEO, Thomas A. Dee, FACHE congratulated the ED team on receiving the 2024-2027 Lantern Award, and noted that this prestigious honor is all the more impressive for being earned during a multi-phase renovation of the ED space, part of VISION 2020: A Decade of Transformation capital campaign.

“This team never wavered in their care and commitment to excellence during the renovation of the Kendall Emergency Department, approaching any impact with flexibility and resourcefulness,” said Dee. “They truly exemplify SVMC’s mission of providing exceptional care and comfort to the people we serve.”

SVMC’s Lantern Award will be on display in the emergency department. As a recipient, SVMC, a member of Dartmouth Health, will be recognized in upcoming ENA publications, on the ENA website and during Emergency Nursing 2024, the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Sept. 4-7.

For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.

PHOTO CAPTION: The nursing team at the Kendall Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), pictured here, recently received national recognition for excellence.

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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.

SVMC Contact: Kathryn.Czaplinski@svhealthcare.org

 

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

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COVID-19 Scams

Scams are almost as old as time. They always take advantage of our vulnerabilities and fears. So in times of mass panic, like has been caused by COVID-19, opportunities for scammers increase, said Southwestern Vermont Health Care's Information Technology Security Engineer Geoffrey Mazanec.

IT experts noted a 667 percent increase in malicious phishing e-mails as of the end of last month. Security firm Barracuda Networks identified 137 coronavirus-related phishing emails in January, 1,188 in February, and more than 9,000 in March. 

There are most likely several reasons for the increase.

  • First, many scams exploit our fears. As fear increases, so to opportunities for scammers. Many scams have been tweaked to include a reference to COVID-19, which may cause people to react more quickly and without thinking.
  • Scammers also exploit our desires to be good people—to pay our bills on time and follow directions—which could also be heightened during a crisis.
  • During COVID-19, everyone is conducting more business remotely. In the effort to keep all of our online activities straight, we may lose track of who is on the other end of the phone line or e-mail.
  • Mazanec notes that, with so many people out of work, scammers may have taken what had been a part-time swindling gig full time.

These startling statistics and our increased vulnerability make it a great time for a refresher about how scammers attack and how to avoid getting caught in a scheme.

Phishing. The most common way scammers operate is by phishing. They call or e-mail, usually posing to be a company or organization that you trust: the IRS, Medicare or Medicaid, or a company that you have done business with before. And they are crafty. They can even make it look as if they are calling from a business you recognize. They are counting on your thinking that they are the real thing.

"Lots of people, looking for protective equipment, for instance, are purchasing from companies that they have not dealt with in the past," Mazanec said. "Scammers want you to believe that you have purchased from them, when you have not."

They might send you an "invoice due" message with a .pdf attachment, or they might provide a link for you to click and log in. They want you to do one of two things: (1) Give up your personal information, either over the phone or by logging in to a fake sign-in page or (2) click on a .pdf or website that will infect your system.

So what can you do? Mazanec recommends not clicking. "If you don’t recognize it, don't open it. Instead, always question whether it is legitimate. And, no matter who it is, don't give anyone usernames or passwords."

Disconnect the call or delete the e-mail and call the company directly. If you don't have their number on hand, you can find it using a Google search. If you ask them whether they just called or e-mailed you, you will likely find that they have not. Congratulations. You’ve just avoided a scam.

Too good to be true. Some scammers are also selling fake products. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued warnings to seven companies selling fraudulent products that claim to test for, prevent, or treat COVID-19. Some even claimed to be approved by the FDA! Other companies are taking personal information in exchange for being added to a fake list for early access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

There is no valid at-home test for COVID-19 and no viable at-home treatments, unless you count rest and plenty of fluids for mild cases. Consult with your local healthcare provider before taking any testing or treatment action, as some can be harmful or even deadly.

To avoid scams like this one, read, watch, and listen to reputable news sources. If there is a legitimate at-home test, treatment, or vaccine, you will hear reports about it from your state's department of health and other official organizations.

More information about scams related to COVID-19 can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/media/phishing.html and https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice.

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