Grace Hallenbeck, DNP, FNP, Joins SVMC Pownal Campus and SVMC Cardiology
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/ Categories: NEWS, 2022

Grace Hallenbeck, DNP, FNP, Joins SVMC Pownal Campus and SVMC Cardiology

BENNINGTON, VT—November 23, 2022— Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), is pleased to welcome Grace Hallenbeck, DNP, FNP, a family nurse practitioner, to the SVMC Pownal Campus, SVMC Cardiology, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians. Hallenbeck will divide time between the Cardiology practice and the Pownal practice.

Hallenbeck completed her undergraduate studies at the University of New Hampshire and her graduate studies at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Maryland. She has worked as a nurse in the SVMC Emergency Department since 2019 and previously in the Pediatric Emergency Department and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Other clinical experiences include nursing in the Pediatric Emergency Department and in the Transplant Surgical Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee.

SVMC Pownal Campus offers comprehensive medical care for the whole family. Its services include care for children and adults, obstetrics, health promotion and wellness programs, and on-site blood draw and x-ray services. The office is located at 7237 Route 7 in Pownal. The practice is not accepting new patients at this time.

SVMC Cardiology’s patient-centered approach to care helps patients maximize their quality of life. Services provided by the practice and its physicians include cardiac consultation and education; tests including echocardiogram, transesophageal echocardiogram, stress testing, carotid ultrasound, and calcium scoring; Holter and event monitoring; and cardiac rehabilitation. The office is located in suite 211 of the Medical Office Building at 140 Hospital Drive in Bennington.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, healthcare 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. 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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COVID and Mental Health

We know that COVID-19 has claimed more than 85,000 lives so far. While this is devastating for those individuals and families, national mental health organizations are warning that another crisis could be looming.

Well Being Trust & The Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care estimate that we could lose 75,000 more people due to "deaths of despair," including increased drug- and alcohol-related events and suicides brought on by stress related to the pandemic.

They based their estimation on previous data combined with the anticipated effects of unemployment and financial instability, social isolation, and uncertainty. All three are among the top causes of drug misuse and suicide.


In my experience, stressful times do put people at greater risk of suicide and drug misuse. While getting financial help, connecting with friends and family regularly, and finding new things to be excited about may help, some people may not be able to see their way to these methods without additional help.

For those who have a history of mental health challenges, it is a good time to reconnect with your therapist remotely via telemedicine. Making this connection is important. Changes in conditions may warrant a change to your medications. Your therapist may also be able to recommend group teletherapy and online support groups that may be suitable for you.

If you have ever considered suicide, it may be useful to work with a friend or family member to make a safety plan. A safety plan is a document written during a time of wellbeing that guides someone when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide. It helps them avoid an intense suicidal crisis.

Safety plans can include warning signs, coping strategies, sources of support, ways to remove suicidal means from the environment, and reasons for living. It can be a comforting and stabilizing force that can help prevent slipping into a crisis. For complete information, visit www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/safety-plans/.

Local help can be found through United Counseling Service (UCS) in Bennington and Manchester. They have a wide array of services for people of all ages. All can be accessed with a single number: 802-442-5491. A Warm Line is available 8-5, Monday through Friday and can connect you with help even if you’re not quite sure exactly what type of help you need. Emergency services are available 24/7.

Those who are experiencing thoughts of suicide should get help right away by National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8355. If in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

When we look out for our own mental wellbeing and that of our friends and family, we will find that we truly can make it though this. None of us is alone. Help is just a phone call away.

Doris Russell is the assistant director of Outpatient and Mental Health Services at United Counseling Service.

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