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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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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