Kathryn Czaplinski
/ Categories: NEWS, 2024

SVMC to offer expanded vascular services, starting in February

Bennington, VT—January 29, 2025— The Heart and Vascular Center at Dartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) is expanding services to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s (SVMC) Cardiology department in Bennington. This expansion will allow patients to stay closer to home for consultations, relevant testing, and follow-up care.

Starting Wednesday, February 12, SVMC, a Dartmouth Health member, will provide vascular services two days per month, with plans to expand in the future. DHMC vascular surgeons Matthew J. Alef, MD, and Philip P. Goodney, MD, will see patients in the SVMC Cardiology office twice a month, and perform procedures on the second Wednesday of each month.

“Our collaboration with the Heart and Vascular Center will be incredibly beneficial to patients,” said Scott W. Rogge, MD, SVMC Cardiology medical director. “This is an exciting and necessary expansion of services, to keep patients closer to home, which is not only more convenient but also leads to better outcomes.”

Under the new program, Alef and Goodney will perform procedures like vein ligation, phlebectomy, and ablation at SVMC, with more complex procedures managed at DHMC.  

“We are very excited to see patients in Bennington at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center” said Goodney, section chief of vascular surgery at Dartmouth Health. “Patients with vascular disease often have difficulty traveling, and expanding the services we can provide locally will be an important next step. We look forward to providing vein care in Bennington, and also seeing patients for dialysis access, treatment for leg artery blockages, carotid artery blockages, and abdominal aortic aneurysms. We are pleased to continue to build our outreach pathways to include on-site services in Bennington.”

Trey Dobson, MD, SVMC’s chief medical officer and vice president of clinical services, said the vascular collaboration is a benefit of being part of the Dartmouth Health system.

“Bringing the expertise of these accomplished vascular surgeons to SVMC helps us meet an important need in our community hospital,” said Dobson. “Our skilled team at SVMC Cardiology will work closely with the DHMC team to provide the highest quality of care, and we hope to grow this program in the future.”

Physician referrals for vascular services are now being accepted by calling SVMC Cardiology at 802-442-0800. Find more information about SVMC Cardiology by clicking here

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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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