SVHC's VP Recognized with Statewide Award
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/ Categories: NEWS, 2022

SVHC's VP Recognized with Statewide Award

BENNINGTON, VT—December 22, 2022—Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Vice President of Administration and Chief Human Resources Officer Kevin Dailey was honored with the 2022 Dolly Shaw Vermont Human Resources Professional of the Year Award from the Vermont State Council, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management.

“Vermont is home to many exceptionally qualified human resources professionals, so I am humbled to have received this recognition,” Dailey said. “I share the honor with the talented and dedicated members of the HR teams I have worked with at Southwestern Vermont Health Care and Mack Molding Company. Their hard work has driven so much of what we have achieved together, and I am deeply grateful.”

The award seeks to affirm and distinguish an individual who applies advanced knowledge of human resources to substantially impact business outcomes through HR leadership, strategy, and/or development; demonstrates significant value by applying creative and innovative management concepts; implements programs in any of the HR disciplines that positively impacts an organization and its talent; advances and elevates the HR profession in their organization, industry, and community; and exemplifies the highest standards of the profession and serves as a role model for peers.

Dailey has been at the center of several groundbreaking solutions at SVHC. He led the Healthy Homes program, which connected employees with newly renovated homes and favorable financing terms. The program worked to solve a lack of housing availability for staff and to increase rates of home ownership in Bennington neighborhoods. During the early days of the pandemic, Dailey worked with former employer Mack Molding Company to retrofit scuba masks for use as personal protective equipment (PPE). The move relieved staff anxiety amidst a severe PPE shortage and received national press attention. Notably, SVHC has been recognized as one of Vermont’s “Best Places to Work” for 8 years in a row. It is the only hospital ever to have been recognized with the honor.

“Kevin sets an example that combines a commitment to compassion, innovation, dedication, and organizational sustainability,” said SVHC’s President and CEO Thomas A. Dee, FACHE. “These qualities have enabled us to make progress against our most difficult challenges and to build a strong and vibrant organizational culture.”
 
Dailey brought more than 15 years of human resources experience and a background in law to SVHC in January 2015. His most recent previous position was as director of Human Resources for Mack Molding Company, Inc. in Arlington, VT. Before that, he was partner in the legal firm of Dailey & Dailey, P.C., in Manchester, VT. Dailey holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and a juris doctor degree from Vermont Law School. He is an ardent volunteer. He has served with the SVHC board of trustees, the Arlington Rescue Squad, the Bennington County Bar Association, the United Way, and others.

The Dolly Shaw Vermont Human Resources Professional of the Year Award recognizes exceptional performance and outstanding achievement by a professional in the field of human resource management. Dolly Shaw was one of the founding members of the Vermont Human Resource Association (VTHRA) in 1969 and was a force behind growing and sustaining the state’s human resource (HR) network over many years. She served for 40 year as director of Career Services at Champlain College and was relentless in her pursuit of delivering high-quality HR learning opportunities for the professional community.

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-19 Vaccine for Those Pregnant or Nursing

Here are the facts you need to know to make a good decision about whether or not to recieve the COVID-19 vaccine: 

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic we found out that pregnant women with COVID-19 disease are more likely to get a very severe infection.  According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, they are three times more likely to have to go to an intensive care unit, two to three times more likely to need advanced life support and a breathing tube, and sadly, they have a small increased risk of death due to COVID-19. They may have worse pregnancy outcomes, such as pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth. It is difficult to know yet whether COVID infection causes these outcomes or whether they happened at the same time by chance.
  • Similarly, COVID-19 can cause chronic inflammation, which could decrease fertility in both men and women.
  • The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has provided Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended for everyone over the age of 16 who has not had an allergic reaction to the ingredients in the vaccine. Research has shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 as soon as 28 days after the booster vaccine. These agencies directed all their effort to this work, day and night, which is how the vaccine was approved for use so quickly. No steps were skipped. 
  • It is not possible to get COVID infection from the vaccine. The virus is not in the vaccine.  It is like the flu shot, which exposes the body to something that looks like the part of the virus, so our bodies do the natural process of making antibodies to protect against disease. 
  • Many people have minor side effects, like tiredness, fever, muscle pain, headache, and pain where the shot was given. They could last a few days.  A few people feel very unwell. Having symptoms is a sign that the vaccine is working, and antibodies are being made.
  • Pregnant women were not allowed to be part of the research, which is very common for medical research trials. There were no reports of negative outcomes among the trial participants who became pregnant during the trial.
  • The vaccine does use a new technology called mRNA.  Two shots are required 3 weeks apart. Scientists believe that the mRNA can’t get into the placenta or the breast milk. The same kind of technology made vaccine against Ebola disease.  It has been given to pregnant and breastfeeding women.  No problems for mom or baby were found from this vaccine.
  • The vaccine does not cause birth defects or infertility. While the spike proteins on the virus and those found on the cells of the placenta are similar, they do not share enough amino acid sequences for the immune system to become confused.
  • The vaccine should also be offered to those who are breastfeeding/lactating. Like pregnant individuals, those who were breastfeeding were not included in the clinical trials for the vaccine. According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the benefits of vaccination outweigh the very small safety concerns, and you do not have to stop breastfeeding because you get the vaccine.

Experts trusted by your providers recommend strongly that pregnant women be encouraged to get the vaccine.  We can’t tell you whether to get the shot, but we trust that you will make the right decision for you and your baby. Here are some points to consider as you decide:

  • How many people are getting sick with COVID-19 in your community?
  • What is your personal risk of getting COVID-19 based on your job or other exposures?
  • What is your risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, and what is the possible harm to your baby? What other medical conditions could increase this risk? Diabetes, being overweight, having lung, kidney, heart or immune illnesses or taking medicine that depresses immune function ( like chemotherapy, methotrexate, prednisone). 
  • Consider how well the vaccine is reported to work. These vaccines work exceedingly well!
  • What are the risks to other people in your household if you get sick, especially if you are living with people at risk for serious illness, like the elderly.
  • How do you feel about the lack of scientific evidence about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness for pregnant women?
  • How do you feel you would manage the reported side effects of the vaccine?

If you do get the vaccine:

  • Pregnant women who experience fever, either as a result of COVID-19 infector or following vaccination, should take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat fever, since a very high fever can harm a baby. A fever is far more likely as a result of COVID-19 infection than it is from vaccination.
  • Your health professional will give you information about enrolling in the V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker. You can provide feedback on how the vaccine experience went for up to a week following your vaccination and get help with any concerns that may arise.

If you have questions, please ask your OB/GYN.

Whatever you choose, be sure to continue with the important prevention steps like avoiding visits with those outside your household, masking and distancing when in public, and washing your hands frequently.

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