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SVMC to Close Connector Between Hospital and Medical Office Building

Patients encouraged to use Canopy Entrance as Construction Progresses

BENNINGTON, VT— November 10, 2022—Patients who use the connector between the hospital and Medical Office Building will be asked to take an alternate route starting Monday, November 14, 2022, when the connector will be closed for construction. Patients are encouraged to use the Canopy Entrance for all entrances and exits of the hospital. This may require that patients repark between appointments in these two buildings. The closure is a necessary part of  a significant renovation and expansion of the main entrance and Emergency Department. The connector is expected to remain closed until May 2023.

“Very few patients—only those who have two appointments, one each in the hospital and medical office building, sequentially on the same day—rely on this route,” said Pamela Duchene, APRN, PhD, chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. “We are asking them to please use the Canopy Entrance for hospital appointments during the construction and appreciate their patience with this important project.”

The Canopy Entrance is accessed using the second right turn for patients entering the hospital campus from Dewey Street. It is the preferred entrance for patients—including those using the emergency department, laboratory, imaging, surgery, endoscopy, and sleep studies—and visitors to inpatient units.

Amenities available at the Canopy Entrance include trained staff to direct patients to the department they need and a shuttle to nearby parking. The shuttle circulates the campus 7 a.m. –7 p.m. Monday – Saturday. Shelters for patients waiting for a shuttle are located in the most frequently used lots. Prominently marked pedestrian walkways are open for patients who would like to walk.

Visit svhealthcare.org/patients-visitors/parking for a map. Visit svhealthcare.org/news/navigating-the-renovation for a photo guide to accessing the Canopy Entrance.

An alternate construction ramp will be available to staff, who will also be able to aid patients experiencing an emergency that requires more direct access to the Emergency Department.

The Emergency Department Renovation and Expansion will nearly double the size of the current Emergency Department, which was designed to accommodate 14,000 patient visits a year but currently sees nearly 25,000 annually. The project will further enhance patient safety, infection prevention, and patient privacy. Vertical treatment areas will allow for highly efficient treatment of low-acuity conditions. The project also includes an expansion to the Emergency Crisis Area for those experiencing mental health distress and increased telehealth connectivity with Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Outside the Emergency Department, the project includes renovations of the Main Entrance, outpatient registration area, the Imaging Department waiting area, and the phlebotomy and laboratory upgrades. A new connector will provide improved access to SVMC ExpressCare and the Respiratory Evaluation Center and the Medical Office Building to the hospital.

Regular updates on the project are available in SVHC’s weekly e-newsletter, on social media, and on the health system’s website, svhealthcare.org/EDRenovation. To learn more and contribute to the $25 million project’s final $1 million fundraising effort, visit svhealthcare.org/vision2020.

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.