M&T Bank Charitable Foundation Contributes to Vision 2020 Campaign

BENNINGTON, VT—January 3, 2023—The Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation gratefully accepted a $25,000 donation from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation last week. The contribution will help fund Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation Capital Campaign, the hospital’s largest project in more than 30 years. The funds will help enhance the emergency and cancer care services available to residents regionwide.

“Southwestern Vermont Health Care is more than a medical and health resource in southwestern Vermont,” said M & T Senior Vice President John A. Conlon, CFA, CFP.  “It is part of the heart and soul of the community.”

The Vision 2020 project includes the renovation and expansion of the health system’s Emergency Department and the construction of an all-new regional Cancer Center. The new Kendall Emergency Department and Hoyt-Hunter Regional Cancer Center will impact care for residents of southern Vermont, northern Berkshire County, and eastern New York.

“Support from our local business community is so very meaningful as we attempt this major transformation of two of our most important services,” said SVHC’s President and CEO Thomas A. Dee, FACHE. “We are grateful for M&T’s contribution and their demonstrated commitment to the health of our communities.”

The newly expanded Kendall Emergency Department 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.

The new Hoyt-Hunter Regional Cancer Center will have double the number of exam and infusion rooms. The design focuses on patient comfort in addition to clinical excellence.

Those interested in learning more about the project should 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.