SVHC Announces DAISY Award Winner

BENNINGTON, VT—April 12, 2022—Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN-BC, FACHE, chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services, was the March recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC). The nomination was received from a patient Duchene cared for during the COVID pandemic.

The nomination was from the parent of a developmentally disabled and immune-compromised patient who was hospitalized with COVID. It read, in part, “I was understandably nervous about my daughter’s condition... Pam was absolutely amazing and made her feel very comfortable during the entire treatment. As the parent, I was relieved that [Pam] had it all under control. Without a doubt, Pam is above-and-beyond compassionate and caring. Her dedication to my daughter gave me a moment to breathe and realize it was going to be OK. My family is very thankful for her dedication and caring.”

“It is a huge surprise. I feel very humbled,” Duchene said on having received the award. “It is an honor to be recognized as one of the clinical nurses here.”

Before joining SVHC, Duchene served as the chief nursing officer at Hallmark Health System, a 368-bed facility in Melrose, MA, and at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, NH, which is a Magnet® Center for Nursing Excellence with 208 beds. In addition, she has had extensive experience in the long-term care and rehabilitation industries, serving as a vice president of Harmony Healthcare International in Massachusetts, SunHealth Care Group in New Mexico, and HealthSouth New England in Massachusetts. During her career, she has trained thousands of nurses, published many academic papers, given national presentations, and advised governmental groups. She is a practicing adult/gerontological nursing practitioner. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Science at Rush University in Illinois.

“Nursing is sometimes stressful,” shared Jennifer Coutu, MSN, RN, OCN, EMT-B, who directs nursing care at the health system’s Cancer Center. “To know that your leader is ready to roll up her sleeves and join you on the frontline is so powerful. What’s more, she provides care with uncommon skill and compassion without drawing any attention to her title or her credentials. We are truly blessed to have her as a role model, a coach, and a source of support.”

The DAISY Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the DAISY Foundation. It celebrates nurses’ education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the DAISY Award winner. DAISY Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) 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. 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. It has also received the highest marks possible from the Leapfrog Group. 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.