SVHC Physician Aims for the Olympics

BENNINGTON, VT—November 23, 2022—Ivette Guttmann, MD, a sports medicine physician with SVMC Orthopedics, part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) in Bennington, has something in common with the best athletes in the world; she has a dream to make it to the Olympic Games. Her hope is to serve the athletes as a volunteer physician.

“I am an athlete at heart, and the Olympics is something I have always aspired to,” Guttmann said. “While I didn’t make it to the Olympics as an athlete, I hope to be able to use my skills as a physician to serve Team U.S.A.”

As a first step, Dr. Guttmann will serve as a lead physician at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games January 11 – 22. The 11-day winter multisport and educational festival will bring more than 2,500 athletes and delegates from 600 universities and 50-plus nations to compete in 12 sports and 86 medal events.

From Lake Placid, she will go on to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs January 22 – February 4. After this month-long training with elite athletes in Lake Placid and Colorado, she may be chosen to serve as a team physician during an upcoming Olympic Games.

“I expect that volunteering with the elite athletes at the World University Games and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center this winter will provide valuable insights,” Guttmann said. “Serving the Olympians would be a tremendous honor, a great challenge, and an invigorating experience I can bring back to my patients and community.” 

For more about Dr. Guttmann’s journey to the Olympics, follow Southwestern Vermont Health Care at facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and Instagram.com/svmedicalcenter.

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.

About Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games:
The FISU World University Games Winter is the largest winter multi-sport collegiate athletic event in the world. University students between the ages of 17 and 25 are eligible to enter. In 2018, Lake Placid was selected to host the 2023 FISU World University Games. New York State is proud to be hosting these games and looks forward to showcasing New York and the North Country to an international audience.