SVMC, D-H Partner to Provide Specialty Care for Children via Telemedicine

Bennington, VT—June 12, 2019—Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) Center for Connected Care are pleased to announce the launch of cardiology and urology care for children. Visits with these pediatric specialists are provided at the SVMC Medical Office Building in Bennington via telemedicine.

“Children with conditions that affect their hearts or urinary systems sometimes have to spend a lot more time than their peers traveling to medical appointments,” said Meghan Gunn, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician and medical director of SVMC Pediatrics. “We are excited to offer this level of specialized care conveniently, and we believe this will help to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients and their families.”

These services use live, two-way, secure audio and video on a large format, high-definition mobile cart to connect providers at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) with SVMC Pediatrics patients who have the need for cardiac or urology care.

Pediatric Cardiologist Norm Berman, MD, will evaluate cardiac concerns in pediatric patients at SVMC. Berman joined D-H in 1993 after completing his Pediatric Residency in New Mexico, and his Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center in Ohio. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. In addition to providing direct patient care, Berman has been actively engaged in medical education at a national level. 

Pediatric Urologist David Chavez, MD, FACS, will provide care for pediatric patients with urinary or reproductive conditions. He earned his medical degree at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire and bachelors in biophysics from University of California at Berkeley. He completed two fellowships in Pediatric Urology and Endourology at Duke University in North Carolina and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, respectively. He also completed two residencies, the first in Urology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the second in General Surgery at Stanford University Hospital in California. In addition, he was a General Surgery intern at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital.

To access these services, parents of patients with these special medical needs should ask their pediatrician for a referral. The physicians’ offices at CHaD will schedule the telehealth visits. For more information, call 603-653-9888 for telePediatricCardiology and 603-653-9882 for telePediatricUrology. 

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 complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.