When Caring Goes Beyond Clinical Excellence

Christy Trim, RN Honored with DAISY Award

There were very different reasons for Megan Trudeau’s three separate trips to the Emergency Department (ED) at The University of Vermont Health Network-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) between last October and this past March. For Megan, the constant through those experiences was the extraordinary, compassionate care provided by Christy Trim, RN. The impact Christy had is why she is the hospital’s 15th recipient of the DAISY Award. Megan has known Christy for several ye [...]

Patients Benefit From New Exercise Equipment Purchased by Foundation

When Troy Canada, Lead Occupational Therapist at CVPH, wanted to help COVID-19 patients required to stay in isolation at the hospital, his idea sounded like a well-known video game console. “This particular device is called the Ex-Box,” Troy said. That is short for Exercise Box, and it is far different than picking up a controller and mashing buttons to pass the time away. “What it is, is a device where you can exercise your legs and your arms, either isolated or at th [...]

Breast Cancer Survivors: “The care you need right here at home.”

Two patients inspired by physicians, staff at CVPH and FitzPatrick Cancer Center

Beating the toughest opponent they had ever faced, two North Country women are praising their physicians and care teams at CVPH and the FitzPatrick Cancer (FCC) center for saving their lives. Lisa McGinn and Chris Bigelow are connected by friendship and their battles with cancer. They received the same diagnosis just months apart: a rare form of invasive cancer known as mucinous carcinoma of the breast. In each case, the cancer was caught during a routine mammogram. Bigelow and McGinn say tha [...]

ED Nurse Inspires Gratitude from Patient's Family

Trudy Durant, RN, PCCN Honored With DAISY Award

Grace under pressure and an overwhelming patience in the incredibly busy Emergency Department (ED) at CVPH are just part of what makes Trudy Durant, RN, PCCN stand out to her patients and colleagues. Those two qualities are also among the reasons Trudy has been presented with the hospital’s 14th DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Trudy, who has worked at CVPH for three decades and spent the last 14 years in the ED, was nominated for the honor by a patient’s family member. In a [...]

When Time is of the Essence

For stroke patients in rural areas, new technology can save a life.

Many people are aware that it’s important to get care quickly for stroke patients, but they may not know just how crucial fast action can be. “Left untreated, a stroke victim can lose millions of brains cells every minute,” says Daniela Zambrano, MD, a vascular neurologist at The University of Vermont Medical Center. “That’s why we’re always looking for new tools to help us evaluate and treat these patients as quickly and comprehensively as possible.” [...]

New Patient Logistic Assistant Role Enhances Customer Service

Offers New Career Opportunities

It’s a scenario that’s repeated many times in our bustling facility. An Environmental Service worker chats with a patient while mopping the floor. The patient needs to use the restroom and fiddles with the nurse call button. The Environmental Service worker, wanting to help but not trained in providing that kind of patient care, offers to get a member of the nursing staff for assistance. The patient waits. Because meeting our patients’ needs is a key component of our work (and [...]

Cardiac Sonographer Spots Rare Heart Condition, Helping Save Patient’s Life

What started as chest and back pain for a northern New York man turned into life-saving open heart surgery just hours later thanks to the sharp eye of a Cardiac Sonographer at CVPH and her fast-acting cardiology colleagues across The University of Vermont Health Network. When the patient first arrived at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone two days before Christmas, he underwent an EKG test that indicated he was suffering a heart attack. He was immediately given blood thinners and rushed to C [...]

'I'm right where I want to be'

If not for Star Trek’s Dr. Spock, Johnnie Wren, MD, might not be practicing family medicine at the Au Sable Forks Health Center in northern New York. Fresh out of medical school and hoping to find a residency program to launch her career into family medicine, Dr. Wren attended a regional recruitment conference in Massachusetts. She remembers the conference was held shortly before Halloween. “I saw one group of program recruiters, head-to-toe in full costumes – including one [...]

Foundation, United Way Help Baby Get Home for Christmas

The generosity of donors to The Foundation of CVPH and United Way of the Adirondack Region paved the way for a Christmas gift one northern New York family will not soon forget: a cab ride home for the holidays. A one-year-old from Clinton County, and his family had been through some difficult times recently. Less than a week before Christmas, the little bubbly boy was in Boston with his family to begin his chemotherapy. “Even through all this, all the chemo, every bad thing that&rsqu [...]

Meeting the Gold Standard: The Impact of CVPH's New Nurse Residency

Achievement Recognizes Excellence in Supporting New Nurses

When Emily Estus, RN came to CVPH in November 2020, the winter holiday wave of COVID-19 cases in our region- and across the country -was ramping up. She admitted she was nervous about starting her nursing career in the middle of a pandemic. Now, Emily credits her time in the CVPH New Nurse Residency with turning her concern into confidence. “It was just a great experience. It’s definitely something that made the transition to my new career less stressful,” Emily noted. An [...]