Soap vs. Sanitizer?

The run on sanitizer makes it clear that people think alcohol cleansers are better than simple soap and water. In the case of COVID-19 this is wrong. Why? 1. Washing with soap and water actually washes dirt or particles away – alcohol based sanitizers just spread things around and relies on alcohol to kill organisms. Therefore, unless hands are otherwise clean, but contaminated with an organism, alcohol based sanitizers are NOT as good. 2. In the case of Coronavirus soap is partic [...]

What's Your Plan?

Dr. Wouter Rietsema talks about having a plan should COVID-19 come to your house.

Especially during times like these, it’s easy to adopt a “this-won’t-happen-to-me” mindset. But what if “it” does happen and either you or someone you live with becomes ill with COVID-19?  What’s your plan?  My years of experience as a physician, hospital administrator and father of 3 has taught me that hoping for the best while planning for the worst is usually the right path to take. Should COVID-19 come to your house, what will you do? Se [...]

Advice from an Infectious Disease Physician on COVID-19: Act Like You Have It

By: Wouter Rietsema, MD - VP of Population Health & Information Services, Infectious Disease Specialist

As an Infectious Disease Physician and Hospital Administrator, over the past several weeks I have been touting the many ways people can help protect themselves from COVID-19 – hand-washing, avoid touching your face, social distancing. And then it hit me. A better way to look at stopping the spread of the virus is to act like you have it. So what would I do if I knew I was infected with COVID-19? I would go home, lock myself in a room and tell everyone else in the house to stay away. I [...]

Talking to Your Children About COVID-19

It feels like the COVID-19 virus has turned our world upside down. Schools are closed, leaving teachers across our region teaching their lessons in front of a computer or smartphone instead of a classroom. Restaurants are only offering take-out or delivery. There are even digital signs on the highway telling us to stay home. As a region, we’ve fought through natural disasters like the Ice Storm and Tropical Storm Irene. We’ve come back from national tragedies like the 9/11 terrori [...]

Everyone Plays a Part in Keeping Health System Strong

I was on the phone recently with my 28 year-old daughter who lives in the Boston area. I asked her what she was feeling down there related to novel coronavirus or COVID-19.  She said she thought that it seemed like people were going “over the top” with responses. They had just closed the schools in her town after a single confirmed case.  “Isn’t this not much more than a bad flu?,” she asked.  But I realized that many people are thinking and feeling t [...]

Why I Give

Robin Bashaw, RN Is Paying It Forward

When it came to figuring out what Robin Bashaw wanted to do when she grew up, there was never really any doubt. “I’ve always wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl,” Bashaw explained. What started as a dream when she was a child is now a reality every day as an RN with Progressive Care. But that dream may not have come true without help from the Foundation at CVPH. “I used Foundation of CVPH grants to get my way through nursing school,” Bashaw [...]

4 Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy – Beyond Heart Month

It’s American Heart Month! We want to share four ways to keep you heart, mind, and body happy and healthy. The combination of eating right, working out, relieving stress and educating yourself– can help keep your heart pumping for years to come. Make sure to visit the American Heart Association for more tools and facts on heart health. Eat Healthy Does this sound like you? Your day is jam-packed and feeding your body isn’t on the schedule. When life gets busy, we may forg [...]

Building a Foundation for Less Stress and Good Health

In our society when we think about stress we think of the big stuff—the large, life-altering incidents that turn our lives upside down. But stress can come at us from every angle during even the most routine parts of our daily lives. Of course, a house fire, a car accident or a devastating medical diagnosis for ourselves or a family member are all stressful situations that must be navigated, but trying to get mittens on your toddler, getting milk in your coffee when you ordered cream or hi [...]

Heart Attack and Exertion: Protect Yourself this Winter

Winter is always an exciting time for those who love to ski, snowboard, or even to just play in the snow! Unfortunately, winter is also a time where your heart health can be put at risk if you aren’t aware of the health risks associated with colder weather, which can lead to a heart attack. We want to keep our friends and families safe, so we put together this guide to help you protect your heart and health this winter. What does it mean to exert yourself too much in winter? [...]

Jill Kanaly-Demers, RN, BS, CHPN, Honored by CVPH with DAISY Award

Palliative Care nurse nominated for helping patient, family prepare for difficult decisions

Planning for a loved one’s end of life can be a tough, emotional process. Today, staff members at the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital came together to recognize one nurse’s extraordinary effort to help a local family find peace.   Jill Kanaly-Demers, RN, BS, CHPN was nominated for the DAISY Award after working with family members of an 89-year-old patient in declining health. He and his wife of more than 60 years were both [...]