I’m At–Risk for COVID-19. How Do Older Adults Get Care, and Stay Safe?

While we all wish there was a solution to put an end to COVID-19, we are best served to begin adjusting our behaviors, expectations and lifestyle to acknowledge this pandemic will take time to manage and resolve. As we shift to a longer-term acceptance of our new reality, many patients in our older adult population have been asking great questions about their health, their risk of contracting COVID-19, and how to live a h [...]

Welcome Back: We’ve Got You Covered

Thank you. As members of the community, you’ve done a remarkable job evolving with the many swift changes across our homes, businesses, schools and health care facilities. This collective action – your sacrifice – has allowed our communities to flatten the curve and avoid a devastating surge to our health care system. For that, we thank you. But as we look back at what we’ve accomplished these past few months, it’s time to look forward and s [...]

Taking Advantage of Telehealth

Imagine being able to get out of bed, do your normal morning routine, and then head to your doctor appointment – without having to leave home. There’s no need to find a babysitter for the kids, spend money on gas or lose more time from work. That’s what thousands of people have experienced thanks to CVPH’s telehealth services. The program, which has already been operational for years, was expanded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as an additional option to help pat [...]

Providing Great Care in Our Post-COVID World

Thanks to your vigilance and the tireless efforts of health care workers across the North Country, we are embarking on the next chapter in the COVID-19 pandemic. This part of the story begins with the New York State Department of Health’s approval for us to resume elective surgeries and the phased reopening of our region. While CVPH remained open for care throughout this health care crisis, our response to COVID-19 required us to pause non-essential services and programs to conserve sup [...]

Thank You to CVPH Employees, Families & the Community

A message from Michelle LeBeau

Our community is standing together like never before in the face of COVID-19.  I take great pride in the amazing work of the men and women at Champlain Valley Physician Hospital (CVPH) who are contributing to that effort by caring for those who are affected. These are tough times indeed. In just a few short weeks, there has been a tremendous amount of change and disruption to both our home and work lives.  We have cancelled non-essential surgeries, procedures, diagnostics and many p [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Flu Season Has Arrived!

An article from the UVM Health Network 2020 Flu Education series

With Cindy Dion Noyes, MD, University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group UVM Medical Center Infectious Disease Influenza has arrived in our region and is considered to be widespread at this time. This means that at least half of the regions in the state of VT and NY are reporting laboratory confirmed influenza (usually with a nasal swab). Current Regional Strains The current strains we are seeing locally include two strains of influenza A (H3N2 and H1N1) as well as one strain of [...]

Improving Your Health Care Connections Across Our Network

Epic, our new electronic health record, will begin to seamlessly link four network affiliate hospitals

When we formed the University of Vermont Health Network in 2014, we brought together a collaborative approach to quality health care in our region and forged strong network connections between our affiliates in Vermont and northern New York. The November 9 launch of our Epic electronic health record (EHR) is a significant representation of our Network’s collaboration thus far and will positively impact our patients and communities. Unified communication between our providers &ldquo [...]

Chelsey Bushey Understands that Great Patient Care Comes In Many Forms

Chelsey makes a difference every day.

Cancer Peer Educator Chelsey Bushey knows that there are truly many ways to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve. She’s been part of the CVPH team for a little over 5 years working first as a Transporter and later, as a Clinical Assistant. Both positions allowed her to share her compassion and kindness and gave her the opportunity to assist patients when they needed it most.  “I love patient care – helping people,” Chelsey said. So t [...]

Caring for Our Communities: What it Means to be a Rural Health Care Provider

By: Kent Hall, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Alice Hyde Medical Center and CVPH Dragos Banu, MD, Practice Physician Leader, Alice Hyde Medical Center Alison Guile, MD, Regional Physician Leader, UVMHN MG/Adirondacks Living in rural America is special. In a country of 326 million people, we’ve achieved something amazing: preserving the ability to walk out your door and still feel a sense of adventure and pioneerism every day. That’s part of what brings people to areas like Frankl [...]

Spring Forward with SMART Lifestyle Goals

By: Matt Miller, Lead Clinical Dietitian Each year many of us make resolutions to change our lifestyle, including; eating healthier, exercising more and achieving a healthier body weight. However, many resolutions fall short as we lose steam along the way. Now is the perfect time to Spring into action by developing a well-defined plan and setting achievable goals by using SMART objectives. SMART stands for: • Specific. The more detailed and targeted your description, the better you [...]

Remembering Those Who Give the "Gift of Life"

It's fitting that National Donor Day is February 14, a day we already associate with love. On this day, we raise awareness about organ donation and celebrate the lives of organ and tissue donors. Most people will eventually be affected by donation in their lives. They will either know someone who needs, or has received a life saving transplant. Or, they will learn that someone they know was a donor.  What is the need for organ donation? The need for organs is great and grows eve [...]