When the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital emergency room opened 50 years in the past, it was serving about ten sufferers per day. Over the previous 5 a long time well being care wants have modified, and the ER now serves a mean of 38 sufferers every day, with some days seeing as much as 50 to 60 sufferers. This dramatic enhance in affected person visits has triggered an unlimited pressure on the ability and offered every day challenges for its devoted employees. NVRH decided that the scenario was untenable and wanted to be addressed. As such, plans had been developed to develop capability and overhaul the ER. A brand new laboratory and pharmacy had been additionally included within the planning and fund-raising efforts for this “West Wing Undertaking.”
Union Financial institution noticed this enlargement as an opportunity to provide again to the neighborhood in a means that might make a considerable influence. As Emily Hutchison, M.Ed., Director of Philanthropy at NVRH states, “Through the years, Union Financial institution has been very beneficiant to NVRH and our dedication to wellness and well-being. Their funds are actually enjoying a major function to assist meet the altering healthcare wants of the neighborhood.”
Union Financial institution donated to the hospital in help of the creation of its Most cancers Middle in 2005, renovations to the Birthing Middle in 2016, and Covid aid in 2020. Through the pandemic, Union Financial institution additionally supported the hospital in unconventional methods, together with suspending processing charges for bank card transactions, as a approach to scale back overhead throughout that attempting time. As Hutchinson explains, “They didn’t even ask, they simply went forward and did that on their very own!”
Different latest philanthropic efforts by Union Financial institution embrace:
Why is that this enlargement and renovation such a crucial want for our neighborhood? As a small rural crucial entry hospital, NVRH serves all of Caledonia County and parts of Essex County, in addition to sufferers in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire who stay in areas the place smaller medical services merely can’t provide the required companies they want.
Whereas Vermont as a complete is growing old quicker than different states, NVRH additionally serves the oldest inhabitants within the state, together with people whose care wants are extra acute than when the services had been initially constructed. Along with an elevated demand for care, affected person wants are altering, with rising numbers of psychological well being crises requiring specialised companies that the previous ER wasn’t outfitted to supply. With these upgrades, the brand new ER will achieve roughly 4500 sq. toes, rising from 9 rooms to 16 rooms and practically doubling its present measurement.
Now that section one of many West Wing Undertaking is accomplished—the 4-bed Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Suite within the ER, offering an area to raised meet the wants of these in psychological well being disaster—the hospital is transferring ahead with extra renovations, together with a drastically expanded and improved lab and pharmacy. When building is accomplished, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital will likely be a lot better outfitted to satisfy the healthcare wants of our neighborhood right now, and for years to return.