Health

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced the hiring of Erinna Cooper, RN as Director of the Birthing Center, effective October 20.

Cooper has 10 years of OB/Maternal-Child health experience at Cheshire Medical Center. From 2010 to 2013, she served as the Permanent Charge Nurse of the OB unit. A role which put her in charge in managing clinical and support staff for patient care activities, among other duties. 

“OB is Erinna’s passion, and becoming the Director of the Birthing Center brings together her experience and enthusiasm,” said Mary Urquhart, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at BMH. “We’re looking forward to her joining the team.”

From VPR today:

“A Vermonter has recently returned from West Africa and entered voluntary quarantine. The individual is not currently showing symptoms of Ebola, and will be monitored for 21 days, according to Gov. Peter Shumlin”

And that’s all they know for the moment.

with Thomas Garbarino, Lic.Ac, M.Ac.

You are your best healer! Come learn how each and everyone of us is born with the innate gift to heal ourselves. In this half-day intensive, you will experience simple and profound ways to awaken your body’s innate healing ability while deepening your capacity to relax and enjoy your life more completely. Participants will leave with a renewed and empowered sense of health and well-being. All are welcome; no experience required.

The next “Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast” is planned for Friday, October 24,  2014 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am.

This month’s presentation will be given by Kelly McElheny, Southern VT Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Community of Vermont Elders – SMP Program.

The Vermont Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program is a federally-funded volunteer and education program designed to help protect Medicare beneficiaries from becoming the victim of healthcare fraud, error or abuse. The SMP message “Protect. Detect. Report.”, is delivered through the support of volunteers throughout Vermont. This program is helpful to those just turning 65, already on Medicare or caregivers and families.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is proud to announce the recertification of its by the (AACVPR). BMH was recognized for its commitment to improving the quality of life by enhancing standards of care.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems (e.g., heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery) and pulmonary problems (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], respiratory symptoms,) recover faster and improve their quality of life. Both programs include exercise, education, counseling, and support for patients and their families.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced Frederick R. Harrison has been hired as Program Director for the BMH Center for Wound Healing. 

Harrison’s responsibilities include oversight and operation of the Center in conjunction with BMH’s partner, , to promote healing of complex wounds in place of amputation, maintaining quality of life for patients. He will also coordinate outreach and marketing with providers in the service area, stretching west from Bennington, east from Keene, and north from Lebanon, New Hampshire.

(WSD) and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announce an agreement to collaborate on the construction and operation of a 500 kilo-Watt solar power array on land owned by Winstanley Enterprises. The electricity generated by this array will serve the main BMH hospital building, and generate significant savings for BMH over the twenty-year term of the agreement.

This project is part of an initiative to bring solar power and utility savings to schools, municipalities and hospitals in the Windham and Windsor County region. WSD, a joint venture partnership between of Concord MA, of Waterbury VT and Powersmith Farm, Inc. of Guilford, VT, hopes to develop up to five 500kW net-metered solar arrays on individual lots in the North Springfield Industrial Park.

QiGong for Healing and Living Fully
 with Thomas Garbarino, L.Ac, M.Ac.


You are your best healer! Come learn how each and everyone of us is born with the innate gift to heal ourselves. In this half-day intensive, you will experience simple and profound ways to awaken your body’s innate healing ability while deepening your capacity to relax and enjoy your life more completely. Participants will leave with a renewed and empowered sense of health and well-being. All are welcome; no experience required.

The office is pleased to welcome back certified physician assistant Wayne Temmen, PA-C, to their team.

Wayne Temmen has more than 30 years of experience in the diagnosis and care of orthopaedic patients under the supervision of orthopaedic surgeons. His background includes surgical assistance for general orthopaedic surgery, assistance with total joint replacements and arthroscopy, and follow-up care for surgical patients.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has been selected by the Vermont AARP Driver Safety Program as the 2014 Host of the Year.

According to David Peters, the Vermont State program coordinator, BMH “has hosted our classes for 20 years and the staff has always provided a level of support and cooperation that is exceptional. I hope that, working together, we have been able to have an impact upon highway safety in Vermont.”

The award will be presented at AARP’s Annual State Meeting on October 29, 2014, at Vermont Technical College in Randolph.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome new internist Dr. Sarah Fulham, MD, to Brattleboro Internal Medicine, as of September 15, 2014.

Dr. Fulham will be providing care at Brattleboro Internal Medicine Tuesday through Friday.

Dr. Fulham earned her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and completed her internship and residency at Brown University General Internal Medicine Residency Program in Rhode Island. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and a Bachelor of Arts degree with an individual concentration in Japanese, Arabic, and Diplomatic History, both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome Sally E. Fegley as the new Patient Experience Manager in the BMH Quality Department.

In this position, Fegley will work closely with the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kathleen McGraw, as well as with the quality director and department managers, to work with the patient call-back process; to further develop skills of staff regarding customer service; to serve as point of contact for patient complaints; and to assist in the education of the hospital community regarding patient satisfaction scores as reported by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS, pronounced “H-caps”), a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is hosting a special event entitled, “Mediterranean Dining: A Healthy Approach to Living,” sponsored by the hospital’s Nutrition Services Department and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

The event will feature a dinner of Mediterranean food and a presentation by Drs. Judy and Ed Flower, a clinical psychologist and a marriage and family therapist. They will address how chronic illness is not just an individual problem but involves the whole family system. They will speak from their professional orientation and their own personal experience.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering a free health education workshop series entitled, “Freedom to Choose: Basic Concepts and Principles,” beginning on September 23, 2014.

Co-sponsored by BMH, Grace Cottage, and the Brattleboro Retreat as part of Wellness in Windham, this new, interactive bimonthly health education series is designed to empower people to advocate for the medical treatments that they want by providing them with the knowledge and language necessary to understand what is available.

In honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week on September 14-20, 2014, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is promoting a child car seat inspection service offered free by the State of Vermont to parents and caregivers.

“With a new baby comes a lot of planning and preparation to welcome your new little one into your life,” says Debbie Partrick, RNC, the director of Women’s and Surgical Services at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. “There are baby showers, decorating the nursery, and getting everything ready. What new parents often forget is thinking about that brand new car seat or a previously used car seat.”

New Grief Support Group

A new Six-Week Grief Support Group for adults begins on Thursday September 11th and will meet each Thursday from 4:30-6:00 pm, ending October 16th. The group is free of charge and open to anyone in the community grieving the death loss of a loved one, no matter where you are on your journey of grief.

Grief Support Groups offer a safe, mutually supportive environment for sharing experiences, insight and encouragement, through discussion, handouts, and suggestions for moving through grief.

Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast
August 15, 2014
Gibson-Aiken Center

“Health and Aging: a Federal Policy Update”

Presenter: Sophie Kasimow  US Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Staff Director, Subcommittee on Primary Health & Aging
Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Phone: www.sanders.senate.gov/help

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Services will be offering its seven week course “Standing Tall Spine Health: Level 1” starting on Monday, Sept 8 in the BMH Exercise Room.

Classes take place from 4:00 to 5:00 PM every Monday through October 20. Advance registration is required and the fee is $60. Contact the BMH Rehabilitation Services department at 802-257-8255 for more information or to register.

A new 8 week Bereaved Parents Support Group for parents mourning the death of their teenage or young adult child will be held at Brattleboro Area Hospice. The group will meet Tuesdays, beginning August 19, from 4:30-6:00 pm. Cheryl Richards will be the facilitator. Please call Cheryl at (802) 257-0775, X108 by August 12 to register for the group.

The death of a child is one of life’s most devastating losses. Sharing and connecting with other grieving parents can be a powerful component in the healing process.

By Dr. Kathleen McGraw, CMO

Summer is here in full force, and with that comes more outdoor activities, scraped knees, and the occasional summer cold. However this past month we also had a more unwelcome guest in our community – Pertussis. The Vermont Department of Public Health has reported 11 cases of Pertussis in Windham County during the month of June, most of which were children ages 3-17. While none of these cases have been seen in at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, we do see the need to do all that we can to prevent its further spread.