Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital is hosting a Saturday flu vaccine clinic from 9 am to noon on Saturday, November 8). In addition, Grace Cottage will also collect donations for the Townshend Food Shelf. If you wish to support the Food Shelf in this way, you can bring a non-perishable food item to the clinic.

Most insurance covers flu shots; please bring an ID and insurance card. If you are not insured, payment for your flu shot is expected at the time of service. You do not need to be an established patient at Grace Cottage to get a flu shot at the clinics. Pre-registration is recommended (call 802-365-4331); walk-ins will be accommodated as space permits. A parent or guardian must accompany anyone under 18.

The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports announced that, for the fourth year in a row, Grace Cottage has received the Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award at the Gold Level. This award recognizes Grace Cottage’s efforts to bolster a health environment, enhance productivity, and improve employee well-being. You can learn more about this initiative and see all the winners by visiting vermontfitness.org.

Grace Cottage has officially kicked off the DAISY Award program, an international recognition program for nurses who go above and beyond in delivering compassionate, skillful care.

Do you know a nurse at Grace Cottage who deserves to be recognized? We invite you to share your story and nominate a nurse who has demonstrated extraordinary care. Nominations may be made using the forms found in the waiting rooms at Grace Cottage or this online form.

Thank you for helping shine a light on our amazing nurses!

I am proud to tell you that Grace Cottage has been awarded a Nonprofit Security Grant from the Vermont Department of Homeland Security for essential upgrades to make our hospital as safe as possible for our patients and our staff.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is a part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the nation’s communities against potential terrorist or other extremist attacks. The NSGP is a competitive grant program intended to provide federal funding for physical security enhancements and other security-related activities to nonprofit organizations.

We will improve our doors and windows, expand our security camera coverage, upgrade our alert system, and more. The grant will cover much of this cost, but we can use your help to bridge the gap. Our 2025 Giving Tuesday Campaign will focus on this important project.

Giving Tuesday falls on December 2 this year, and we’re asking for your help to make Grace Cottage’s Emergency Department safer for everyone—our patients, visitors, and the nurses and providers ready to care for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We are proud of our reputation at Grace Cottage for compassionate, personal care. That includes caring for people in crisis and keeping them and Grace Cottage staff safe. We need your help to make a series of necessary security upgrades, including:

• Additional security cameras in key areas
• Shatterproof, impact-resistant glass and doors
• Stronger lockdown mechanisms for rapid response

These improvements will not change the warm and welcoming atmosphere you expect at Grace Cottage—but they will ensure greater protection for those who depend on us in their most vulnerable moments, and for the staff who dedicate their lives to helping our community.

Our Giving Tuesday goal is $25,000, which will bridge the gap between what the VDHS grant (see above) covers and our costs. Together, we can create an ER that is both caring and secure. Donations may be made on our website here or via a check with “Giving Tuesday” in the memo line. Thank you for your support!