A Warm Hello
Thanks to all of the employees at Grace Cottage, our patients, our Board of Trustees, and the community, I have received a very warm welcome at Grace Cottage and I couldn’t be more pleased, excited, and honored that I was selected to lead this wonderful oganization into the future. As Chief Nursing Officer here since February, I am familiar with many aspects of Grace Cottage, but know that I still have a lot to learn as CEO. Fortunately, many people have stepped forward to help with that transition, including our excellent leadership team.
For those of you who don’t yet know me, I grew up between Canada and the US, moving around quite a bit. After I graduated from Queen’s University in Ontario, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I received my Master of Nursing Science and Master of Public Health from Yale University. Prior to joining Grace Cottage, I was Vice President of Hospice Quality and Clinical Practice at Amedisys, and I held multiple leadership roles in quality, operations, and medical staff management at Ochsner Health in Louisiana.
I look forward to meeting many of you at the Green Mountain Care Board’s Community Meeting at Leland & Gray this Thursday in Townshend (see details and RSVP below) and/or at Hospital Fair Day on August 3rd. Grace Cottage exists because of your support, which you provide in so very many ways.
Hospital Fair Day, Saturday, August 3
It’s hard to believe that the 74th annual Hospital Fair Day is only 3 weeks away! Volunteers are always needed and appreciated between now and Fair Day, to help sort books and White Elephant items, and we need quite a few volunteers, still, to help out on The Townshend Common the day before Fair Day, on Fair Day, and the day after, for cleanup. If you’re interested in volunteering for a two-hour shift (or more!), contact Fair Day Co-Chairs Connie and Helen Holt (GraceCottageFair@gmail.com).
Luminous Crush, The Buzzards, and Ralph Sherman & Friends will all be donating their time and musical talent to entertain Fairgoers throughout the day, and the Taconic Bagpipers will be returning to escort the Stork around the Common for the Birthday Parade. Please plan to join us at the Fair on the Townshend Common from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and the All-Day Auction, Bingo, Hole-in-One (prize $1,000), and 18 bargain booths (including Plants, Books, Jewelry, Toys, Pictures & Frames, White Elephant, are all very popular, while the fish pond, face painting, and afternoon pony rides are always a hit with the kids. Hungry? There are many options, including Isabelle’s Kitchen, The Gourmet Booth, Baked Goods, Corn and Watermelon, Popcorn, Fried Dough, Ice Cream, and Cotton Candy.
Hope to see you at the Fair!
