News

Nurse Practitioners: Providing Personalized Care, Improving Accessibility

| Graceful Health

By Louise McDevitt, Nurse Practitioner, Grace Cottage Family Health   

National Nurse Practitioner Week, Nov. 12-18, is a good time to highlight the unique role that Nurse Practitioners have played in the evolution of today’s health care system, helping to focus the system on self-care and prevention as well as on treating disease. 

The education of a Nurse Practitioner starts with the same training that every Registered Nurse acquires. In fact, only those who have passed the RN certification and have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing can apply for an Advanced Nurse Practitioner program. NPs must have at least a master’s degree, plus 500 hours of clinical training, before they can sit for NP certification. Many NPs have a doctorate, as well as advanced education and clinical training. Like physicians, they have yearly continuing education requirements in order to refresh and advance their skills.

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“Giving Tuesday” at Grace Cottage Hospital

| News

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes Giving Tuesday, a worldwide day of philanthropy during the season of gratitude. Grace Cottage Hospital asks its friends and neighbors to participate in its Giving Tuesday campaign on November 28th and help fund a highly desirable piece of equipment for its Emergency Department – a noninvasive ventilator. The price of the desired ICU-grade unit is $14,000. Thanks to three jump-starting contributions totaling $7,500, the campaign goal is set at $6,500.

For patients with acute respiratory distress from conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), or pneumonia, the use of a noninvasive ventilation support system can save lives, reduce fear, and improve the quality and rapidity of care.

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Fall Prevention Program Offered

| News

It’s true that advancing age increases one’s risk of falling, but falling does not have to be a normal part of aging. If you or someone you know has fallen or had an “almost” fall, then Grace Cottage’s Fall Prevention Program may be beneficial.

The Fall Prevention Program begins with an initial assessment to determine one’s risk factors, the issues that are most likely to lead to a fall. Licensed professionals, including a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and a pharmacist, gather information about any previous falls, any changes in medication, and potential hazards in the home.

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Need Basic Resources? I Can Help!

| Graceful Health

By Jane Wheeler, Grace Cottage Patient Resource Advocate

It’s getting cold out there. This is the time of year when people stockpile wood, fill their oil or propane tanks, and put extra food in their cupboards and cellars. With winter coming on, everyone has resource challenges that need to be addressed.

Winter also brings on health challenges, as colds and flu go around, and slippery conditions make accidents more likely.

Peace of mind comes with having needed resources in place, and peace of mind is important to your health.

Are you prepared for winter? If you have any questions about how you’ll meet your health and household needs this winter, if you live nearby or are a Grace Cottage patient, I want to talk to you. I work at Grace Cottage in Townshend as part of the Community Health Team, and my job is to help people get the resources they need to live healthy lives.

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Healthcare Matters: Ep 4 – Health Insurance in Vermont

| News, Videos
Healthcare Matters Episode 4 - Health Insurance in Vermont

Marty Cohn hosts episode four of Grace Cottage Hospital’s Healthcare Matters, discussing health insurance options in Vermont, with guests Jane Wheeler, Resource Advocate and Bill Monahan, a Registered Nurse and Community Outreach Coordinator. Both are members of Grace Cottage’s Community Health Team that offers free services to area residents.

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Bone Density and the Silent Disease

| Graceful Health

By Emma Higley, Grace Cottage Diagnostic Imaging Manager

Has someone you love ever bumped themselves lightly or had a simple stumble that caused a bone fracture? If so, this may be an indication that they have a bone disease called Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is the most prevalent bone disease, one in which the bone mineral density and the stability of the bone are reduced, making the bone porous. Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as the “silent disease” because this process often occurs over time with few or no symptoms, and so the patient doesn’t know it is happening. The most common areas for a patient to acquire fractures due to Osteoporosis are the lower back, hip and wrist.

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Grace Cottage Hospital Receives Top 20 National Award

| News

Grace Cottage Hospital recently received national recognition as a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital (CAH) for Best Practice – Patient Satisfaction.”

Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Eaton represented Grace Cottage at the awards ceremony Sept. 28 during the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) CAH Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

Grace Cottage was chosen for this exclusive “Top 20” list out of all 1,339 CAH facilities throughout the U.S. It is the only CAH in the Northeast to receive this designation.

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Veggie Van Go transporting healthier options

| In The News, News

By Chris Mays cmays@reformer.com
Photo by Kristopher Radder

TOWNSHEND — Morty Fink, of Jamaica, goes to Veggie Van Go every month.

“You never know what’s going to come out of that truck,” he said, standing in line waiting for fresh produce provided at Grace Cottage Hospital via the Vermont Food Bank.

Fink can usually pick up onions, tomatoes and potatoes there.

“Every once in a while, we get yogurt,” he said. “But not all the time.”

He called the offerings “good and wholesome stuff.”

“The stuff you get in the grocery store is questionable,” he said.

Jacki Brown, marketing administrator at Grace Cottage Hospital, said her group started a relationship with the food bank in October 2015. 

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How’s Your Healthcare Vocabulary?

| Graceful Health

By Claire Bemis, RN, Grace Cottage Care Coordinator

Have you ever heard your healthcare provider use a word you don’t understand? Most of us have. Like other specialized fields, medical professionals use a lot of jargon to communicate with each other. They all understand these words, and sometimes they forget these terms are not familiar to the general public.

How is your healthcare vocabulary? I get lots of questions about the following terms. See if you can define them yourself, and if not, look to the end of this column for the answers.

Advance Care Directive versus Living Will
Care Coordination
Contusion versus Abrasion
Critical Access Hospital
Hypertension
Mid-level provider
Patient-Centered Medical Home
Primary care
Swing Bed
Thrombosis
Ultrasound versus MRI versus CT Scan

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