BMH

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.”

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.

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.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s Birthing Center, the Windham County Breastfeeding Coalition, and the BMH Ten-Step Committee to Empower Mothers and Nurture Babies are joining forces to celebrate the 2014 World Breastfeeding Week during the first week of August.

This year’s theme, as established by the (WABA), is “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – for Life!”

Just So Pediatrics is pleased to welcome new pediatrician Dr. Heather Lesage-Horton to their group, as of July 15, 2014.

Dr. Lesage-Horton, who is board certified, most recently worked at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. A member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, she earned her medical doctorate and bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, and completed her pediatrics internship and residency at the University of Michigan Health System, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

is pleased to welcome new nurse-midwife Meredith Merritt, CNM, to the practice.

Merritt received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Vermont in Burlington and her Master of Science degree in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky. She resides in Brattleboro with her husband Peter, their five-month-old daughter Zora, and their dog Gary who came to them through rescue two years ago. Merritt’s hobbies include hiking, running, yoga, traveling, and time spent with her family outside.

With the launch of a new patient portal this month, called “MyHealthPortal”, now offers patients the option to access select portions of their health records online.

MyHealthPortal, featured on the home page will launch June 2014, giving patients fast, easy access to their personal health information. MyHealthPortal is a personalized, safe, secure and completely confidential communication link between the patient and the providers.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Center for Wound Healing was recently awarded a Center of Distinction Award, by , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including patient satisfaction scores over 92%, a minimum 91% wound healing rate within 30 median days to heal, and other quality outcomes. Of the 511 centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award, only 157 achieved the honor.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce that Wanda Smith has been recognized as the 2014 BMH Employee of the Year.

An employee at BMH since 1980, Smith was chosen to receive this honor due to her long-time dedication, attentiveness to safety and cleanliness, respect for patient privacy, positive attitude and sense of humor, and pride in a job well done.

Smith works in the Environmental Services Department. She was previously recognized as the BMH Employee of the Month in November 2009.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital President & CEO Steven R. Gordon has been honored with a 2014 American Hospital Association Grassroots Champions Award for exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission.

The (AHA), in partnership with the state hospital associations, presents these awards annually to one individual from each state, with winners being chosen by the state association. The 2014 honorees were recognized at a special Breakfast of Grassroots Champions at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting on May 6 in Washington, DC.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Brattleboro Area Hospice are co-sponsoring a free interactive workshop on May 19 entitled, “How to Talk About the End of Life.”

Talking about one’s dying is not something most people feel comfortable doing. We would rather put it off until we absolutely have to. Even healthcare providers avoid it. This interactive, how-to workshop will include personal stories and examples of the powerful benefits of talking about it.

On May 19, at 6:00 PM in the Brew Barry Conference Room, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will be offering a free educational program entitled, “Understanding Back Pain and Sciatica: When is Surgery Advised,” by Dr. Jon Thatcher.

Thatcher, who is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, will discuss the causes of back pain, surgical and nonsurgical treatment options, and when surgery is appropriate.

“Many people suffer from back pain, and most back pain can be treated conservatively without surgery,” says Thatcher. “Surgery becomes more effective when leg pain is caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back known as sciatica.”

On May 12, at 6:00 PM in the Brew Barry Conference Room, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will be presenting a free educational program entitled, “The Anterior Hip: A Muscle-Sparing Approach to Total Hip Replacement,” by Dr. William Vranos.

Vranos, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, will describe this new approach to replacing the hip, which is minimally invasive and spares muscles from incision allowing patients to have a shorter recovery time and less rehabilitative time.

On May 13, from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, is hosting an open house to celebrate its new location in the Medical Office Building at 19 Belmont Avenue, Suite G102 on the ground floor, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. 

Situated just across the street from their old location and conveniently located on the hospital grounds the new office provides larger space and updated facilities.

“The new location is bright, beautiful, and fully functional,” says Dr. Valerie Rooney.”We’ve added an additional exam room and are accepting new patients to our new facility.”

at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will be hosting a on May 3, 2014. The Symposium will be held in the Brew Barry Conference area from 7:30 AM -12:30 PM.

The Symposium will host several speakers who will discuss the impact of heart disease on women. Topics will include cardiac risk factors, emergency care, STEMI protocols, cardiac rehabilitation and how Accountable Care Organizations are working to improve the continuum of care. For more information about speakers, .

“We are very excited to be able to bring so many experts together to discuss the impact of heart disease on women,” said Marcy Rushford, Director of Cardiovascular Health. “Women are often so busy taking care of others, that they neglect themselves and the warning signs for heart disease. By offering this free seminar, we are hoping to raise awareness.”

This April marks the 11th annual National Donate Life Month, a celebration commemorating those who have given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. For those whose lives have been saved or healed by a transplant, National Donate Life Month provides a chance to share their story to encourage more people to register as donors.

Suellen Canfield was a happy wife, mother and grandmother when she died suddenly in 2001. Her family had no doubt that if given the opportunity she would continue to help others even after she had passed. At 61 years old, Suellen’s gift of organ donation saved the lives of three people. Her husband, Bob, volunteers for New England Organ Bank sharing his story of how in great loss he found comfort in his wife’s ability to help others.