Radiology Goes Cutting Edge

(Reprinted from the Addison Independent, 6/25/09, article by Kathryn Flagg)

Nearly 14 years after its creation, Porter Medical Center’s radiology department—squirreled away in the basement of the hospital—is once again at the cutting edge of its field.

Radiologists at Porter are heralding the hospital’s new digital mammographic unit as the best in Vermont—and as the capstone of a several-year project to upgrade the department’s equipment.

The full-field digital mammographic unit, which the hospital began using in May, could help Porter radiologists better detect early signs of breast cancer in women. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. Early detection is key to increasing survival rates in women with breast cancer.

“Mammography has been proven time and time again at diagnosing breast cancer at a very early stage where it is treatable. (It) makes a huge difference in survival, and especially disease-free survival,” said Dr. Stephen Koller, the chief of Porter’s radiology department. “You can catch the cancer when it’s curable.”

Porter radiologists had already been performing mammographies for some time, but the old equipment captured images on film. Those images, particularly when they were taken of younger women’s more dense breasts, didn’t always offer the ideal amount of detail. The lower quality of those images made searching for signs of potential cancer difficult.

That’s where the hospital’s new technology comes into play. The new mammographic unit takes digital, high-resolution images of women’s breasts. Now, Koller said, the digital image provides doctors with a much higher degree of detail—especially when it comes to examining younger patients.

According to Koller, it’s especially important that equipment used for screening tests—that is, precautionary tests performed on an otherwise healthy population—be topnotch. Otherwise, he said, radiologists end up chasing a lot of red herrings, which means more unnecessary procedures.

Also, radiology equipment exposes patients to a small dose of radiation. Avoiding the so-called red herrings, Koller said, means that doctors can sometimes avoid needlessly exposing patients to radiation.

In the dark room where radiologists examine the results for these screenings, Koller bent over the keyboard, pulling up a file on the large computer screens. On one half of the screen was a digitized copy of an old film. The image showed an X-ray of a woman’s breast, but the edges were blurred, the tissue inside at best indistinct.

“This was the best we could do for a long time,” Koller said. On the other side of the screen, Koller pointed out a much more distinct, detailed image of the same woman’s breast that was captured with the new machine.

These new digital images can also be processed with a computer program that helps radiologists better identify potentially troublesome areas on an image.

In addition to providing better images, the new machine has another major plus: “tungsten tube” technology that reduces the amount of radiation to which a woman is exposed by 30 percent. The tungsten tube technology is brand new, Koller explained, and the Porter radiology department is the only one in the state with this equipment.

The new machine—as well as improvements to the room where the machine is housed and the waiting room where women gather before their exams—cost the hospital almost $500,000. As a part of this project, the radiology department also expanded the women’s changing room where patients wait for their mammographies to be performed.

“This is a hospital, but these women getting these screening tests are outpatients,” Koller said. “We don’t want them to feel like they’re in a hospital when they’re here. We want them to feel like they’re in a comfortable environment.”

Because all women should have a yearly mammography once they turn 40, Koller said, the hospital sees a lot of traffic. Typically, around 340 women per month come to Porter for mammographies, and the hospital sees between 3,000 and 4,000 patients a year for the procedure.

And Koller and other members of the radiology department hope that those numbers will go up. Women who may have left the county for more advanced screenings at larger hospitals now have the option of staying closer to home, and still having access to the best mammographic equipment in the state.

Porter radiologists also hope that the new equipment will make exams quicker and more efficient for doctors and patients alike. The mammographic machine upgrade is just one of many changes in the radiology department over the last few years. Two summers ago, the department went digital. Any tests that were still developed on film were then scanned into a computer archiving system, and radiologists began examining tests on computers instead of the light boards where they’d once attached x-rays.

The hospital also added a 64-slice CT scanner to its roster, as well as what Koller said is the most advanced bone density machine. The bone density machine, like the mammographic unit, is commonly used to address women’s health issues.

“Now, after this wave of improvements, we are right back up on the cutting edge,” Koller said. That was possible, he added, with the help of a supportive hospital board that focuses on putting patients first. That’s the same approach Koller has taken to upgrading the department.

“I always view this from the perspective of, ‘What would I want for my own family?’” Koller said. “That’s what I want for all of my patients.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tuesday, June 23, 2009                                            RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Dr. Amy Gregory, an Ophthalmologist, joins Eye Care Associates

Dr. Amy Gregory, an Ophthalmologist, has joined Eye Care Associates in Middlebury. She will be seeing patients in the Exchange Street Office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Fridays, Dr. Gregory will split her time between the office in Rutland and the office in Ticonderoga, New York.

Dr. Gregory is a graduate of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and earned her medical degree at the New York University School of Medicine in 1995. She went on to her post-graduate training as an Ophthalmology Resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center from 1995 to 1999. She was in a full-time general Ophthalmology private practice in Shawnee, Oklahoma from 1999 to 2009. She was also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center from 2001 to 2009.

Dr. Gregory is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and practices comprehensive ophthalmology including medical and surgical eye care for patients of all ages. She has special interests in oculoplastic surgery for the correction of eyelid abnormalities and in new technology cataract surgery to reduce dependence on glasses.

Dr. Gregory is accepting new patients at this time. For more information or to schedule an appointment call, 388-6565.

Porter’s Transition to Electronic Patient Records
[Reprinted with permission by the Addison Independent - posted 6/3/2009]

Porter is moving forward with an expensive but potentially life-saving plan to transition to electronic medical records.

Once in place, hospital officials hope, electronic medical records could smooth transitions for patients being transferred between hospitals, save time and money at doctors’ offices, and improve patient care.

But the full transition, once Porter chooses a company to oversee the switch, could take as long as two and a half or three years, and ball-park estimates place the cost of creating an electronic records system between $3 million and $5 million.

Assuming that Porter selects a suitable contractor in May or June, said Porter Vice President for Finance Duncan Brines, the switch to electronic records likely won’t begin to kick in until at least late next winter or early spring. Once that switch happens, said Ron Hallman, the medical center’s Vice President for Development and Community Relations, Porter might qualify for reimbursement through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

For the medical center’ patients, the transition will largely occur behind the scenes. That doesn’t mean it won’t improve patient care, Brines said, offering the example of a trauma patient who might need to be transferred to Fletcher Allen in Burlington. That patient would head north with an electronic medical record rather than a paper file, a difference that could expedite the transfer. The electronic file would include the patient’s medical history, as well as photographs and notes especially tailored to the doctors on the receiving end.

On a day-to-day basis, he said, electronic records will likely save both patients’ and doctors’ time, cut back on mistakes, and protect files from potential destruction.

For now, Brines said, Porter is focusing on selecting the right company and technology to do the job. They’ve narrowed their choice down to two vendors who will each be visiting the hospital next month to run demonstrations of their products.

In addition to considering the cost of a new electronic medical records system, Brines said, Porter is also eager to find a system that will be compatible with other Vermont health care providers, is easy for Porter employees to use, and that won’t become out-of-date quickly.

Protecting patient privacy, Brines said, is another key concern for the hospital. “The security issues are something we have to deal with every day,” he said. “We have security systems now. They’re always changing. The number of potential viruses and ways of accessing confidential data are just enormous. We are just continuously updating whatever systems we have.”

In a perfect world, he said, the system would integrate clinical applications, financial and billing services and administrative functions.

Right now, employees from all of those departments are weighing in on the proposed systems.

It’s not three people in an office around a computer,” Brines said. “It’s really nurses, doctors, lab techs, billers, medical records people. It’s any number of people involved in the review.” He admitted that any electronic system will eventually become outdated, but said that now seems like the right time for Porter to move forward with the transition. “Should you wait or not?” Brines asked. “If you keep waiting, you wait forever.”

What’s more, he said, the transition to this technology has been on Porter’s radar screen for six or seven years. Now, Brines went on, the first wave of hospitals have already implemented medical records, and Porter is in a position to learn from their successes and failures.

“As a small rural hospital we don’t want to take chances on technology that may or may not be cutting edge,” Brines said. “We’d like somebody else to work out some of the bugs. (Now) we think we’re in a reasonably good spot.”

Porter won’t be alone as they move toward an electronic medical records system. The recovery bill signed by President Barack Obama in February commits $19 billion in grants and incentives for companies and practices to buy health information technology, and Brines said that Vermont is also making a big push for sharing data, and creating compatible records that can be shared between facilities.

“We’re all going through a process,” Brines said. “Over the next two to three years you’re going to see a major investment in information technology.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Friday, April 3, 2009                                            RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Porter Hospital Signs “Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge”

MIDDLEBURY--On Monday, March 30, Laura Brace, Director of Food Services at Porter Hospital, signed the Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge, a voluntary commitment by hospitals nation-wide to identify, adopt and implement local, nutritious and sustainable food in healthcare. The pledge acknowledges that healthy food is defined not only by food that is nutritious, but also equally by a food system that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable and supportive of human dignity and justice.

“This is a huge opportunity to build upon our current efforts and improve what we are doing here at Porter for our patients, families and staff,” says Laura. “This is a chance to not only be more aware of existing possibilities but also be proactive to learn about the many new resources available to us”, she said.

In keeping with the philosophy of this program, Porter’s food service operation is currently involved in several initiatives that ensure that fresh, local fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products are served routinely to patients and staff.

Additionally, Laura Brace has become a Certified Master Gardener with the UVM Extension Service and an active participant in the hospital’s Recycling Committee in an effort to increase her knowledge and involvement in programs that promote the environment and support the local economy.

Other less visible steps that Porter has taken to be more environmentally friendly in our dietary department include replacing the dish-room sprayer with a low flow valve to save water and replacing plate heaters with a combination heaters to reduce electric costs.

According to Brace, Porter has always worked with local farms and food vendors to purchase fresh products, such as turkeys from a poultry farm in Orwell, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream from Monument Farms Dairy in Weybridge, eggs/maple syrup from Maple Meadow Farms in Salisbury, beef from Greg’s Meat Market in Middlebury and apples from Champlain Orchards.

Brace also has a long list of new ideas to investigate including possibilities of introducing composting, even more local purchasing, serving only fair trade coffee, exploring more recycling opportunities, introducing reusable water bottles and mugs for staff and a starting a community/organization garden. She says that her department has some specific short-term goals, such as revising patient menus to be trans fat free, as well as some long- term goals such as a vegetable swap during the summer months.

Porter Hospital joins the more than 200 hospitals across the country that have signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge including Hackensack University Medical Center, the fourth largest healthcare facility in the country, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Catholic Healthcare West health system, the largest US Catholic healthcare system. Here in Vermont, Fletcher Allen Health Care, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Northeastern Vermont Regional also have signed the pledge.

Vermont Fresh Network’s Vermont Coordinator for the “Healthy Food in Health Care” Initiative, Alyssa Nathanson said “Porter is demonstrating leadership not only for our community, but for the country. We are fortunate to have a facility like this take a leadership role in Vermont. We hope that more hospitals across the state will follow suit.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tuesday, January 6, 2009                         RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

2009 Porter Annual Meeting

MIDDLEBURY--The 2009 Annual Meeting of Porter Medical Center will be held on Friday evening, January 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in room 216 of the John M. McCardell, Jr. Bicentennial Hall on the campus of Middlebury College. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The guest speaker for Porter’s annual meeting will be Congressman Peter Welch, who will be making his first trip back to Vermont following the Inauguration in Washington, D.C. “We are looking forward to having Congressman Welch as our speaker and hearing his insights concerning new or emerging health care and economic policy initiatives on the federal level,” said PMC board chairman Joe Sutton. “There is a very acute interest among the public in the widely anticipated economic stimulus package now being developed by Congress and the incoming Administration, and we hope that this interest will contribute to a very interesting annual meeting” he added.

In addition to the remarks by Congressman Welch, brief reports will be provided by Sutton and PMC President, James L. Daily, regarding the work of Porter Medical Center during the past year, and related topics of importance to our organization and community.

For more information call the Porter Medical Center public relations office at 388-4738.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Thursday, November 18, 2008                         RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Sales are Strong at Round Robin Upscale Resale Shop

MIDDLEBURY--The current economic climate has hurt retail sales in many parts of the country, but here in Middlebury the Round Robin “Upscale Resale Shop” has experienced strong sales growth during the past four months.

“Our sales are up 8% this year as compared to the same July – October period in 2007,and we have accomplished this while keeping our expenses in line with our budget and maintaining high quality merchandise” said shop manager Robin Huestis.

The result? After the first four months of the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the Round Robin has already contributed $15,000 in proceeds to the PMC Auxiliary—which in turn will use these funds to support programs and projects at Porter Hospital and Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. The $15,000 given so far represents 100% of the net profit budgeted from the Round Robin for the entire fiscal year. “Obviously, we are very pleased with these early results and hope that sales remain strong right through the Holiday Season”, Huestis said.

Thanks to the proceeds from Round Robin and one-time special events like the annual “Kentucky Derby Day” benefit, the PMC Auxiliary is in the final stage of fulfilling an overall pledge of $350,000 to the hospital’s “North Project” modernization, as well as another $60,000 pledge to support capital projects at Helen Porter. The Auxiliary also funds an annual scholarship for area high school students interested in pursuing a nursing degree, as well as ongoing support of Porter’s Lifeline program.

“The Round Robin has been the financial foundation of the Auxiliary for more than 30 years,” said PMC Auxiliary Board President, Barbara Huth. “Recently we went through a major period of transition from our old location on Park Street to our new location in the Marble Works Complex, but it seems that our loyal customers have found us, and we are now seeing many new faces come through the front door,” she added.

The Round Robin has approximately 60 volunteers who give of their time and talent to price and sell merchandise to the public six days a week under the watchful eye of Robin Huestis. Since the relocation to the Marble Works Complex, both the name and the inventory have changed. “We used to be called the Round Robin Consignment Shop, but we changed the name to Round Robin Upscale Resale to reflect our new policies of offering gently used (and sometimes new) merchandise that is of high quality but still
affordable,” Huestis said. “I think the fact that we offer such a diverse line of merchandise, including children’s clothing and household items, has attracted many young families to our store as people become more budget-conscience.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Thursday, November 12, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

PMC Receives 2008 "Community Service Award"

Porter Medical Center was honored at the Addison County Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on September 11th with their 2008 “Community Service Award”. This is the highest award given to a non-profit organization in our community by the Chamber. In presenting this award, Chamber board president Robert Huth, noted that Porter has been providing for the medical and long-term health care needs of our community since 1925 and cited some of the specific major accomplishments of the organization since the early 1990’s. “Over the past 20 years, PMC has accomplished a significant series of capital projects that has contributed significantly to Porter’s ability to provide high quality care to the people of our region including construction of the Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, total renovation of the Medical/Surgical Unit, construction of a new Emergency and Radiology Wing, and most recently the modernization of its Surgical and Maternity Departments via a $16 million construction project. Along the way, Porter has invested in state-of-the-art technology (including a new 64-slice CT scanner installed this spring) and taken a leadership role in recruiting new physicians and other health care providers to our community—now operating a network of health care providers that represents the majority of primary and specialty care providers in Addison County,” he said.

Huth also told the more than 100 business people in attendance at the meeting that Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has “evolved over the past decade to provide not only long-term care services, but also short-term rehabilitation services and offers the only Dementia Special Care Unit in our community.”

He said that both the hospital and Helen Porter consistently rank high in patient satisfaction and quality measures as compared to both Vermont and regional peers—and that both organizations play a significant economic role in our community as major employers and as strong supporters of other local and regional businesses.

“Looking forward, both the hospital and Helen Porter are investing in new information technology and Electronic Health Record systems to improve operational efficiency and provide more timely and comprehensive information to improve outcomes and the overall patient experience” he said.

Although Porter’s CEO, James L. Daily, was unable to attend the presentation due to his involvement in the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems annual conference in Burlington, Huth praised Daily for his 25 years as President of Porter Medical Center, and said that he has “provided leadership during times of great challenge and change in the health care industry.”

Accepting the award were Joe Sutton, Chairman of the Porter Medical Center Board and Gerry Gossens, Chairman of the Porter Hospital Board.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Thursday, November 7, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Vergennes Union High Seniors Raise $3,000 for Porter

More than 100 members of the Vergennes Union High School senior class visited the Porter Medical Center campus on the morning of October 8th as the culmination of a three-day walk-a-thon from Vergennes to Middlebury. The purpose of this event was to raise funds to support the Porter Hospital “Breast Cancer Screening and Education Project”—which provides low-cost screening mammograms to area women with no health insurance or high deductible policies. The project resulted in a $3,000 donation that was presented to PMC President James L. Daily by three representatives of the senior class.

The seniors decided to pursue this community service project during the three days of the annual NECAP (New England Common Assessment) testing—which occupies much of the academic week for many other students at VUHS.

All 107 VUHS seniors spent three mornings walking to Middlebury, treading about a third of the way each day along the back roads of Waltham, New Haven and Weybridge. Prior to the walk, they had collected per-mile pledges or flat donations for Porter and for ANwSU families with cancer patients that need help with their medical bills.

VUHS teachers and volunteer days organizers Roberta “Cookie” Steponaitis and Lee Shorey said they and the seniors did not take long to decide on funding the fight against cancer as their community service focus. “Most have family members or friends who are or have been affected by cancer,” Shorey said. “There are quite a few people struggling with this.” Shorey said that the students’ effort might also raise the Porter project’s profile “so that more area women take advantage of this important program.”

Shorey said it was up to the students how much money was given to local families and how much they donated to Porter.

“It was up to them to decide,” she said. “We let them take ownership of that.” Steponaitis said school officials hope every year that the VUHS seniors will set the tone for their younger peers, and she is excited about their attitude toward the cancer walk.

“Coming out 100 strong, they set the bar pretty high,” she said. The school hopes to repeat this event in 2009 and perhaps coordinate it with other area high schools.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Thursday, September 4, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

MIDDLEBURY--Michelle Shambo, Assistant Vice President and a Certified Mortgage Professional with the Chittenden Bank in Middlebury, presented a $500 donation to The Round Robin Upscale Resale Shop last week,  representing an award Shambo recently received from the bank’s “Community Fund” recognizing her community service.

“This spring I was awarded the Community Service Award for my volunteering efforts in 2007. As a result of this award, I was granted a $500 donation to a charitable organization of my choice. Since I am involved in many non-profit organizations through out Vermont it was a difficult choice. But also by being a member of the Addison County community and a resident of Middlebury I know the importance of Porter Hospital and how it's success can help so many individuals not just a segregated group. So this is why I chose Round Robin with hopes that these funds will help the store raise more money for the hospital” Shambo said.

The Round Robin, now located in the Marble Works Complex in Middlebury, is the primary source of funds for the PMC Auxiliary, which recently completed a $250,000 pledge to Porter Hospital. Accepting the donation was Robin Huestis, manager of the Round Robin.

Chittenden Bank has been serving Vermont since 1906 with current assets of approximately $3.3 billion and 47 full-service branches. Chittenden is a subsidiary of People’s United Bank, a regional financial services company with assets exceeding $21 billion operating in Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Monday, August 18, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Helen Porter to Host Community Presentation on Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease

MIDDLEBURY--On Thursday, September 11th at 6:30 p.m., Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center will host a community presentation entitled “The Latest Strategies for Diagnosing Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease” presented by Dr. William Pendlebury—Medical Director of the Memory Center at FAHC and Professor at UVM College of Medicine.

Dr. Pendlebury received his AB degree from Brown University3 in 1972, and his MD degree from the University of Vermont4 in 1976. Following an internship at the Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Pendlebury served for two years in the United States Public Health Service. He subsequently completed his neurology residency and neuropathology fellowship at the University of Vermont and Medical Center Hospital of Vermont from 1979 until 1984. Dr. Pendlebury was appointed to the faculty of the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1984 where he is currently a tenured professor in the Departments of Pathology and Neurology. He is also the Director of Neuropathology at Fletcher Allen Health Care, and the Computer Assisted Teaching System Laboratory at the College of Medicine. Dr. Pendlebury is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., and is licensed to practice medicine in Vermont and Massachusetts.

Dr. Pendlebury teaches in the areas of neuropathology and clinical neurology to undergraduate and graduate medical students, and to resident physicians in training. His research for the past 18 years has been focussed on basic and clinical aspects of Alzheimer's disease, including pharmacologic treatment strategies. He is the author or co-author of over 135 manuscripts, abstracts and edited book chapters, and has presented many other research papers at national and international meetings. He has been the recipient of research grants from the National Institute on Aging, Muscular Dystrophy Association, private foundations, and pharmaceutical research divisions. Dr. Pendlebury has received a number of awards including his undergraduate degree with honors, election to Alpha Omega Alpha, election to Sigma Xi, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Award, and the Basic Science Teacher of the Year Award at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. In 1994, he was given the Ernest Hiram Buttles Endowed Professorship, honoring a commitment to and excellence in the teaching of pathology.

Dr. Pendlebury serves as an external reviewer for numerous journals and granting agencies, and is a member of the External Review Committee for the University of Rochester (NY) Alzheimer's Disease Center. He has lectured widely at colleges and universities throughout the United States on the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Pendlebury is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Association of Neuropathologists, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Neurological Association. He has served as president of the Northern New England Neurological Society.

In addition to his academic undertakings, Dr. Pendlebury is a practicing neurologist and clinical neuropathologist.

This event is free and open to the public.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tuesday, July 22, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Porter to Collaborate with Other Area Agencies for Free Community Health Screenings in August

MIDDLEBURY--Porter Hospital, the Open Door Clinic and the Addison County Tobacco Roundtable will be collaborating on a free health-screening project during the 2008 Addison County Fair and Field Days event in August.

Volunteer nurses and other professionals from Porter Hospital and other area organizations (many of whom volunteer regularly for the Open Door Clinic) will staff the

community-screening project from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. on every day that the Field Days event is happening. The screenings will be offered in the Lucien Paquette Building, which generally houses a variety of booths, displays and products for sale.

“Our hope is to have a very visible presence at an event that draws a large population of people with a wide-range of demographics and socio-economic profiles”, according to Melanie Clark of the Addison County Tobacco Roundtable. “We are very grateful to Porter Hospital for providing the necessary testing equipment and supplies, as well as other support of this project”, she added.

Clark added that the registered nurses who will be performing the screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc…also will be available to interpret the results on the spot and provide community members with general guidance as to what the results may mean and whether they should pursue further advice from their physician or other provider.

Registered Nurse, Ken Dabbs, who is the executive director of the Open Door Clinic and a staff member at Porter Hospital, has played a key role organizing this event and recruiting clinical people to participate. Heidi Sulis, Porter’s Director of Community Health Outreach and a member of the Addison County Tobacco Roundtable (as well as a board members of the Open Door Clinic) also has been instrumental in this project.

The Open Door Clinic, which is under the umbrella of Community Health Services of Addison County, has been in operations in Addison County for nearly 20 years. The Addison County Tobacco Roundtable, comprised of a variety of area organizations that receive tobacco grant funds from the State, was founded in 2002.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Friday, May 16, 2008                                  RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Porter Participation in Bone Marrow Drive is Successful

MIDDLEBURY--Twenty-five Porter Hospital employees registered as prospective bone marrow donors on May 15th during a one-day “Marrow Donor Drive” outside of the hospital cafeteria.

Representatives from the Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) Marrow Donor program were available for most of the day to provide information, answer questions and enroll interested people into the program. RRMC is the only New England Hospital that offers a program of regular off-site bone marrow donation registration drives, which involves no cost to the donor or the host site. Kerry Ellis, Marrow Donor Program Coordinator, contacted Porter over the winter to explore whether or not there would be any interest in having a drive in Middlebury.

“This seemed like a very good program and a great opportunity for our employees to learn more about this project and, if interested, register to be a marrow donor with the national registry”, said PMC spokesperson Ron Hallman.

Every year, more than 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with life threatening blood diseases such as leukemia. For many of these patients, a marrow transplant is the only chance for a cure. At any given time, there is an average of 5,000 patients search the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. According to Ellis, adding new donors gives hope to these thousands of patients who are searching this registry.

“I think it is great that 25 Porter employees volunteered to be entered into the National Marrow Donor Program Registry during our inaugural drive, and we certainly are making plans to bring Kerry back next year so that we can continue to participate in this important project and provide our employees with this convenient and free opportunity to perhaps someday make a difference in someone’s life,” Hallman said.

For more information about this program, contact Kerry Ellis at 802-747-6267.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Wednesday, January 2, 2008               RON HALLMAN, 388-4744

Helen Porter Receives State Grant for new LNA Training Course

MIDDLEBURY-Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has been awarded a "Workforce Education and Training Fund" grant from the Vermont Department of Labor to support three local courses to train Licensed Nurse Assistants (LNA's).

The $14,000 grant will allow Helen Porter to offer three courses over the next 12 months and train at least 18-24 local individuals as LNA's in hopes that many of these students will remain in Middlebury and fill positions currently available at HPHRC.

"We anticipate offering employment to each of the individuals who successfully completes this training," said HPHRC Administrator, Neil Gruber.  According to Gruber, the starting wages for these jobs, including benefits, will range from $13.59 to $16.51 per hour.

Helen Porter will work closely with the Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury to recruit local students for this new educational opportunity. Additional information about these courses can be obtained from Neil Gruber at HPHRC or Nancy Slater Cobden at the Hannaford Career Center.

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