Gifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesGifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesGifford Medical Center offers healthy cooking classesGifford holds 102nd Annual Meeting ifford offer
usic Box gives nursing home residents the gift of song
RANDOLPH, March 4, 2008 – A hospital that has found financial stability amid an increasingly complex health-care system, celebrated its successes of 2007 Saturday night at Chandler.
Gifford Medical Center held its 102nd Annual Corporators Meeting at the historic Randolph music hall and gallery, unveiling the hospital’s 2007 Annual Report with a theme of “Making a Difference,” electing new corporators and two new trustees, handing out scholarships and describing the medical center’s many recent accomplishments to make a difference in patients’ lives – not the least among them is operating eight years in the black.
Since 2000, Gifford has met its budget, avoided layoffs, achieved its operating margin (an amount approved by the state that the nonprofit hospital can invest back into the medical center) and maintained some of the lowest rate increases among Vermont hospitals.
At the same time, Gifford has grown remarkably.
In 2007 alone, Gifford added specialists and opened two new clinic sites – the Gifford Health Center at Berlin and the Kingwood Health Center on Route 66 in Randolph, Gifford President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Woodin noted. Employee numbers have grown to 604, and patient numbers and revenue have climbed with that growth.
The hospital has also carefully followed its strategic planning process; engaged in a significant operating efficiency initiative the hospital is calling “Ideal;” and is reorganizing its Medical Staff structure, including welcoming Dr. Josh Plavin as the new medical director.
New providers in 2007 included two urology providers, Dr. Michael Curtis and physician assistant Nancy Blessing; podiatric surgeon Dr. Nicolas Benoit; hospitalist physician assistant Fred Staples; anesthesiologist Dr. Jon Knoff; internal medicine and pediatrics physician assistant Patrick Kearney; certified nurse midwives Amanda Breed and Amie Kennedy; orthopedics physician assistant Marty Allen; and neurologist Dr. Paul Chervin.
With 2008 barely underway, the hospital has already welcomed a pain specialist, Dr. Lan Nguyen-Knoff, and plastic surgeon Dr. Guy Rochman. Other new providers are expected, and the progressive hospitalist program providing dedicated inpatient care is looking to expand to a 24-hour service in 2008 with the addition of a second doctor and third physician assistant. An expansion to the Sharon Health Center and its popular sports medicine clinic will be complete in April.
Woodin attributed the hospital’s successes to dedicated providers, staff and volunteers. “People come to Gifford because of the personal care we provide,” he said.
Board of Trustees Chairman Randy Garner added thanks to hospital donors, who are essential to Gifford’s bottom line. “There are so many things that happen at this hospital that can’t be put in a patient bill,” Garner said. “To anyone who supports the hospital, our heartfelt thanks.”
Woodin also recognized and thanked the hospital’s management team and 17-member Board of Trustees.
Welcomed to the board were Sharon Dimmick, a South Royalton business owner, former trustee and long-time resident of Randolph Center, and Barbara Rochat, a Chelsea resident, sheep farmer and owner of Vermont Quality Meats. Corporators were unanimous in their support for the two women.
Leaving the board after a maximum term of nine years was Judith Irving of Brookfield and Jeffrey Steinkamp of Rochester, who served six years and was praised by Woodin and Board Chairman Randy Garner as an active fund-raiser for the hospital and consummate supporter.
“Jeff is amazing,” Garner said. “He has been a tireless advocate of this hospital.”
Irving was called “a very analytical and valuable board member” who previously served as board chairwoman.
Re-elected to the board were David Ainsworth of South Royalton, Bruce MacDonald of Warren and Jack Cowdrey of Randolph. Elected as new corporators were Robert Borden, Leo Connolly, Kenniston Merrill, Judy Moore, and Rochat and her husband David.
Corporators are a group of individuals who elect the hospital’s trustees and who have committed to supporting the hospital as an ambassador, volunteer and often as a donor. Currently, several hundred people serve as corporators, but without a clearly defined role. Garner Saturday announced plans to better define the role of corporators by revising the program into a more active and informed group.
On Saturday, about 125 corporators were in attendance, despite falling snow. They were treated to music by anesthesiologist Dr. Knoff, a world-renowned accordion player, and the delicious cuisine the hospital is now known for serving to patients and staff alike.
The food earned Gifford’s chefs and Food Services team a hearty round of applause from meeting participants. Also applauded were the hospital maintenance personnel, who like many across the state have had a difficult job of dealing with this winter’s significant and frequent snowfalls.
Individually recognized for their work at Gifford and their efforts to further their health careers were Tracy Collette and Nancy Davoll, who were each awarded a $1,000 Dr. Richard J. Barrett Health Professions Scholarship. Collette is a licensed practical nurse in Gifford’s obstetrics practice and is pursuing her registered nurse degree. Davoll of Randolph works in patient registration in Gifford’s Ambulatory Care Unit and is attending the medical assistant program at Community College of Vermont. The Barrett Scholarship is awarded each year to a Gifford employee or an employee's child who is pursuing an education in the health care field.
A final recognition went to the South Royalton School’s Recycle, Compost and Volunteer Program. The Philip D. Levesque Memorial Community Award for $1,000 is given out annually to a community organization in Gifford’s service area. With the award, the South Royalton School will do its part to make a difference by implementing and promoting a school-wide recycling and composting program.