UVM Children's Hospital Pediatric Primary Care

07/15/2025

Vermont needs more nurses, and these graduates are answering the call! We're proud to announce that our first cohort of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recently graduated from our nursing pathways program. Our graduates include seven RNs and eight LPNs.

Pictured here are four of our recent graduates, from left: Xi Chen, LPN, Jen Grandfield, LPN, Rochelle McDonald, RN, and her son, Bo, and Jennifer Valyou-Hopkins, RN.

Delivered in partnership with the Vermont Talent Pipeline, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Vermont State University College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the program enables employees to advance from LNA to LPN, and ultimately to RN, with full-time pay and benefits and without out-of-pocket expenses for education.

Learn more through link in bio.

07/14/2025

UVM Children's Hospital 2025 Golf Classic Silent Auction is now LIVE! Visit www.32Auctions.com/Golf25 to explore the incredible arrangement of local goods donated from across Vermont and the New England area to support UVM Children’s Hospital!

Donations like these help us ensure that we can continue to advance essential projects, including clinical and research initiatives that lead to breakthrough treatments for child illnesses, renovations of clinical spaces that improve the delivery of care, and programs that enhance patient and family experiences and promote healing.

When we change kids’ health, we change the future – for all of us.

Special thanks to our Online Auction Sponsor FireTech Sprinkler Corp for ensuring we continue to change kids’ health and change the future!

07/10/2025

When someone experiences cardiac arrest, the training and resources available to bystanders means the difference between life and death.

Thankfully, new statewide legislation will require every Vermont school and athletic program to have a cardiac emergency response plan – including CPR and defibrillator training, access to defibrillators, regular drills and coordination with EMS.

“This about being ready when seconds count,” says Perky Gogo, UVM Medical Center cardiologist and chair of Vermont’s American Heart Association. "We don’t get to choose when a cardiac emergency happens, but we can choose to be ready. Every community deserves that peace of mind."

"This is a giant leap forward for Vermont,” says Mary Cushman, medical director of thrombosis and hemostasis and co-director of the Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont. “It gives schools the tools they need to respond immediately to cardiac emergencies and save lives.

A big thanks to our Vermont legislators and the many survivors, advocates and AHA supporters for helping to put heart safety first in our schools! 💚

07/09/2025

While it will take some time to analyze and fully understand the impact of the new federal law on our patients, families and communities, the One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts – the largest in the program’s history – raises serious concerns for all the patients and communities we serve. We have advocated against these cuts every step along the way.

So far, an estimated 45,000 Vermonters and 1.5 million New Yorkers will lose their health care coverage over the course of the 10-year implementation of this law. Clearly, this will negatively impact their health and put pressure on an already struggling health care delivery system. This will jeopardize access to care for everybody, regardless of insurance coverage.

We remain steadfast in our mission, providing care to everyone who comes through our doors regardless of insurance coverage.

07/08/2025

Congrats to Lincoln Sydnor, our latest BEE Award recipient! 🌟🐝💛

Lincoln, one of our security officers, was recognized with not one, but TWO nominations for his extraordinary compassion, calm presence and unwavering dedication to making everyone feel safe and supported. Whether deescalating tense situations with patience and empathy or offering a comforting presence to grieving families, Lincoln’s kindness leaves a lasting impact on all who cross his path.

Thank you, Lincoln, for being there during the moments that matter most. 🐝💛

07/05/2025

Weighing their options after a terminal diagnosis, Lincoln and Vicky initially didn’t consider hospice. It wasn’t something they’d discussed earlier in Lincoln’s journey, or something many health care providers had called to their attention.

“What brought him to hospice was the cancer and the non-curative nature of the cancer,” Vicky recalls.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center

Experts say families miss out on months of practical benefits like pain relief and emotional support — especially in Vermont and New York. 

07/03/2025

Many UVM Medical Center offices and clinics will be closed Friday, July 4, for
Independence Day. Urgent Care at the F***y Allen Campus in Colchester will
be open regular hours, 8 am - 8 pm.

Our Main Campus pharmacy will be open 9 am - 2 pm. All other locations will
be closed.

Outpatient labs for blood draw and other testing will be closed.
View holiday hours at UVMHealth.org/HolidayHours.

For urgent issues that can’t wait, on-call doctors are available by phone for
most clinics and the Emergency Department is always open, 24/7, for
emergency medical care.

07/01/2025

In 2023, the UVM Health Network released a video that brought national attention to the growing issue of violence in emergency departments. In response, hospitals have implemented new safety measures, including the installation of metal detector and the adoption everyone entering the hospital.

At one Vermont hospital, the metal detector identified thousands of prohibited and potentially dangerous items in its first year of operation, including:
•3,940 knives
•191 tasers
•27 guns
•223 canisters of mace
•759 flammable items
•458 pieces of paraphernalia or contraband
These items reached the hospital’s emergency department doors despite clear signage in the parking lot informing visitors that such items are not allowed. When a prohibited item is detected, individuals are given the option to return it to their vehicle or store it in a secure locker.

Read more about steps being taken across UVM Health Network to make our hospitals safer: https://www.uvmhealth.org/news/cvmc/metal-detector-anti-violence-initiatives-improve-cvmc-staff-and-patient-safety

07/01/2025

Congrats to Julie Vieth, MD, who ranked #4 in 2025's Top 50 Women Leaders of Vermont! Julie is our director of emergency medicine and UVM Health Network's division chief of clinical operations in the department of emergency medicine.

Thank you Julie for everything you do!

Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Vermont for 2025. Vermont may be one of the smallest states by population, but it is rich in innovation, leadership, and community spirit. With its strong traditions in agriculture, sustainable practices, and outdoor recreation, Verm...

06/30/2025

Big thanks to our own Joe Kennedy, an emergency medicine physician, for speaking up about how we can help Vermonters and New Yorkers age with dignity.

Dr. Joe Kennedy, an emergency physician at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington knows just what this work is like. Listen as he describes a typical day at th...

06/28/2025

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in three adults in the United States report not getting enough daily rest or sleep. This widespread issue affects people of all ages, from children to older adults, and the consequences are far-reaching.

Avoid these common pitfalls for a more restful and rejuvenating sleep.

06/27/2025

Gardens of Hope: Rachel Boyers
I've always been captivated by how we, as humans, interact with the spaces around us. Perhaps it was this fascination that led me to ballet as a young girl—the graceful movement of bodies across the dance floor. I danced professionally for a time, but eventually, I found myself increasingly drawn to the outdoors. This shift led me to pursue a career in landscape architecture, while raising a family with my husband.

My path took a sudden turn when our third child, Ethan, was born with a severe seizure disorder. As we sought treatment to help him live more comfortably, we noticed something remarkable—being outside seemed to calm him. His seizures became less frequent as he watched the silhouettes of his tiny fingers against the sky. Inspired by this, we, along with the support of our friends, decided to create a sensory therapy garden in our backyard—an oasis filled with plants of varying colors, textures and fragrances, designed to soothe both his body and mind.

Sadly, Ethan never got to experience the garden we built for him—he passed away when he was just 2½ years old. Though his time with us was short, I am forever grateful for the impact he had on my life. In the most profound and heartbreaking way, he guided me toward my purpose.

This led me to a new role with the Vermont Family Network, an organization that had supported us with my son’s special health need challenges. It was here that I found the clarity to pursue certification in horticultural therapy, enabling me to share the healing power of nature with others.

I dreamt of bringing this knowledge to the UVM Medical Center, a place that had been a beacon of support during our family’s darkest moments. Today, I am fortunate to work in the hospital’s gardens, where I help connect people to nature in spaces where they can learn, relax and find moments of "awe."

Through nurturing plants, harvesting and cooking fresh food, I hope to remind us all that the health of the planet is intricately linked to our own—and through this bond, we can find the power to heal.

Rachel Boyers is the garden educator in culinary medicine at UVM Medical Center. She has been with us since 2023.