The University of Vermont Health Network Home Health & Hospice

07/26/2025

They’re loaded with antioxidants, help fight inflammation and are a great source of fiber, vitamins and nutrients. In addition to being nutritious, berries require little to no prep and appeal to kids and adults alike. All those reasons make berries a great “pick” for an easy, crowd-pleasing snack or addition to a meal.

You can make the most of this sweet season by getting outside and picking your own.

07/21/2025

Hive Mind: Erin Duval
I spend a lot of time with bees, and they’ve taught me a lot about life.

When my son was young, he suffered from terrible seasonal allergies. A friend in my Crown Point community suggested he eat a teaspoon of raw, local honey each day – the idea being that by eating small amounts of the local mix of nectar, he’d gradually build up his body’s defenses to the pollen causing his allergies. I decided to take it a step further and invest in a future hobby for him: beekeeping.

Over time, his interest in beekeeping faded, but I was hooked. What started with two bee boxes on my property has grown to 10 hives over the past eight years. It’s a lot of work – often dictated by the weather and how the nectar flows. Some years my work is rewarded with tons of honey. Other years are lean, and I leave what there is for the bees – they’ve worked for it, they should have it for the cold, harsh winter.

It's relaxing to spend time among my bees. It's settling to listen to them, to watch as they return to their hive and do their little waggle dance, their way of giving directions to other bees about where they can find the nectar needed to sustain their colony.

I don’t understand everything about bees, but I think there is a lot they can teach us. Hives are a community: the bees must work together to survive and thrive. Each bee has its own role vital to the functioning of the hive, whether it be a nursing bee, a worker bee or the mighty queen. They are self-sufficient little creatures and take immaculate care of their home, which is practically sterile. If humans could learn to work this well together, we’d all be in a better place.

I love my community, and I see glimpses of that bee-like cooperation in my job at the Westport Health Center. I know most of the people who come in and out each day, and I strive to bring some brightness to their day and help them feel a little more comfortable. The way I see it, we’re all here to work together —and like bees, just try to make our community as healthy and strong as it can be.

Erin Duval is a clinic clerk at Westport Health Center, part of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. She has been with us since 2020.

07/19/2025

“Sometimes with a traditional in-person appointment, you spend more time in the car than with your doctor,” says Natasha Withers, DO, a family physician at University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center. “From the patient’s perspective, telehealth can be a total win.”

Over 40% of visits are now remote – know when you can save a trip to the doctor.

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.

07/05/2025

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

Due to the Independence Day holiday, UVM Health Network - Home Health &
Hospice's administrative offices will be closed Friday, July 4, and will re-open
at 8 am on Monday, July 7.
View holiday hours at UVMHealth.org/HolidayHours.

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.

06/13/2025

All Roads Lead to Home: Fred and Mary Anne Hoff
Fred and I met as bookkeepers in New York City, and six months later, he proposed on the Staten Island Ferry. Very romantic, very New York. We’ve been together 65 years.

Fred’s from Brooklyn and I’m from England, and we moved to Vermont for work. Fred was with Simmonds Precision, and I started teaching special education. We raised three kids. Two of them still live here; the other settled elsewhere.

When we retired, we hit the road. We spent a decade traveling the country in a camper, coming back in the summer. Big Sur, the Grand Canyon, the Tetons—we saw it all. Our dog, Gibson, an Australian Shepherd with no tail (and a lot of personality), went everywhere with us.

Eventually, we came back. We didn’t realize how much we loved Vermont until we left. The land, the people, the pace of things… it felt right. There’s a real sense of community here. People check in on each other. You see that in everyday life, and especially at a place like Porter. That’s why we started volunteering.

We’re not medical folks, but we know how to clean a wheelchair, give directions, or hand someone a cup of coffee. Hospitals aren’t easy places. People walk in feeling stressed, and we’re at the front desk—usually the first people they’ll see. If we can help them feel even a little bit better, that’s something.

After seven years, we recognize a lot of faces. We volunteer two days a week, just enough to stay active and feel useful.

Sometimes, we’ll deliver breakfast to the emergency department staff. Mary Anne pushes the breakfast cart like she's working room service. Nurses light up when they see her coming—unless the coffee order’s wrong. Then we hear about it.

We’ve even gone to a few staff members’ houses for dinner. Met their dogs, shared stories. It’s more than just a volunteer shift. It’s real connection.

Porter’s a small place, but that’s the point. You see familiar faces. You build trust. People know each other. It’s not just about treatment. It’s about being seen. That’s why we came back to Vermont. It felt right.

Fred and Mary Anne Hoff are volunteers at Porter Medical Center. They’ve been with us since 2018.

06/07/2025

Insufficient sleep is linked to a host of serious health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity and depression.

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

06/06/2025

Her Brother’s Keeper: Morgan Stone
Siblings carry a part of each other in their hearts, always. This couldn't be more true for me and my little brother who, for the first time in a long time, is living his life. And it’s because he has a little piece of me in him.

Lane, four years younger than I, had been sick since he was 12. That’s when we learned he had moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. It got worse seven years later, in 2019, when he developed liver problems that meant he’d eventually need a transplant.

That inevitability became a scary reality in January 2024. Lane got really sick. His blood levels kept dropping, and he repeatedly needed blood transfusions.

My little brother couldn’t function. He was just surviving day-to-day. It was time to find a donor.

I was a natural first choice. Watching him be sick for over half his life, it wasn’t even a question in my mind that I would do anything to help him get healthy again. Donating a small piece of my liver seemed like a relatively small ask.

As we went through testing over the next several months, Lane got worse. He nearly died in July. By the end of summer, the transplant team in Rochester had all the test results it needed. I could be the donor. It was surreal.

October 15th, 2024, the day of the transplant, changed my little brother’s life. Everything went relatively well at the hospital. The next day, we saw each other for the first time, and it was very emotional.

This couldn’t have happened without the support of my family and the entire Malone community. More than 50 people signed up to be potential donors. Friends watched my kids and took them to sports when I had to be away for testing and surgery.

Now, I just want to raise awareness about organ donation and its tremendous impact.

I’m much more sentimental seeing all Lane does now. He goes to the gym. He plays sports and hide-and-seek with my three young kids. My little brother has his life back.

This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. My daughters remind me of why it was all worth it when they tell people, “Our mommy saved our Uncle Lane’s life.”

06/02/2025

The 35th Anniversary Jiggety Jog is in the books! Despite heavy rain in the forecast, more than 200 came out to run, walk and jiggety-jog for the McClure Miller Respite House. Together, we raised more than $100,000 to support end-of-life care for our neighbors.

💙 We’re so grateful to everyone who joined us and supported the event—and we’re not done yet! Help us hit our $125,000 goal to fund 140+ days of care at the Respite House: https://rebrand.ly/jiggety-jog.

Special thanks to all of our sponsors!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor: NorthCountry Federal Credit Union
📺 Media Sponsors: WCAX + Hall Communications (KOOL 105, 98.9 WOKO, WJOY)
🎶 Shoutout to KOOL 105’s Jon Brooks for the tunes and energy!
🏁 Finish Line: Pomerleau Foundation, Dick Mazza’s General Store
⚡ Pace Setters: Vermont Funeral Homes, New England Air Systems, National Life Group
👟 Starting Line: SymQuest, Hanson + Doremus, Bergeron Paradis & Fitzpatrick, Claussen’s, Guided Wealth Advisors