NVRH

02/19/2026

Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined NEK health care providers and community leaders at NVRH on Wednesday to discuss the importance of rural and independent pharmacies, and celebrate $1.4 million in federal funding that Welch secured for NVRH to construct new pharmacies in Caledonia County.

Attending the meeting with Welch were NVRH CEO Shawn Tester; Northern Counties Health Care, Inc. CEO Chris Towne; retiring Executive Director of the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging Meg Burmeister and new Executive Director Darryl Washington; and Barb Byrne, Clinical Care Coordinator at NVRH Corner Medical.

The recent shuttering of Walgreens stores in St. Johnsbury and Hardwick has left many residents scrambling to find ways to get their medications. Pharmacies and pharmacists are critical components of in-person delivery of care and advice to people at a moment when they're very vulnerable, Welch said.

“The pharmacy closures in St. Johnsbury sent a shockwave through our community,” said Tester. “People were struggling to get their scripts filled on time, which meant they were canceling their surgeries. When the Hardwick pharmacy closed as well, we said, ‘OK this isn't just the St. Johnsbury problem—this is a Northeast Kingdom problem...’ These funds are going to help solve this problem for our communities and I'm so excited and grateful about that.”

NVRH has not yet determined specific sites for the pharmacies and will share details as planning moves forward. Both Towne and Tester expressed eagerness to work together to tackle the challenge of ensuring that residents have access to pharmacies convenient to their home and work.

“We’re appreciative and excited to work with you to utilize these funds to address the pharmacy desert situation in the Hardwick community,” said Towne. “We have our work cut out for us, but we're committed to improving access to pharmacy services for our patients.”

To read more, visit the News and Stories section at nvrh.org.

02/19/2026

Every month is Heart Month at NVRH!💙 💙 💙 If you or someone you know needs some encouragement after having a heart event, our in-house Cardiac Rehab gym is the place to be. There, folks like Tom work with our team of nurses, certified personal trainers and nutrition specialists to build back strength, make healthy lifestyle changes, and gain confidence, so they can get back to living life to the fullest! And our Healthy Hearts support group meets on the last Tuesday of every month from 5:30-6:30pm in NVRH's Conference Rooms 126-127--join us to share your experience with others and learn how to keep your heart healthy.

02/18/2026

During NVRH’s 54th anniversary celebrations, we spoke with volunteer Beulah McGinnis, who started the NVRH Auxiliary with two friends when the hospital opened in 1972.

“We thought that it be nice to support the hospital,” she recalls. “We took turns in the evening going up to the pediatric floor and helping the nurses by feeding and playing with the babies and children.”

In the fifty-plus years since then, Beulah has volunteered at NVRH in many different capacities. “I’m very blessed to have belonged to the Auxiliary as long as I have, and to work in different departments. I feel like I’m part of the hospital.”

Beulah is chairman of the Scholarship Committee of the Auxiliary, which has provided more than $100,000 in scholarships to area students.

“I love giving out the scholarships to the students, because money is hard to come by,” says Beulah. “It’s a blessing that people donate to the Auxiliary and it’s very satisfying to help get the students on their way. Quite a few of them end up coming back and working here.”

In addition to her work at NVRH, Beulah volunteers in St. Johnsbury several days week, helping prep and serve free meals at the Methodist and Congregational churches. She also provides transportation and support for people going to the hospital for appointments. “If somebody calls me and needs help, I’m there.”

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering at NVRH, call Pat Forest at 802-748-7310 or visit nvrh.org/volunteer.

02/18/2026

Celebrating 100 years of public ice skating at Buck Park on Portland Street this Saturday!

⛸️ FREE youth skating instruction sign ups are happening now! Skates provided. https://bit.ly/SkateSignUps

🎉 Join us to celebrate 100 years of skating at Chet & Pat Buck Memorial Park!

⛸️ Skating instruction and performance exhibitions presented by Fenton Chester Skating School competition skaters and instructors.

9:30am - 12:00pm: Youth Skating Instruction
12:00pm: Performance Exhibition
1:00 - 3:30pm: Youth Skating Instruction
3:30pm: Performance Exhibition

✅ Register for small group skating instruction (skates provided): https://bit.ly/SkateSignUps

🍪 Bake sale on-site as a fundraiser to get FCSS competition skaters to ISI World Championships. FREE hot cocoa provided by Kingdom Campground.

02/17/2026

Northern Express Care Lyndonville is OPEN 7-7. The Newport location is also OPEN today.

Northern Express Care St. Johnsbury is closed today. Our Newport and Lyndonville locations are open for your walk-in care needs.

www.northernexpresscare.org

02/17/2026

“Preventative screenings are our best line of defense to detect cancers," says Corner Medical NP Brent Braswell. Have you ever put off getting a colonoscopy, mammogram, pap smear, or prostate screening? If you're over 21 and live in the Northeast Kingdom, we'd love to know why! Take a quick, anonymous survey to let us know what we can do differently to help you get the care you need to stay healthy. Go to https://bit.ly/screening2026 and help us learn how to keep our community healthier.

"We know early detection saves lives," Brent says. "So don’t put off those screenings!”

This work is supported by the Dartmouth Cancer Center's Community Outreach and Engagement Initiative.

02/16/2026

Preparing for a new baby? Register for FREE Childbirth Education classes at NVRH! Our next 3-class session starts on Monday, March 9 from 5-7pm. Topics include:
-- Nutrition and self-care
-- Common tests
-- Birth preferences
-- Stages of labor and common interventions
-- Comfort measures & pain management
-- Your hospital stay
-- Postpartum planning
-- Feeding your baby, and more!

Classes are led by Doulas Katie Baker and Diantha Jones in partnership with NVRH, and are free, regardless of where you plan to have your baby. Classes take place in Conference Rooms 126-127 located on NVRH's main campus. To register or to get more information, visit nvrh.org/birth-center.

02/14/2026

Even with NVRH’s 54th birthday celebrations, we didn’t forget about Valentine’s Day! Lots of red and pink gear around the hospital and plenty of ♥️ ❤️ 💜!

02/14/2026

Happy 54th Birthday, NVRH! Every February 14 we celebrate Valentine's Day AND the hospital's anniversary. We're grateful for fifty-plus years of being your community hospital--thank you for all the love! 💙 💙 💙

02/13/2026

Are you or someone you know interested in working in healthcare in the NEK but need some help getting started? Learn more about Step Up to Health careers and fill out an application before February 20 at https://www.neklsvt.org/services/training-programs or contact Annie Christoni at annie.christoni@neklsvt.org.

02/13/2026

Are you a detail-oriented, organized professional who’s passionate about fiscal stewardship, community health, and program coordination? NVRH is seeking a dedicated Prevention Grants & Finance Manager to support the mission of our Prevention Lead Organization.

You’ll provide grant administration, financial tracking, and compliance oversight for multiple state- and federally-funded substance misuse prevention grants—helping ensure strong, sustainable prevention work across the Northeast Kingdom and Lamoille Valley. This is a grant-funded role and contingent on continued funding availability.

Make a meaningful impact at a close-knit community hospital with some of the benefits around! To learn more, visit nvrh.org/careers.

02/12/2026

"Recovery Day reminds us that recovery is possible, that community matters, and that we all have a role to play in creating the conditions for people to heal and thrive," says Carolyn Towne, Substance Misuse Prevention Director at NVRH. To learn more about how we can help, visit nvrh.org/substance-misuse-prevention-services

Today is Recovery Day in Vermont, bringing with it the opportunity to celebrate the many Vermonters who are in long-term recovery, and to offer hope and support for those seeking help. Today over 280 people in person and many others on-line, attended a Recovery Day celebration hosted by the Vermont Association of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery to highlight efforts made to increase access to recovery resources, to share stories, and remind everyone that no one needs to struggle alone.

Remember, recovery is not only possible, but probable, and the key is connection and community. If you or someone you know is in need of support, the VT Helplink https://vthelplink.org/ is a great place to start.

*Staff Note: A previous version of this post, incorrectly shared the wrong proclamation. We thank you for your patience.*