UVM Health - Home Health & Hospice

11/08/2025

🏃‍♀️ MOSAIC PROJECT | Heart and Hustle 🏃‍♀️

“I never played sports growing up; I was the girl in band class, ducking out of gym when I could.” Meet Claire Robinson-White, an executive assistant at UVM Health - Home Health & Hospice.
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I never played sports growing up; I was the girl in band class, ducking out of gym whenever I could. But in May 2014, I had Chiari decompression surgery — a delicate operation to ease pressure on the brain. While recovering in the ICU, I started walking laps. Then I started walking along my road in Richmond. Eventually, I signed up for a race called the Moosalamoo Ultra. After so much time spent healing, it just felt good to push myself again. That was it. I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve run ultramarathons, races exceeding the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance, across Vermont and beyond, including Beebe Farm’s 48-hour Ultra, Notchview Ultra and the Endurance Society’s Deca Marathon — ten marathons in ten days. In 2024, I was the only woman to finish.

This year, after six brutal days of heavy rain, thunderstorms and mud, I dropped. This time, I simply couldn’t finish.

But I showed up the next morning with locally made donuts. If I say, ‘I’m yours for ten days,’ I mean it.

That’s how I approach work, too. I think of myself as the crew chief. Like at an aid station, I ask: What do you need? How can I set you up to succeed? There’s no ego. Just support. It’s about heart and hustle, too.

Ultra running isn’t about medals. It’s about showing up when it’s hard. It’s sharing a muddy trail with strangers who become your people. When someone’s hurting, you fall into step beside them. You give them your jacket. You say, ‘I’ve got you.’

You don’t have to finish first. You just have to keep on going. And when it’s your turn to fall back and help someone else get there — that counts just as much.
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The Mosaic Project is a collection of short stories about the people of University of Vermont Health. These are your coworkers, caregivers, neighbors, family members, friends – each with unique life experiences that are part of the vibrant mosaic of who we are.

11/07/2025

They were told they might never walk again — until robotics changed everything.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast.
Link in comments

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✨ Real stories. Real care. Real impact. ✨
Living Healthy Together | Steps to Recovery: How Robotics is Transforming Rehabilitation

Somdeb Chatterjee and Valerie Hunter have both accomplished something extraordinary: losing and then regaining their ability not just to walk but move all of their extremities. For Somdeb, the journey began with an international trip during which he contracted a rare and mysterious condition called Gillian-Barre syndrome. For Valerie, it as a trip-and-fall accident while feeding her horses that resulted in a traumatic spinal cord injury.

Their stories could not be more different, but they both walked the same path to recovery: through the inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs at University of Vermont Health – University of Vermont Medical Center. There, robotic technology called the Vector is making an impact on the treatment and recovery of individuals dealing with complex neurological conditions and injuries.

Join us as we speak with Somdeb and Valerie about their medical journeys, and with the expert physical therapists who are supporting neurological patients, developing programs and leveraging technology to give themselves and patients like Somdeb and Valerie an edge as they work to regain functionality and independence.

11/06/2025

Our critical care transport team plays a vital role in connecting patients across our rural communities to the care they need, when they need it most. They often serve as the front line in urgent and life-saving situations, and they bring incredible skill, compassion and dedication to their work. We’re proud to recognize and celebrate the impact they make every day!

11/05/2025

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Tanya Jenkins, LNA – Building the Future of Home Health & Hospice 🌟

We’re thrilled to celebrate Tanya Jenkins, PCA/LNA Manager, whose leadership is transforming the way we recruit and train Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs).

Since stepping into her role last October, Tanya has partnered with Human Resources, Talent Acquisition and University of Vermont to launch a dynamic Nurse Assistant Trainee program. We now have six trainees working alongside our team; three from UVM and three more from Northwest Career & Technical Academy.

Even more inspiring? These future LNAs are committed to staying with us for at least a year after graduation, ensuring continuity of care and a lasting impact on our community.

“Tanya’s work is a powerful example of how culture and connection can shape a team,” says Annie Meredith-Mitchell, Hospice and Palliative Program Director. “She’s helping build a workforce that is deeply engaged and aligned with our mission.”

Tanya shares: “It’s been incredible to see these trainees grow here. They’re not just learning skills; they’re learning what it means to care with heart. I’m proud to help create a pathway for compassionate caregivers to thrive here.”

11/04/2025

It’s 8:05 am, and Sheila Kleptz and Amber Doyle are already laughing.

One brings 20 years of experience. The other, a new LNA balancing college at University of Vermont with community care.

Together, they’re showing what it means to care with heart - and to learn by doing. 💚

Thank you, Sheila and Amber, for all you do!

👉 Read the full story. Link in the comments.

11/03/2025

UVM Health interim CEO Dr. Stephen Leffler sat down with Liz Strzepa My NBC5 to talk about what’s ahead for our hospitals and clinics — from improving access to care to keeping health care as affordable as possible.

You can watch the full segment at My NBC5 — link in the comments.

11/01/2025

One family’s scare shows why this respiratory season matters more than ever for parents and older adults. Learn what’s new — and how to protect your family this winter.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast
*Link in comments

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✨ Real stories. Real care. Real impact. ✨

Living Healthy Together | Breathing Easy: Navigating Respiratory Disease Season

At barely four months old, Weston Bird faced a life-threatening battle with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) that kept him in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health for weeks. This week, we follow Weston’s journey back to health through the eyes of his mother and learn about medical advances that are changing respiratory disease season for children, families and senior citizens.

As respiratory disease season ramps up, join us as we talk with leading experts from across UVM Health to explore what this season means for communities across Vermont and northern New York.

From influenza, COVID and RSV vaccines, to public health guidance and rural care challenges, experts in public health, pulmonary and critical care, and pediatrics share trusted insights, actionable advice and perspectives to help individuals and families stay healthy.

10/31/2025

From real-life psychiatry to zombie fiction — this story from UVM Medical Center reminds us that sometimes, facing our fears starts with imagination. 👇

Real doctor 🎃 Fake virus 🎃 Unforgettable story

This Halloween, read how The Zombie Autopsies began — full story in comments.

By day, Dr. Steven Schlozman helps children and families face real-world fears as chief of child psychiatry at UVM Medical Center and associate professor at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont.

By night, he’s a storyteller who’s crossed paths with horror legends like George A. Romero and Max Brooks.

➡️ Read the full feature — link in comments.

10/30/2025

What an incredible gathering! 💚

Thank you to everyone who joined us — both in person and online — for the 4th Annual Health Equity Summit!

Over two inspiring days, we learned, reflected and reimagined what equity looks like in practice.

When our Planning Committee first came together a year ago, we held a shared vision: to create a Summit made by the community, for the community — a space that uplifts collective wisdom over academic hierarchy and invites us not just to present, but to be present.

This year, that vision came to life. The Summit brought together a truly diverse, intentional and engaged community — one that reflected the many voices, experiences and hopes shaping our shared pursuit of equity.

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✨ HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SUMMIT ✨

🔹Opening Keynote: Loretta J. Ross reminded us of the transformative power of calling in rather than calling out — an invitation to deepen both our courage and our connection.

🔹Closing Keynote: Ferene Paris encouraged us to live out loud, use our voices boldly, and make space for truth-telling in every part of our health care systems and beyond.

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🏆 POSTER PRESENTATION AWARD WINNERS

🔹Best Community-Driven Solution: iFY – A Game Changer for Accessing Information for Refugees and Im/Migrants — Allison Segar

🔹Most Innovative Approach: Painting Through PTSD: Healing from Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Through Art — Michelle Bruner

🔹Best Long-Term Sustainability Plan: Bridging the Gap: Launching a Rural Emergency APP Fellowship to Advance Workforce Readiness and Retention — Dr. Mauvareen Beverley, MD

🔹Wild Card: Investigating the Effects of Changes in Perceived Discrimination on Cognition During Adolescence — Avinabo Poddar & Dr. Alexis Brieant, PhD

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🌟 Thank You 🌟

🔹 To our sponsors — Northfield Savings Bank, Vermont Relay, UVM Medical Center Auxiliary, Mamava and Institute for Healthcare Improvement - IHI — for making this event possible.

🔹 To our co-presenter — University of Vermont — for hosting the event at the Davis Center, with gratitude to The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont and the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences for their partnership.

🔹To Dark Star Productions for conference AV support and Iceberg Consulting, LLC for keynote illustrations, and our wonderful exhibitors representing organizations across Vermont and beyond.

🔹And finally, to our Summit Planning Committee, volunteers and co-chairs Taylor Small and Hajar Anvar — thank you for your vision, dedication and heart.

Together, we created something truly special — a Summit that not only centered equity, but embodied it. 💚

10/30/2025

At UVM Health, we offer free language services—including ASL and tactile ASL—to support your communicative autonomy. Whether you need in-person or remote interpreting, we’re here to make sure you can understand, express and make decisions about your care. Just ask—we’re here for you.

*Link in the comments

10/29/2025

Younger women facing breast cancer often have to choose between aggressive treatment and their future fertility.

An innovative UVM Cancer Center trial is asking: what if they didn’t have to?

For Diane, the OFSET study offered something powerful — hope, choice and a gentler way forward. 💚

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When Diana Padron was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in 2023, her thoughts raced — not just about her health, but about how treatment might change her life. Living in a small town in New York’s North Country, she worried about the visible effects of chemotherapy, especially hair loss.

“I didn’t want to lose my hair and have to constantly answer questions,” Padron says.

Thanks to an innovative national clinical trial at University of Vermont Health – UVM Cancer Center, Padron found a different path — one that may help many women like her move forward with fewer side effects and less disruption to their lives.

RETHINKING THE ROLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY
The OFSET trial — short for Ovarian Function Suppression Evaluation of Therapy — is exploring whether chemotherapy can be safely skipped for certain premenopausal women with the most common type of early-stage breast cancer. Instead, the trial uses ovarian suppression and hormone therapy to treat the disease, potentially sparing patients from the fatigue, neuropathy and emotional toll that often accompany chemotherapy.

“Chemotherapy is a powerful tool, but it comes with risks we take seriously,” says Kara Landry, MD, lead investigator for the trial at UVM Cancer Center. “Hopefully this will help young women move forward with fewer complications and a smoother recovery.”

LOCAL ACCESS, LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT
UVM Cancer Center is the only site in the region offering the OFSET trial, providing essential access for patients in northern Vermont and New York’s North Country. For Padron, that proximity made all the difference.

“My husband came to every appointment,” she says. “He couldn’t do that if it was in Boston.”

She credits her care team, especially Shlomit Ein-Gal, MD, the hematologist and oncologist who oversaw her treatment, with making her feel supported and heard throughout.

“Amazing care every step of the way,” Padron says. “Constant communication, always feeling heard and cared for. I never felt like I was just another patient.”

A TRIAL DESIGNED FOR YOUNGER WOMEN
Breast cancer affects one in eight women, but younger, premenopausal patients have long been underrepresented in clinical research. OFSET is one of the first national studies focused specifically on their needs — including fertility concerns and the potential for more aggressive disease.

The trial targets the most common breast cancer subtype: estrogen-driven, HER2-negative tumors. Participants must also have a low or intermediate risk of recurrence, determined through specialized lab testing.

Researchers are asking a critical question: Are younger women benefiting directly from chemotherapy, or is the benefit coming from the ovarian suppression it causes? If suppression alone is enough, many patients could avoid chemotherapy altogether.

Ovarian suppression is delivered through injections or surgery and paired with hormone therapy lasting five to 10 years. Though the treatment is longer, many patients find it more manageable than chemotherapy.

“It can take a lot out of you,” Padron says. “For someone who wants to have kids, this seems like an easier option with less toll on the body.”

LOOKING AHEAD
Despite having no family history of breast cancer, Padron saw her diagnosis as an opportunity to help others.

“If this can help people in the future,” she says, “why not try?”

The OFSET trial is still underway, but its potential to reshape treatment for younger women is already clear. For Padron and others, it offers something powerful — hope, choice and a gentler way forward.

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The University of Vermont Cancer Center