UVM Health - Elizabethtown Community Hospital

UVM Health - Elizabethtown Community Hospital Nonprofit community hospital serving Essex County, New York with highly skilled staff, outstanding technological capabilities, and access to specialists.

Services include:
24-hour emergency departments in Elizabethtown and Ticonderoga
Lab (96% of all testing done on-site)
All-digital radiology (x-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammogram, bone density)
25-bed inpatient unit
Inpatient rehabilitation
Chemotherapy
Physical, speech and occupational therapy
Growing list of outpatient specialists on site in Elizabethtown and Ticonderoga
6 community-based health centers (Au Sable Forks, Crown Point, Elizabethtown, Westport, Willsboro, Wilmington)

More than 50 community members joined us for our recent heart health screenings - a wonderful turnout and an inspiring r...
02/23/2026

More than 50 community members joined us for our recent heart health screenings - a wonderful turnout and an inspiring reminder of how committed our region is to staying healthy.

These free screenings offered cholesterol checks, A1C tests, blood pressure readings, BMI, EKGs, and education on diabetes, exercise, and smoking cessation. Simple checks like these can make a big difference in understanding your health and catching potential issues early.

🫀 Why it matters:

Your heart health can change over time, even when you feel fine. That’s why getting screened every year is one of the best steps you can take to stay active, informed, and confident in your well‑being.

A huge thank‑you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions and took time to prioritize their health. We're also grateful for our community partners who participated and provided information about the vital programs available to people, including: Essex County Health Department, Fidelis Care, High Peaks Hospice, Adirondack Community Action Programs, Alzheimer's Association and The Prevention Team. 💚

She thought her skiing days were over. They weren’t. After being diagnosed with severe heart valve disease, Jericho’s D...
02/22/2026

She thought her skiing days were over. They weren’t.

After being diagnosed with severe heart valve disease, Jericho’s Dorsey Naylor turned to UVM Medical Center’s structural cardiology team for a minimally invasive procedure that helped restore her heart function - and her mobility.

Now she’s back to the trails she loves. 💚

🎧 Listen to the podcast and learn how innovation is transforming heart valve care.
(link in comments)

The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont

✈ Traveler, Teacher, Mentor ✈ “I’ve learned a lot through traveling, and one of those lessons is gratitude.” Meet Jonah ...
02/21/2026

✈ Traveler, Teacher, Mentor ✈
“I’ve learned a lot through traveling, and one of those lessons is gratitude.” Meet Jonah Curtin, a clinical assistant at UVM Health - Elizabethtown Community Hospital.
~~~
In 2019, I broke up with my girlfriend, sold my car, gave away most of my clothes and set out for South America with a backpack.

I’m back in New York for now, but I haven’t really stopped traveling since. It changed my life.

The idea of traveling internationally started when I worked as a personal trainer in Texas, after getting out of the Navy.

I liked the human aspect of training: Clients talk with you the whole time, and you get close. One of my clients was from Chile, and he told me, “Hey, you’ve got to go out and see the world while you can.” So, I took his advice.

My first trip was a four-month journey through South America, cut short by COVID-19. As soon as I could, I started traveling again — first to Mexico, and after saving some money, through Europe and Asia. That trip was where I encountered Western people teaching English, and I came home with a new direction.

I earned my certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and went to Guatemala in early 2024. It was supposed to be a short trip to get teaching experience. But I stayed almost 18 months, finding a new girlfriend and a new life.

The school where I worked is incredible. It gives kids facing poverty, crime, drugs and hunger a safe space and opportunities. I feel fortunate that they welcomed me into their community. I’m most proud of a workshop I created where kids dealing with tough issues can share their feelings while participating in fitness activities.

Guatemala feels like home now. I’m studying nursing with the hope that I can get back there and do more for those students.

I’ve struggled at times in my life, and people gave me the space to grow into the person I’m supposed to be. I’m trying to help provide that space for these kids.

I’ve learned a lot through traveling, and one of those lessons is gratitude. So many people in the world have really hard lives, every day. I don’t wake up in a bad mood, because I know how lucky I am.

❤️ A little Valentine’s Day kindness goes a long way! ❤️Our Emergency Department team received the sweetest surprise thi...
02/20/2026

❤️ A little Valentine’s Day kindness goes a long way! ❤️

Our Emergency Department team received the sweetest surprise this weekend. Employees at our local Family Dollar spent nearly two weeks collecting donations from generous customers - then used those funds to purchase bright, cheerful Valentine’s Day balloons for our ED staff. 🎈💗

It was an unexpected and thoughtful gesture that truly lifted spirits. We are incredibly grateful for this show of appreciation. Moments like these remind us how deeply connected our hospital is to the community we serve and how much kindness is out there when we pause to look for it.

Thank you to Family Dollar and everyone who contributed. And thank you to our ED team for the compassion, dedication, and steady care you bring to patients every day. ❤️🙏

“I almost didn’t submit my proposal. Taking that step felt vulnerable, but I was welcomed with open arms by a community ...
02/20/2026

“I almost didn’t submit my proposal. Taking that step felt vulnerable, but I was welcomed with open arms by a community that truly leads with care and compassion. I left feeling affirmed, deeply connected - and reminded that our stories matter more than we think.”
~Elle Semsey | 2025 Presenter

We’re now accepting proposals for the 5th annual Health Equity Summit!
Do you have an idea, experience or project that could inspire change and move us closer to health equity for all? This is your invitation to share your work and your vision for change.

👉 Submit your proposal by April 10
🔗 Link in the comments

~~~

📅 Save the Date
Health Equity Summit 2026
September 24–25
UVM Davis Center | Burlington, VT + Virtual

~~~

Presented by:
• University of Vermont Health
• The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont
• UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences

🚨 “Something felt really wrong.” That’s the moment Cindy Scott knew she needed help, fast. Cindy was relaxing at home wh...
02/19/2026

🚨 “Something felt really wrong.”
That’s the moment Cindy Scott knew she needed help, fast.

Cindy was relaxing at home when her tongue suddenly felt strange and her hand curled up on its own.

“I was doing the stroke test we use here at the hospital,” says Cindy, who works in the Alice Hyde Emergency Department. “I thought, ‘Oh no, this isn’t good.’”

Her daughter Becky walked in, took one look, and immediately called 911. Minutes later, Cindy was on her way to the ED, this time as a patient.

What happened next is why stroke care needs to move quickly.

🕒 Every minute a stroke goes untreated, nearly two million brain cells can die.
Cindy’s care team got her straight to a CT scan, consulted with stroke specialists, and talked her through treatment options — including a powerful medication to break up the clot.

“I was scared,” she says. “But everyone kept telling me, ‘It’ll help you. You need to take it.’ So I did. Thank God I did.”

💉 She received lifesaving medication just 39 minutes after arriving – well under the national 60minute goal – and went home with no lasting effects.

“I’m very lucky,” Cindy says. “They were perfect. Who knows what my life would be right now if they hadn’t treated me so quickly.”

Today, she’s back at work, grateful for every day and sharing her story so others know what to watch for.

❤️ Know the signs of stroke: BE FAST

🅱 Balance: Sudden loss of balance
👁️ Eyes: Vision changes
🙂 Face: Drooping on one side
💪 Arms: Arm weakness
🗣️ Speech: Slurred or hard to understand
⏱️ Time: Call 911 immediately

Don’t wait. Don’t second guess. BE FAST. Acting quickly saved Cindy’s life, and it can save others, too. Learn more by clicking the link in our comments.

In the middle of an emergency - when alarms sound, footsteps rush and every second counts - one nurse is already moving ...
02/19/2026

In the middle of an emergency - when alarms sound, footsteps rush and every second counts - one nurse is already moving toward the patient.

That nurse is Judd Collier, RN.

His colleagues say you can feel the shift the moment he arrives. Patients get the kind of care that reminds them they’re not alone.

Jessica Litts, RN, one of Collier's co-workers, remembers one moment clearly:

“A rapid response was called, and Judd was there right away,” she writes. “He gloved in immediately, helped set up the high‑flow machine and answered every question we threw at him.”

She says Collier didn’t stop when the clock said his shift was over. He stayed, watched closely and waited until the patient was stable.

“That’s just who he is,” Litts adds

And it’s not just emergencies.

She says Collier is someone they trust with tough IVs, complicated lab draws and those quiet moments when a patient needs reassurance more than anything else.

“You can tell he loves his job,” she says. “This hospital is lucky to have him.”

Collier’s care is the kind that leaves a mark on both patients and families – something Julie Tromblee, RN, MSN, MBA, Chief Nursing Officer at the hospital, experienced firsthand.

“I’ve watched Judd care for patients many times, but seeing him care for someone in my own family changed everything for me,” Tromblee explains. “He didn’t just focus on the medical needs – though he handled those with skill and urgency. What stood out was how he cared for all of us. He made sure we understood what was happening, he asked what we needed and he never once made us feel alone in the moment.”

Today, we’re proud to share that Collier has been honored with the DAISY Award - a recognition of the extraordinary, compassionate care he brings to every patient, every shift. 🌼

02/18/2026

“I’m Going to Be Around for You”

UVM Cancer Center specialists give new mom hope during her toughest fight.

When Sage Collins learned she was pregnant with her first child, she was over the moon. Sage and her husband had long dreamed of starting a family, and the time was finally right. Her pregnancy went smoothly, but at times her body felt off.

In May 2024, Sage and her husband welcomed a healthy baby boy, Asher. Soon after his birth, Sage knew something was wrong. “I was so sick I couldn’t even play with him,” she recalls. “I said, ‘This is no way to live.’”

A colonoscopy revealed the unthinkable: stage 4 re**al cancer. At just 30, with a newborn in her arms, Sage faced a diagnosis that felt like a bullet. “I remember saying, ‘I don’t want to die. I can’t die. I am a mom.’”

As a patient at The University of Vermont Cancer Center, Sage found strength in her care team, led by Maura Barry, MD, with whom she had an instant connection. “Everyone was so knowledgeable that I felt like I didn’t have to do any of the thinking,” Sage says.

Today, with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery behind her, Sage remains optimistic. “I remember looking at Asher and saying, ‘I am not going to miss you growing up. I'm going to be around for you. You are going to be the reason why I beat this.’”

Sage’s story is a powerful reminder that colore**al cancer is not just an older person’s disease. Rates among young people are climbing, with one in five diagnoses occurring in people younger than 55.

Screening for colore**al cancer starts at 45. Learn more about screening via the link in our comments and talk to your doctor about which options are right for you.

02/16/2026

❤️ New podcast episode: Heart Health ❤️
Small heart-healthy changes today can add up to big impact tomorrow.

Hear from experts on prevention, women’s cardiac care, exercise, nutrition, cardiac rehabilitation and why understanding your personal risk is one of the most powerful steps you can take.

🎧 Listen now (link in comments)

🌄 Unsupported, But Not Alone 🌄“At some point, you have to decide to believe you can do the hard thing.” Meet Tori Consta...
02/14/2026

🌄 Unsupported, But Not Alone 🌄
“At some point, you have to decide to believe you can do the hard thing.” Meet Tori Constantine, medical-surgical nurse at UVM Medical Center.
~~~
I first thru-hiked the Long Trail in 2020. The original plan was the Appalachian Trail. I’d quit my job and lined everything up — but then COVID hit, and the AT’s infrastructure shut down. Hostels, shuttles, resupply points — all off the table. So, I pivoted.

I was living in New Hampshire and working at Planned Parenthood in White River Junction. The LT was right in my backyard. I figured I’d give it a shot, even though I’d never camped more than a night. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I finished. At Puffer Shelter, I met someone chasing a Fastest Known Time record (FKT). That blew my mind. I didn’t even know people did that.

A year later, I hiked the Appalachian Trail. Then the Pacific Crest Trail. I started trail running, did a few ultra marathons and eventually went to nursing school. Time got tighter, so I found ways to keep trail in my life: shorter hikes, longer runs. That’s when the idea came back: Could I really do an FKT? Unsupported?

An unsupported FKT means no outside help. No pacers, no rides, no food drops. You carry everything yourself, filter your own water and hike every mile solo.

I trained for six months and returned to the trail that started it all. I didn’t feel ready, but I knew I never would. On day three, I ran out of water for 15 miles and nearly quit. On day five, I hiked through the night, sleep-deprived and limping. But I kept going.

When I reached the southern terminus, I collapsed. I’d broken the women’s unsupported record by 16 hours.

Unsupported doesn’t mean alone. I had the voices of my trail family in my head, cheering me on. They believed I could do it — long before I did.

And really, you don’t have to believe it every second. But at some point, you have to decide to believe you can do the hard thing. That was the difference for me.
~~~
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.

02/13/2026

Carrie Brashear collapsed at her home in Peru, NY, with no idea her life was in danger. A bedside ultrasound at CVPH revealed an aortic dissection, a rare, deadly tear in the aorta.

What happened next was a relay sprint including emergency teams at CVPH, a UVM Health flight crew, and cardiothoracic surgeon Elizabeth Pocock, MD, at UVM Medical Center. In less than an hour, Brashear was stabilized, flown across the lake, and taken into an eight‑hour surgery that saved her life.

“It was all hands on deck,” Dr. Pocock says.

Carrie is now back home, grateful and healing.

Read the full story is linked in our comments.

🍳 Can cooking bring couples closer? ❤️Melissa Kelly, a registered dietitian with University of Vermont Medical Center Nu...
02/13/2026

🍳 Can cooking bring couples closer? ❤️

Melissa Kelly, a registered dietitian with University of Vermont Medical Center Nutrition Services, believes it can.

“Food isn’t just fuel. Food is a celebration. It’s an art,” she says. “It brings people together.”

From using easy to access frozen and canned food to focusing on connection, Kelly offers practical advice for transforming meal preparation into a shared experience. By treating cooking as a form of date night, couples can make every day feel like Valentine’s Day.

🥕🥘 Need some inspiration? Find the full article link in the comments and get inspired to cook (and connect) together.

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75 Park Street
Elizabethtown, NY
12932

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