Dedicated Physicians Build Bridge
The medical center’s own physician’s group provides key charitable support for the Miller Building.
As part of the Robert E. and Holly D. Miller Building now under construction, a two-story, 2,190 square foot “bridge” will connect old to new in more ways than one. The elevated walkway on the third level will allow patients, families and providers to move easily from the cardiovascular and cardiothoracic patient rooms in the Miller Building to the surgical intensive care units in the adjacent McClure Building. The fourth level walkway will make that same seamless connection from cardiology to medical intensive care, improving efficiency, safety, and helping to reduce the chance of infection.
The UVM Medical Group saw in the bridge an opportunity to celebrate the medical center’s bright future, as well as all of the people – health care providers, patients, families, students, residents and staff – who make its work possible, says Claude Deschamps, MD, president and CEO of the organization. In this spirit, the medical group board has contributed $1 million towards the construction of the Miller
Building. To recognize that support, the walkway connecting the Miller Building to the McClure Building will be named to honor the organization, which counts over 540 physicians in the Burlington area. It’s a testament to the strong relationship that the UVM Medical Group has with the community it serves.
“The bridge represents the transition from now to our future,” says Deschamps, “including the ability to treat our patients and teach our learners in a new, adaptive environment.”
Innovation in patient care, leading edge research, and top-notch education have been hallmarks of the medical center’s mission since day one, and the new building provides both a literal and figurative renewal of those important aims, adds Deschamps. The medical group’s members are looking forward to seeing patients and families, as well as the physicians and health care providers who serve them, traversing the bridge every day, united in a common vision and energized by the important work ahead.
“It’s really walking towards our future,” he says, “and that’s exciting.”
Learn More
- Learn more about how you can make a difference. Visit the UVM Medical Center Foundation.
- Read more patient and donor stories in the 2016 Philanthropy Highlights magazine.