University of Vermont Health Network Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members and Chair

Burlington, VT – Four members of the communities served by the University of Vermont Health Network will become members of its Board of Trustees, adding clinicians, clinical educators and researchers, a seasoned health care leader and a veteran administrator of legal and social services in northern New York to the health system’s 21-member volunteer board.

As the group welcomes new members, Trustee Thomas Golonka will begin a two-year term as board chair, with Betsy Vicencio serving a two-year term as vice chair and Kara Walker, MD, MPH, MSHS continuing as secretary. Trustees Virginia Hood, MD, Debra Leonard, MD, PhD, John Rugge, MD, and Kerin Stackpole, Esq., retired from the board at the conclusion of the 2024 calendar year. Former board chair Allie Stickney stepped down from the board leadership position from after serving two, two-year terms. She continues to serve as a trustee.

“I am deeply honored to serve as chair of the UVM Health Network Board of Trustees and to work alongside a dedicated group of volunteer trustees who are unwavering in their commitment to the mission of this health system and the communities it serves across Vermont and northern New York,” said Golonka. “Each of us brings unique knowledge, skills and perspectives to the board, and we are united in our shared purpose: Supporting the health and wellbeing of this region.”

The health system board works closely with the health system CEO and senior leadership and is responsible for key governance oversight functions including system finances, budgeting and strategic planning.

“Our trustees bring diverse expertise and valuable experience to the board. Their committed leadership and careful oversight helps our nonprofit, academic health system carry out our mission,” said Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health Network. “I am excited to welcome our new trustees and look forward to working with them as we focus our efforts on protecting patient access to care and finding innovative ways to control care costs.”

Dragos Banu, MD

Dragos Banu, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at University of Vermont Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine and division chief of primary care for UVM Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center, UVM Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, UVM Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital and UVM Health Network – Porter Medical Center. He currently practices general internal medicine at Adult Primary Care in Essex, Vermont, and previously served as clinical chief community practice and medical director of long term care and rehabilitation medicine at University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center.

Dr. Banu completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada. He completed his medical education at Saba University School of Medicine in Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, and his residency training at Medstar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sarah Harm, MD, MS

Sarah Harm, MD, MS, is an associate professor and network vice chair of laboratory medicine in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UVM Larner College of Medicine and UVM Health Network. She is an expert in transfusion medicine and leads the integration of laboratory medicine services across UVM Health Network.

Dr. Harm completed her undergraduate education in biomedical engineering at Boston University and her graduate education in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, which led to a career as a process engineer at Merck & Co. She then completed her medical education at Sidney Kimmel Medical College – Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her subspecialty training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Heidi Melbostad, PhD

Heidi Melbostad, PhD, serves as the chief executive officer of Mountain Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Bristol, Vermont, dedicated to improving health outcomes and reducing disparities in the region. She is also a research assistant professor at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health in the Department of Psychiatry at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, where she collaborates on behavioral pharmacology research.

Melbostad was previously director of the Howard Center’s Chittenden Clinic, an opioid treatment program in Burlington, Vermont, where she led key initiatives in expanding treatment access and building community partnerships to address the opioid crisis in Vermont. Her diverse background in health care includes clinical expertise in treating mental health and substance use disorders, research experience as an NIH-funded investigator, and training in financial analysis of healthcare service delivery.

Melbostad earned a bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, a master’s in clinical psychology from San Francisco State University, and doctorate in general/experimental psychology from the University of Vermont.

Christine Peters, Esq.

Christine G. Peters, Esq. is commissioner of the Clinton County Department of Social Services (CCDSS). Prior to her appointment in 2023, Commissioner Peters served as the director of legal and social services at CCDSS, overseeing the several Children’s Services Units, Adult Services Unit and the Legal Unit, as well as working on several initiatives, including human trafficking prevention and Family First Prevention Services Act implementation.

Commissioner Peters is active in many community interests, including board or leadership positions for the Clinton County Bar Association, Clinton County Substance Use and Prevention Coalition, Evergreen Townhouse Community and Apple Valley Senior Housing. She serves on the Cross Systems Youth Advisory Committee for the Office of Children and Family Services and is on the New York State Association of Counties Medicaid and Human Services Committee.

Christine is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh and Vermont Law School. A native of Peru, New York, she is proud to call the North Country her home with her husband, Benjamin, and two children, Greyson and Mallory.