BURLINGTON, VERMONT – Judy Schaechter M.D., MBA, Division Director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention and Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at the University of Miami has been appointed as the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and UVM Health and Chief of Pediatrics at Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health, effective July 1, 2026. The announcement was made by Richard L. Page, M.D., Dean of the Larner College of Medicine and Chief Medical Affairs Officer at UVM and Ramsey Herrington, M.D., UVM Health Medical Group President and CEO, UVM Health Chief Physician Executive, and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Larner College of Medicine.

Dr. Schaechter succeeds Lewis First, M.D., M.S., who joined the University of Vermont in 1994 as Professor and Chair of Pediatrics and has served in these roles ever since, making him the longest-serving pediatric department chair in the nation.

As Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatrics, Dr. Schaechter will oversee the department’s clinical, research, and educational missions. The department has a long-standing reputation for exceptional clinical care, a vibrant research environment, and excellence in the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows.

The Golisano Children’s Hospital at UVM Health and the Department of Pediatrics encompass six academic hospital sites and five primary care locations across Vermont and northern New York. They also include a Children’s Specialty Care Center offering more than 20 pediatric subspecialties, as well as comprehensive inpatient services—ranging from general pediatric and nursery care to pediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care.

“Dr. Schaechter brings an outstanding breadth of accomplishment in pediatric care, health policy and academic leadership. I am confident that she will build on Dr. First’s legacy to accelerate excellence in clinical care, education, research and community service,” said Dean Page.

She was President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the ABP Foundation. From 2012 to 2020, Dr. Schaechter held the George E. Batchelor Endowed Chair in Child Health and served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She continues to care for children in Miami at Jackson Health Systems and the University of Miami pediatric practice.

“It is incredibly exciting to join the teams at UVM Larner College of Medicine, UVM Health, and the Golisano Children’s Hospital. I especially look forward to partnering with the pediatric faculty and staff, to both honor the Department’s long-standing record of excellence across the four missions of academic child health, and to advance discovery, education, innovation, health promotion, and care delivery, so that the region’s children and families receive the care they need and deserve,” said Dr. Schaechter. 

Dr. Schaechter is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an elected member of the American Pediatric Society, Academic Pediatric Association, and National Medical Association. She also spent a year as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow, participating in the policy process with the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Subcommittee on Children and Families, now the Subcommittee on Education and the American Family.

Dr. Schaechter earned her M.D. from the Stanford University School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in Pediatrics at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. She holds an MBA from the University of Miami School of Business and certification in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. In Miami, she has contributed to child health social driver initiatives, including school health, home visitation, early education, and inclusion programs.

“Under Dr. Schaechter’s leadership, UVM Health will continue to expand access to comprehensive, compassionate, high-quality care, and I am confident that Golisano Children’s Hospital at UVM Health will become a recognized center of excellence in rural pediatric care,” said Dr. Herrington.

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About the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Founded in 1822, the Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont is dedicated to developing exceptional physicians and scientists by offering innovative curriculum designs, state-of-the-art research facilities, and clinical partnerships with leading health care institutions. The college’s commitment to excellence has earned national recognition, attracting talented students, trainees, physicians, and researchers from across the country. With a focus on inclusive excellence, the Larner College of Medicine prides itself on cultivating an environment that uplifts and supports its faculty and student populations while advancing medical education, research, and patient care in Vermont and beyond.

About Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health

Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health is a ‘hospital without walls’ that extends throughout our health system. It offers child-friendly approaches to wellness and provides lifesaving and life-altering care for children with serious illness, injury or medical conditions. Vermont’s only pediatric intensive care unit is located at University of Vermont Medical Center, with additional pediatric services offered through specialty centers, clinics and emergency departments across our region. Golisano Children's Hospital at UVM Health is one of 10 hospitals in the Golisano Children’s Alliance, aiming to

elevate pediatric care by expanding services, strengthening collaboration and ensuring that children and families have access to the highest quality medical attention close to home.

About University of Vermont Health

University of Vermont Health is a rural academic health system with more than 100 years of service to small towns and cities across Vermont and northern New York. We are deeply committed to reimagining rural health in ways that will benefit our communities for generations to come and keep exceptional care close to home. Our system includes an academic medical center, two community hospitals, three critical access hospitals, a children’s hospital, a cancer center, a multispecialty medical group, 154 outpatient sites and care beyond the hospital through home health, hospice care, four skilled nursing facilities and other support services. Our care is informed by an essential partnership with University of Vermont’s The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Together, as a health system serving a rural area, we are tackling health care’s biggest challenges — supporting the communities we serve and investing in our employees by addressing housing affordability, quality childcare and professional development needs. To learn more, visit us at www.uvmhealth.org.