Montpelier, VT – A multi-sector regional partnership dedicated to improving public health through work on initiatives ranging from food security to digital equity has been honored as a Public Health Champion by Vermont Public Health Association. University of Vermont- Central Vermont Medical Center serves as the convener and fiscal sponsor for the collaborative. 

The award, presented last month at the Association’s annual meeting, highlights the work of THRIVE collaborative both in promoting public health and in crisis response – specifically the group’s “effective tactical flood response and collaboration to meet vital community needs” following regional flooding in the summer of 2024. 

“We are honored to be recognized with the Champion Team award,” said Anna Tempesta Noonan, President and Chief Operating Officer at CVMC. “THRIVE played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, social service emergencies and national disasters like the 2023 and 2024 floods in central Vermont. We are dedicated to collaborating among our partners, building on our past successes to enable us to lead with even greater clarity during future emergencies.” 

THRIVE is central Vermont’s Accountable Community for Health (ACH) – a regional partnership created to support the health and well-being of residents in Washington and northern Orange Counties. Member organizations are committed to building thriving communities by using informed, collaborative and innovative solutions to optimize public health. The group’s areas of focus are aligned with priorities identified in the hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). 

CVMC has served as the group’s convener and fiscal sponsor supporting collaboration and information-sharing among its 16 partners, as well as advancing health and prevention initiatives in communities throughout the region. 

Those initiatives range from COVID-era work supporting individuals experiencing homelessness; a campaign focused on lowering the rate of single female head of households living in poverty; and gathering community feedback on critical health and wellness needs in communities throughout the region. 

“As THRIVE’s fiscal sponsor, CVMC will continue to support the many initiatives promoting the integration of high-quality health care, mental health and substance use treatment services, and community-wide prevention efforts to reduce disparities in health and wellness,” said Noonan.