Philanthropy at Work
Gifts to the University of Vermont Medical Center Fund help improve the lives of thousands of people in Vermont, northern New York and beyond. As medical care continues to advance, we are committed to remaining at the leading edge of research, treatment and prevention—for you, your loved ones and every person in our community. No matter how large or small a gift, your investment fuels innovations and advancements that directly impact our hospital’s patient- and family-centered care.
UVM Medical Center Fund - Going Above and Beyond
Excellence isn't enough for us at the UVM Medical Center: every day, we pursue even better approaches to the compassionate care we give to our patients, the cutting-edge biomedical research we conduct, and the education we provide to our students and trainees.
Without the UVM Medical Center Fund, these new approaches would never take flight. The fund includes “unrestricted” gifts from donors who allow us to direct their contributions toward the ideas that have the best chance to move the human health needle – but haven't yet received the validation required to qualify for other funding sources, like insurance reimbursement and federal grant funding or ongoing budget support.
Adding to their special status, many Fund initiatives are chosen by a committee comprised of leadership, staff, and volunteers from across UVM Medical Center – further ensuring these initiatives have the full weight of the Medical Center community behind them.
The following are the projects that were awarded funding in the fall 2022 grant cycle:
Falls Assessment Mitigation & Local Intervention (FAMLI)
Grant lead: Abby Beerman, MPH
FAMLI is an in-home falls prevention program that provides personalized risk factor assessment and home modification to community members who have fallen or are at risk of falling. Staff provide education and resources, and implement basic home modifications to improve participants’ quality of life and reduce the need for emergency visits.
Code 8 Cart; Behavioral Health PPE
Grant lead: Laura Dattilio, RN, BSN, CPN
Healthcare settings require new types of personal protective equipment (PPE) amidst increasing workplace violence. While the issue is multifactorial and needs to be addressed on many levels, immediate investments to increase the number of supply hubs and expand PPE stock will help reduce response time and staff injuries.
Three dimensional Cone Beam CT to improve Diagnosis and Treatment in the Outpatient Dental Clinic
Grant lead: Justin Hurlburt, DMD, MA
Our outpatient dental clinic is one of very few that accept Medicaid. Bringing three dimensional imaging capabilities into the clinic will elevate diagnosis and treatment for patients—particularly those who are uninsured or have Medicaid— better educate residents, improve workflow efficiencies and reduce the need for referrals.
Supporting an Equitable Expansion of Telehealth at UVM Medical Center
Grant lead: Beth Zigmund, MD
Telemedicine has powerful potential to improve access to a broad range of medical services which impact determinants of health. This project aims to understand disparities in access such as technology, digital literacy, and language barriers and ultimately make recommendations to inform a roadmap for equitable expansion of telemedicine across the Health Network.
Driver Rehabilitation Program Evaluation and Training Vehicle
Grant lead: Heather Zuk, OTR/L, CDRS, CDI
The Driver Rehabilitation Program offers clinical and on-road evaluations, training and rehabilitation to help patients with visual, cognitive and physical conditions enhance their driving independence and community access. A new instructor vehicle outfitted with safety technology and adaptive equipment will greatly enhance the program’s impact.
Below is a comprehensive list of active and completed grants since 2017:
- Valerie Adams, Hospital Elder Life Program: Integrating a Remote Volunteer Service
- Claudia Berger, MD, Nurse-Performed Medicare Adult Wellness Visits
- Kathleen Browne, Kristin Fontaine, Addressing Population Health during COVID-19: Partnering with Our Community to Increase Food Access
- Martha Churchill, CNM, The Volunteer Doula Program
- Amy Cohen, FAVORS Program Enhancement
- Christos Colovos, MD, Multi-Center Trial to Control Blood Clots Linked to COVID-19
- Anne Dixon, MD, Treatment of Pulmonary Stress for Severe COVID-19
- Havaleh Gagne, MD, Optimization of Home Intravenous Hydration in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
- Deepak Gupta, MD, Training Residents in Technological, Regulatory and Financial Aspects of Clinical (TEREFIC) Practice
- Sarah Hoffman, Support for Academic Progression for Nurse Leaders
- Jeanne Hutchins, Dementia Caregiver Support and Education Center
- Diane Imrie, RD, MBA, Ramana Pryor, Expand Culinary Medicine at UVM Medical Center
- David Kaminsky, MD, Longitudinal Assessment of Lung Function in COVID-19 Patients
- Roz King, RN, Community Outreach for Patient Engagement (COPE)
- Michael Latreille, MD, A Learning Garden to Cultivate Patient and Community Health
- Tara McCuin, PhD, Sharon Henry, Moira Mulligan, Implementing and Sustaining the Biopsychosocial Model of Care for Complex, Chronic Low Back Pain
- Christopher Morris, MD, Validation of a Weighted Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter
- Jane Nathan, PhD and Karen Dean, DTR, CHWC, Stress Management and Resilency Training for Patients with Chronic Conditions
- Christian Pulcini, MD, Transforming Emergency Care through Interdisciplinary Trauma-Informed Care Education
- Pamela Stevens, Nursing Excellence Initiative in Communication and Accountability
- David Tomasi, PhD, Exercise Enhancing Strategies for Patients in Inpatient Psychiatry
- Amy Elizabeth Young, RN, Improving the Quality and Consistency of Care and Support for Families Experiencing Perinatal Loss
Donate to the UVM Medical Center Annual Fund
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If you are an employee of the UVM Medical Center and want to learn about the grant program, please contact Allison Searson at 802-656-5270 or email Allison [dot] Searson
uvmhealth [dot] org (Allison[dot]Searson[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).
