Connections: February 2023 - 6

Stronger
Together
World-class care in
a rural landscape
It's one of the smallest hospitals in Vermont, but Mt.
Ascutney Hospital and Health Center's impact on the
state's healthcare is far-reaching. Over the past few
decades, it has become the go-to hospital as a
model for prevention and has been designated
by Vermont as a Prevention Center of Excellence.
" We've always stepped up when the state has
looked for a hospital or organization to be the
central node of prevention efforts in a region, "
says Joseph L. Perras, MD, CEO and chief medical
officer of MAHHC. " We also showed the effectiveness
of the work we were doing. "
VISION:
A community that is ...
Physically healthy
Mentally healthy
support, and then funnel those funds out to those
organizations. "
Like all hospitals, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and
Socially connected and valued
Financially secure
Well nourished
Well housed
Many needs, many programs
The scope of what MAHHC does is remarkable. Some of the efforts
include decreasing tobacco and nicotine use, decreasing alcohol
and substance use and misuse, expanding opportunities for physical
activity, supporting aging in place, connecting to mental health
services, facilitating wellness in families, supporting healthy child
development, suicide prevention, addressing homelessness, increasing
affordable housing, increasing access to health insurance, dental care
and prescription medication, facilitating access to transportation,
increasing food security and encouraging restorative justice.
In addition, the hospital serves as a clearinghouse for funding. " We
get large amounts of grant dollars from the state to work in prevention, "
Perras says. " We assess programs in the community that need grant
Health Center conducts a Community Health
Needs Assessment every three years, to
identify the significant health needs of the
community and then to prioritize how to
address those needs in the MAHHC service
area, which covers 13 municipalities in Vermont
and New Hampshire. The survey is conducted
in conjunction with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical
Center, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, New
London Hospital and Valley Regional Healthcare.
Once the survey results are identified, Community Health
Implementation Plan (CHIP) groups are set up to deal with its top
priorities. Currently, those priorities include housing, improving the
health of our aging population, strengthening families, the Windsor
County Substance Use Disorder Collaborative, food security and
spiritual health.
Addressing those needs as well as the work of the clinical
care, population health teams help Mt. Ascutney continue to be
designated as an Accountable Community for Health (ACH), where
multiple sectors agree to collaborate and be accountable for the
health and well-being of an entire population in a geographic region,
rather than a defined group of patients. This allows for integration
of high-quality medical care, mental health services, substance use
Connections: February 2023

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