Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) designs and implements innovative programming to promote a healthy and thriving region. SVMC is dedicated to improving the health of the local population by delivering exceptional medical care and addressing the social determinants of health.
SVMC aligns clinical initiatives and community programming to create a healthy region. Efforts are guided by the Community Health Needs Assessment, an analysis conducted every three years to determine the priority health needs for SVMC’s service area. Additionally, SVMC strategically invests in community health projects and organizations that work to meet these priority needs.
Community Health Needs Assessment summary
The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) process serves to identify the priority health needs for the 75,000 individuals living within SVMC’s service area. Through varied methods of data collection and analysis, described in detail in the full report below, four priority health needs were identified in 2021:
- Mental health supports
- Promotion of healthy behaviors and primary prevention activities
- Accessibility of high-quality, convenient, and affordable care
- Substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery resources
View the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (PDF) report
Clinical projects
- Transitional care nursing: SVMC’s nationally-recognized Transitional Care Nursing program provides additional supports and a communication bridge for individuals transitioning between care environments. The program was developed in 2013, and has reduced re-hospitalizations and improved care coordination through home visits.
- Bennington free clinic: SVMC provides support for the Dr. G Richard Dundas Free Clinic, which offers free medical care to the uninsured and underinsured in Bennington County.
- OneCare Vermont: OneCare is Vermont’s local, 501(c)(3) Accountable Care Organization (ACO) that partners with health care providers to transform the state’s health care system. OneCare doesn’t provide health care – instead, it brings health groups together to improve health care quality and stabilize costs. By managing network performance, giving health care providers data and analytics, and paying for quality of care and improved population health, OneCare supports organizations like Southwestern Vermont Health Care in our work to deliver excellent health care to Vermonters.
- Vermont Blueprint for Health: The Vermont Blueprint for Health designs community-led strategies for improving health and well-being. SVMC serves as the administrative entity for the Bennington Blueprint, which connects patients with whole-person care that is evidence-based, patient- and family-centered, and cost-effective. Current Blueprint programs include Patient-Centered Medical Homes, Community Health Teams, the Hub & Spoke system of substance use disorder treatment, the Women’s Health Initiative, and population data and analytics for communities and practices
- Youth Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (YSBIRT): By screening young adults for depression, anxiety, and substance use, SVMC can identify and appropriately address concerns.
- Certified diabetes educators: Certified diabetes educators work closely with primary care practices to improve health outcomes for those with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
- Community care team and pediatric care team: SVMC leads multidisciplinary teams to ensure wrap-around services for adult and pediatric patients with complex mental health and social needs.
- Health Care Share Program: In partnership with Clear Brook Farm, SVMC provides fresh, local produce and tailored nutrition education to individuals in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Community projects
- Opioid Response team: The Bennington Opioid Response team, comprised of over 40 individuals from community organizations, seeks to improve quality of life by reducing the adverse effects of opioid use in the community.
- Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan: Every three years, SVMC completes an assessment to identify the priority health needs of the region, and designs an implementation plan to meet those needs. An update is provided every year, to show progress and indicate where future opportunities for health improvement initiatives exist.
- Healthy Homes: Recognizing that healthy homes mean healthy neighborhoods, SVMC has revitalized single-family homes in downtown Bennington through a project called Healthy Homes.
- Bennington Community Collaborative: As part of the Bennington Blueprint, SVMC convenes a bi-monthly meeting of dozens of community organizations, focused upon improving health outcomes for those in Bennington County.
- Patient Family Advisory Council: SVMC is establishing a Patient and Family Advisory Council, which will integrate community member participation into decision-making, thereby enhancing the care experience for patients at families. Those interested in joining the volunteer council can visit the Volunteer Opportunities page to contact SVMC's coordinator of volunteer services to be considered for membership.
- Putnam block redevelopment: SVMC is one of many civic leaders of Bennington investing in and committing to the revitalization of the Putnam Hotel and surrounding block to create a vibrant, mixed-use downtown space.
- Redevelopment of former Southern Vermont College campus: SVMC acquired the former Southern Vermont College campus, and is developing a plan for initial phases of redevelopment as a multi-use facility.
Contact us
We welcome your feedback or questions related to the health of our region, and about our clinical and community efforts to meet the needs of the local population.
To share your thoughts, please send an email to communityhealth@svhealthcare.org. Suggestions and concerns from our community are highly valued and are given careful consideration, so please expect a response within three business days.