Yes!  We are so pleased be opening a new Neurology Clinic on September 20^th in our new medical clinics space at the front of NMC’s campus.  This new service will feature Dr. Edward Boyer, M.D., who will see patients at NMC in St. Albans every Thursday.

Neurology is the medical specialty which treats concerns relating to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.  As a Neurologist, Dr. Boyer will be caring for patients experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; epilepsy; headaches; movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease; multiple sclerosis; neuromuscular disorders; and strokes.  Dr. Boyer completed his Neurology Residency and his Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC).  His medical degree is from the Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica and his undergraduate degree is from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.  Dr. Boyer will begin seeing patients on September 20^th and is open to referrals from primary care providers and others.  His office telephone is 752-1352.

This is an exciting next step forward in our work to ensure our community has appropriate access to preventive medical specialty care, right here, close to home.  Our new rotating medical clinic approach allows us to bring specialties like Neurology into Franklin County in sustainable ways that match the level of community need.  The Neurology clinic featuring Dr. Boyer is the result of collaboration with UVMMC.  This a great example of how a community hospital such as NMC and a tertiary care center such as UVMMC can work together to make sure the right care is delivered at the right time in the right setting.

We have found that having local access to preventive medical specialty care truly reduces barriers to care for patients in our community.  With appropriate local access, patients are more likely to seek care before their conditions spiral into far more concerning levels.  This often contributes to better health outcomes for the patient and lower overall medical costs.  Access to care is a fundamental point of emphasis for NMC.  This was a point we made with the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), the regulatory group which regulates health insurance rates and hospital budgets in Vermont.  In our recent presentation regarding our proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY’19), we showed how hospital services themselves had grown only 1.2% on average in recent years which is well below the GMCB’s stated target.  At the same time, due to better access to necessary care, the physician practices which are now part of NMC, have grown at a faster rate to keep pace with community need.  That is a good thing for the health of our community, as it means people are using their local resources to get the preventive care they need to avoid situations becoming more concerning.  At the same time, NMC has been a leader in RiseVT, the community movement to embrace healthier lifestyles, which research shows can reduce the need for medical interventions and lower overall healthcare costs long-term.

Dr. Boyer joins a number of other new members of the NMC Medical Staff who have joined to help improve access to necessary care.  Dr. Haitham Nsour, M.D., is now full time in Northwestern Pulmonology.  His practice is also located in NMC’s medical clinic space at the front of our campus and his office telephone is 524-8909.  Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) Specialist Dr. Kahren Aydinyan, D.O., and Audiologist Stephanie Maloney, Au.D., are now seeing adult and pediatric patients at Northwestern ENT, located in the Doctors Office Common.  Their office telephone is 524-1000.  We are also pleased to welcome General Surgeon Dr. Anna Royer, M.D., who has been working out of the office of Dr. Joseph Salomone initially and will be transitioning to space in the Doctors Office Common in October.  Dr. Royer’s office can be reached at 524-2779.  Please join me in welcoming all of these new specialists!

The foundation of strong access to care is a close and ongoing relationship with a primary care provider.  Our community is blessed with talented caring professionals in Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, and Women’s Services.  They are your closest partners in your care and an important link for you to the various specialists in our community.  If you need help establishing a relationship with a primary care provider, please call NMC’s Community Relations Office at 524-1280.  It is our pleasure to help you make that important connection.

— Jill Berry Bowen, NMC’s Chief Executive Officer