Are There Upcoming Changes To NMC’s Board?
Yes, there are. We have four hard-working, talented leaders transitioning off the NMC Board this year, with four new members joining the Board in January. NMC has been so fortunate over the years to have been well served by remarkable community members who have been willing to provide leadership and stewardship amidst the challenging healthcare environment and the uncertainties of healthcare reform. Our Board’s focus on meeting community needs, maximizing value by improving quality and containing costs, and positioning the organization for the future helps ensure access to exceptional care here in our community.
The four departing members have served NMC and our community so well. Dr. Frank Zsoldos, a long-time and now retired Primary Care physician, completed a partial term from 2004 to 2006 and then served three consecutive three-year terms from 2007-2015. He brought gentle insight and wisdom to the Board, helping share the perspective of his medical staff colleagues and always being a strong advocate for quality patient care. Patrick Talcott, the Senior Wealth Management Officer at People’s United Bank and a member of the Talcott Family Farm, has served on the Board since 2011. Patrick’s strong business sense, connection to our rural communities, and financial expertise have been greatly appreciated. Dr. John Minadeo, the Medical Director of NMC’s Emergency Department, has served on NMC’s Board for two years in his role as Medical Staff President. He has strengthened connections between the Board and the Medical Staff while providing strong clinical input into Board decision making. John Hango, the General Manager at Mylan Technologies, has served on NMC’s Board since 2007, including the past two years as President of the Board. John’s strong leadership and inclusive approach helped NMC navigate many opportunities and challenges and facilitated key decisions such as our Master Facility Plan to keep our organization strong and focused on local access to healthcare for our community.
Fortunately, we have a very strong set of incoming Board Members who will help NMC continue to move forward in the right direction. In November, the NMC Incorporators elected Dr. Loren Babb and Nicholas Hadden to serve on the NMC Board of Directors. Dr. Babb is a Primary Care physician in our community. His office, Cold Hollow Family Practice, is located in Enosburg. Nick Hadden is an attorney in St. Albans. He is a former NMC Board member, having served a number of years ago. The incoming Medical Staff President is Dr. Michael Kennedy, a General Surgeon with an office in St. Albans. He is elected by the members of NMC’s Medical Staff. Our fourth new member has actually been appointed by the NMC Board itself, as the opening she is filling only recently came open. Dawn Bugbee, the Chief Financial Officer of Green Mountain Power and a resident of Grand Isle County, has been appointed to complete the open partial term. Many may remember that Dawn was the Chief Financial Officer at NMC before moving to Green Mountain Power ten years ago. This is quite a slate of new members and I am confident our hospital and our community will continue to be well served.
The new year also brings new Board Officers. At their December meeting, NMC’s Board elected the following officers for 2016: Kevin Manahan of A.M. Peisch as Chairman; Leon Berthiaume of the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery as Vice Chairman; Michelle Lawrence of Concept Partners Alliance as Treasurer, and Janet McCarthy of Franklin County Home Health as Board Secretary. Also serving on NMC’s Board of Directors are: Bill O’Connor of Food Science Corporation; John Casavant of Hackett Valine & MacDonald; Paula Kate, an attorney in St. Albans, and Dr. Marietta Scholten, the Medical Director for the Vermont Chronic Care Initiative.
NMC is truly a community hospital and the work of our Board keeps us deeply rooted in our community. It is impossible to quantify the number of hours these individuals have invested in service to NMC through formal meetings, committee work, preparation, and community engagement. We so deeply appreciate all they have done. We wish our outgoing members all the best – and are excited to work with the new members!
— Jill Berry Bowen, NMC Chief Executive Officer